Biography of Richard S. Dorr

Unlike many who become marketing researchers by default, Richard ("Dick") Dorr aspired to a marketing research career while in college. Armed with a BS in Statistics and an MBA in Marketing (both from Boston University), he spent his early professional years in the marketing and media research end of advertising with two advertising agencies: one local and the other international.

After a two-year stint as Vice President of an independent research firm, Dick founded Dorr Research Corporation in 1969. During the same period, he broadened his research horizons to embrace social research. He received an MA in Sociology from Boston College, where he has since completed most requirements for a PhD in Sociology.

Since its inception, Dorr Research has consistently maintained a reputation for combining high-quality research with insightful analysis that clients find highly actionable from a strategic viewpoint. The company has completed more than 2,000 marketing research assignments of regional, national and international scope in myriad categories.

A nationally noted pioneer in qualitative research methods, Dick also has an extensive track record in survey research. The scope of his research activities has included multiple studies with a wide range of applications.

Dick is personally immersed in the projects undertaken by Dorr Research and serves as the Project Director on every assignment. He has personally conducted more than 1,400 focused groups, more than 5,000 in-depth, one-on-one interviews, and more than 1,000 quantitative studies.

Dick is a co-author of a research text (The Research Craft) published by Little-Brown, a contributing author to a gerontological text (Aging and Society) published by Holt Rinehart Winston, a speaker on research issues and a contributor to research periodicals.

Biography of Joanne L. West

With more than 15 years experience in the market research industry, Joanne West provides expertise in field management of qualitative and quantitative research.

While having conceptualized and administered a full range of methodological approaches throughout her industry tenure, Joanne has concentrated her efforts over the past seven years in the areas of data collection and recruiting management. She has traveled extensively throughout the country, personally briefing and managing research projects in more than twenty-five US markets, and has continuing relationships with those regarded as superior data gathering agencies, nationwide. 

Joanne is highly versed in the administration and management of research with a variety of audiences including; executive-level and corporate officers of Fortune 100 companies, educational, medical, industrial, political, financial, media and consumer audiences (including teen, senior, minority and low-incidence markets).

Since 1998, Joanne has been a member of the Dorr Research staff, administering  qualitative and quantitative research studies.

Prior to her current position at Dorr Research, Joanne was Director of Field Operations at Research International's US Headquarters in New York City as well as Research International's Cambridge, Massachusetts location (formerly Cambridge Reports) and at Chadwick Martin Bailey in Boston.