Researching Word of Mouth

In the social sciences there are a number of important topics that do not lend themselves to experimentation or direct observation. The socialisation of children and the formation of delinquent gangs are examples. In consumer behaviour, word of mouth (WOM) is of this type. We know that WOM is the medium whereby much change comes about but research on this topic is limited by the methods available. Ideally, we would observe WOM as it occurs and monitor the consequences. In practice, WOM occurs too infrequently and any effect may be delayed so that direct observation is impossible. In this paper, I criticise the other methods and present some findings using two different methods.