'Respect for Research' Declining Says Report

The number of researchers who feel that research is less valued than it was five years ago has risen sharply, according to the latest wave of the GreenBook Research Industry Trends Report.

A total of 673 respondents replied to the survey, with responses received from a mix of research consultants/providers, academics, data collection specialists, ad agency staff and research buyers.

The number of respondents who perceived 'respect for research' as declining jumped 20 percentage points to 45%, which the report's author Bob Walker of Surveys & Forecasts feels is fuelled by 'systemic stressors' that make it increasingly difficult to deliver on the goal of high quality, highly valued research.

Two thirds felt that research buyers are less able to tell the difference between high quality and mediocre research, and the majority felt that quality is becoming less important than speed. In particular, online panel data quality was noted as the top issue within the research community.

Anticipated levels of future research spending were favourable, with nearly 60% of respondents indicating that they are seeing stronger growth, or expect stronger growth to occur. Among suppliers, around 65% are either experiencing or expecting increases.

While using the latest and most advanced technology is important to both clients and suppliers, the most important decision-making criterion is the business relationship - personal service, responsiveness and attentiveness. This was true regardless of whether choosing a quant or qual research partner.

Among newer research techniques and approaches, online communities and social media analytics were the two most widely adopted - 34% and 28% respectively. Online communities are used by a similar percentage of buyers and suppliers - 38% and 33% respectively.

When asked which firms first come to mind when they think of innovative market research companies, respondents cited 170 companies. BrainJuicer took the top slot with 60 mentions, followed by TNS and Vision Critical in joint second place with 32 mentions.

The full report can be viewed or downloaded at www.greenbookblog.org/GRIT-Spring-2011 .