Audit

An audit is a data collection conducted by a researcher after proceeding to an information gathering process or an inventory.
Specific characteristics of audits : Firstly, data is collected by the researcher. Secondly, data is based on census or count of objects. For example, in a consumption audit, the responsible for research performs the inventory of brands, quantities and packaging sizes at the individual’s home.
He can eventually end the study with a personal interview.
The advantage of this study is the complete authenticity of results. At the opposite, the main disadvantages are complexity to access permission to refrigerator content and closets of customers and costs related to this issue. These disadvantages limit this kind of audits. Audits are conducted in most cases at selling points.