Data Classified by Their Nature:
The nature of data may be classified according to various categories. Facts knowledge opinion intention motivation and behaviour.
a. Facts refer to actuality but they not necessarily be material. The measured precisely and definitely. The descriptive facts relating to people may be demographic and sociological. These characteristics represent the attributes of people e, g, age, sex, income and level of education. The sociological data are related to how people are organized in and related to society.
b. Knowledge: Knowledge refers to what people know potential buyers knowledge and awareness of products or brands are important data of marketing research. The respondents awareness and knowledge are evaluated to get sufficient data for marketing research.
c. Opinions : Opinions are people perceptions. What people think or what is their minds are called opinions. Their perceptions may or may not be true. Thus they may be well defined as attitudes. These are products to mental sets and may be referred to as images..
d. Intentions : Intention are acts that are in the minds of people these are expectations of behaviour or intentions to indulge in particular marketing behaviour.
e. Motivation: Motivation is how to steer and direct people actions . it is known as the inner state of mind that energizes activates and moves or directs the behaviour of people.