Market research
Conducting research into current or potential markets for courses, programmes or course units is vital.
Market research can help to establish an accurate picture of target markets and predict trends in subject areas. This data is helpful when planning any changes to current courses, programmes or course units, as well as developing new degrees and understanding how we compare against other institutions.
It can, of course, also be extremely important for academic purposes.
Gathering your own market research
You may wish to gather your own data using Google Analytics (please see ), focus groups or the Young Person's Forum.
You can also use the free software Select Survey to create surveys and questionnaires.
This web-based survey software is a quick and easy way to create questionnaires for respondents to complete online anywhere in the world. Questionnaires are created using a web interface. Respondents can be invited to complete the questionnaire using the inbuilt email system, or by emailing them a link the software creates for you. The questionnaires:
- can be built up using a variety of type of questions including open-ended, yes/no and five-point scales
- can be shared among a group of researchers
- can be designed using templates
- can be based on other questionnaires.
The data can have simple descriptive statistics produced within the software or the data can be exported to be used in either Excel or SPSS.
Undergraduate students may use this software if they are recommended to do so by their academic tutor. Tutors must support the students directly.
Advantages of Select Survey
- Can be shared amongst other researchers.
- Data can be exported to Excel or SPSS.
- No need to input data from paper questionnaires.
- No printing costs for questionnaires.
- Questionnaire easy and quick to produce.
- Simple descriptive statistics are easy to produce on screen.
Disadvantages of Select Survey
- If the data is exported to SPSS the data will be in a multi-response format and will need manipulation.
- The web link produced by the system is complex so an external link may be needed to point to the survey.
- Users need to have web access to complete the questionnaire.
Requesting market research
Every year, the Marketing Team receives multiple requests for market research to inform current and new programme development. To request market research:
- Set your objectives, asking yourself why you need the market research, what information you want, and what problem you're trying to solve.
- Complete the market research proforma (pg.8).
- Get signed approval by your Head of Department and Head of School.
The complete and approved proforma will then be considered by the School Marketing Group, a timescale to be allocated for completion of the project, and responsibilities assigned.
Sourcing existing market research
Within the University there are a number of data sources which are readily available.
Your first point of call should be the Faculty Marketing Manager, School Marketing Officer or Recruitment and Admissions Manager, who can advise which data sources will give the best information to help you meet your objectives.
Acceptor survey
An acceptor survey is used to identify why new students decided to study with us.
Please contact the Marketing Team to access this data.
Decliner survey
A decliner survey is used to survey applicants who receive but turn down an offer for a programme to identify their reasons for choosing alternative programmes or institutions.
This is done by the central market research team but is also often carried out at the School level.
Please contact the Marketing Team to access this data.
Higher Education Information Database for Institutions (HEIDI)
HEIDI is a web-based database containing statistics on all UK higher education institutions, including higher education statistics agency (HESA) data on staff, students and finance.
It allows users to select data from standard reports or create their own customised reports, which can then be exported into Excel or PowerPoint.
The database enables comparison of data for all UK institutions, or subgroups of institutions. It provides a single point of access online to data from a range of sources.
HESA student data includes categories such as:
- level of study
- mode of study
- subject area
- gender
- ethnicity
- degree classification
- domicile.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
League tables
The Directorate of Planning regularly uploads the latest league tables such as THE World Reputation Rankings and the Guardian Good University Guide.
In UK tables, indicators of performance include NSS, DLHE and REF research. Data is aggregated to bespoke league table subject groups.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
National Student Survey (NSS)
Student satisfaction scores are reported by HEI. This data also helps Schools to identify where further work is needed in terms of affecting the student experience. NSS data is available via Unistats.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)
PTES is the only national survey of postgraduate students in the UK. It allows institutions to collect feedback on the experiences of their taught postgraduate students.
The survey collects feedback from postgraduate taught students in a systematic and user-friendly way, enabling us to pinpoint areas of teaching strength and identify areas for improvement.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
Recruitment and International Development (RAID) Sharepoint
This is a repository for management information, data, and reports that guide UK/EU and international recruitment activity.
Through the site, you can access data that supports comparison on our recruitment position relative to the sector and our direct competitor group.
RAID data includes categories such as:
- internal undergraduate and postgraduate admissions data
- datasets procured from third parties, such as the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
- international market reports and approved country banding that guide our international recruitment activity.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
Student Barometer
The Student Barometer is more wide-ranging than other similar surveys and covers areas such as arrival at University, student life, and support services.
Non-final year undergraduates will also be asked about their experience of their course.
Please contact the Marketing Team for more information.
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
UCAS provides sector undergraduate application figures for the current application cycle.
It provides lists of UK undergraduate and postgraduate courses to give an idea of the market and competitor institutions.
Other methods
- Competitor analysis
- Country knowledge reports
- DLHE data
- External stakeholders survey
- GCSE and A Level trends 2003-2012
- Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data
- Intake management data
- Prospects
- Public perception survey
- UK statistics
- Undergraduate prospectus research report.
- Unistats and Key Information Sets
- Universities UK
- Youth Insight Higher Expectations Survey