Assessing Mass Consumer Information Quality Requirements Using Conjoint Analysis

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates how conjoint analysis can be used to improve the design and delivery of mass consumer information products. Conjoint analysis is a technique that market researchers have used since the 1960’s to better understand how buyers make complex purchase decisions, to estimate preferences and importance ratings for product features, and to predict buyer behavior. This chapter describes the steps for performing a conjoint analysis to assess information quality preferences of potential home buyers interested in using a real estate website to help them locate properties for sale. The author hopes that this tutorial will convince information systems professionals of the usefulness of conjoint analysis as a tool for discerning how to prioritize information quality requirements so that the resulting systems produce information products that better serve the needs of their customers.