In the 1980s, during treaty negotiations with Russia, President Reagan made “Trust but verify” famous. Brought to the forefront decades ago, this phrase remains timeless in application. Market research is no exception.

Trust and verification are essential to ensure the output of market research is applicable. While all good market research needs some rigor to eliminate bias and error, it is not always essential to take every precaution. Just as not all schools require uniforms, not all market research requires academic rigor. It’s important to keep that in mind to ensure you don’t spend time, money, and energy on a process with diminishing returns.

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Academic rigor 101

Think of academic rigor as the AP (advanced placement) class of market research. It requires strict adherence to scholarly standards and scientific methodologies in research, as well as a thorough, methodical, and precise approach to the study, analysis and presentation of information. 

Applying academic rigor to research is essential when the data is used to inform the public for wider application, underpins scientific studies, or requires additional authentication. 

For instance, reporting on new product safety testing and research necessitates detailed analysis, robust data collection, and precise interpretation.

Academic techniques in market research

Just like preparing for final exams, conducting high-stakes market research requires comprehensive prep and rigorous methods. Thoroughly studying, understanding the material in-depth, and ensuring answers are accurate significantly impacts overall performance, and- in this case -business outcomes. 

Academically rigorous research generally utilizes a number of techniques combining any or all of the below within the process:

• Systematic approach: Employing well-defined, structured methodologies to ensure that research is conducted in an organized and replicable manner. Wash, rinse. repeat is the goal. 
• Critical analysis: Engaging in deep, critical thinking and analysis, evaluating all evidence and arguments comprehensively and objectively. In other words, ensuring there is no bias.
• Precision and accuracy: Ensuring that all data and information are collected, recorded, and reported with the highest level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ethical standards: Adhering to ethical guidelines in the conduct of research, ensuring honesty, integrity, and respect for participants and sources. 
• Peer review: Subjecting research findings to the scrutiny of other experts in the field through peer review processes to validate the quality and reliability of the work. 
• Replicability: Designing research in a way that other scholars can replicate the study and achieve similar results, a cornerstone of scientific validity.
• Evidence-based conclusions: Drawing conclusions that are directly supported by the data and evidence collected during the research process, avoiding unsupported assertions or speculations. The numbers don’t lie!

Complex markets, sophisticated products, public sector insights, and high-stakes decisions are all good candidates for the use of academic rigor in your market research. ‍

‍When less rigor is still more

While highly detailed, systematic and thorough, academically rigorous research tends to focus on presenting findings through quantitative data. This has a time and place (to the point we are currently making), however, it can also leave out one critical detail - the story of “why”.

When campaign objectives call for qualitative data like understanding belief systems, motivations, or sources of inspiration for a subset of people, using academic rigor may not deliver on research objectives best. In fact, it might be overkill all together. In other words, doing more - more analysis, more precision, more detailed rigor - may deliver less of what your research is actually calling for.

Determining  how users engage with a new product or who is best suited for the application of the new product requires less academic rigor and more behavioral science. How to ask a question, or a series of questions, to reveal an accurate portrait of an ideal user and product experience will add more value to a product or business strategy than a scientific study might.

While market research absent of academic rigor can be interpreted as less formal, it isn’t indicative of the quality it can produce. Surveys and conversational chatbot polls are two incredibly effective methods for gathering insightful information without the need for exhaustive research. (We’re well-studied in this).

Work smarter, not harder

Gauging what level of rigor is appropriate (or required) is important for businesses and researchers to consider when designing market research campaigns to produce high-quality, reliable insights. 

Incorporating academic rigor into market research significantly impacts expense, timelines, qualifications required, and the validation process. Determining if the added complexity and cost is worthy of the outcome is dependent on your objectives. Here’s how academic rigor can impact market research:

1) Expense: Increased costs

• Why: Academic rigor often necessitates the use of advanced methodologies and specialized tools which can be expensive. Additionally, the need for highly skilled researchers and possibly external experts can further drive up costs.

2) Timeline: Increased duration

• Why: Rigorous academic research involves multiple stages and techniques.Each of these is time-consuming and requires careful attention to detail. 

3) Qualifications: Higher expertise required

• Why: Conducting academically rigorous research demands a high level of expertise in research methodologies, statistical analysis, and subject matter knowledge. This often means hiring individuals with advanced degrees (such as a Ph.D.) or extensive experience in research.

4) Validation process: More robust and time consuming

• Why: Academic rigor requires research findings to be thoroughly validated, often through peer review, replication studies, and cross-validation methods. This helps ensure the reliability and credibility of the results but adds to the complexity and duration of the process.

Market research campaigns are no different than college degrees. There are endless possibilities, countless paths to completion, and infinite objectives for pursuing. Academic rigor is just one consideration amongst many.

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CommonAlly does more than market research. We fuel movements. We uncover the motivations behind decision-making and develop opportunities to inform and inspire action. From 1-to-1 personal engagement strategies to gathering essential community and demographic insights, CommonAlly reimagines campaign and outreach strategies to unlock markets, opportunities, and solutions. Ready to reimagine your market research? Let's chat!