Summary

You should now be able to

• Explain what formative research is and explain why it is important.
• List the steps in the formative research process.
• Describe how the four plan components are revisited and information gaps
  are determined (step 1).
• Demonstrate how to write research questions (step 2).
• Explain the process for choosing a data collection method (step 3).
• Discuss the development of instruments (step 4).
• Discuss options for recruiting participants (step 5).
• Explain the data collection process (step 6).
• Explain options for analyzing and reporting on formative research (step 7).

At this point, you should know quite a bit more about your audience and their behavior than you did at the beginning of your project. Final decisions about audience segments and behavioral objectives will be made in the next phase.