by David Butler, Vice President 

Grocery shopping has become an increasingly complicated task.  Sure, we can scoop up things that look good on the shelf and fill our cart with items that sound great – but are these things good for us?  And with new products hitting the shelves every day, there are so many choices.  Choice is definitely good, but it can be very overwhelming. 

It’s funny, but somehow shopping for obscure items on my grocery list inspires me to think.  The other day, while contemplating the vast selection of groceries in my high-end neighborhood store, I suddenly wondered whether some of our clients have a similar experience when shopping for research.  Much like we should be a bit wary of buying food that is “too far from the source” or contains too many ingredients we can’t pronounce and don’t understand, research buyers should be wary of buying solutions that are littered with jargon and take the data too far away from its original source.

Understanding where your food comes is analogous to understanding your sample in research.  Where does it come from?  It isn’t that your sample can come from a “right” place or a “wrong” place – it’s just a question of knowing how it was compiled and whether it is truly representative, because the quality of your sample has a direct impact on your ability to make a fully informed decision.   With landline abandonment increasing every day, a random sample in the historical context that we all knew it may no longer exist.  So understanding the ingredients in and source of your sample is critically important.

Knowing exactly what’s in your food is equally important and translates into research as understanding exactly what is in the product or solution you are buying.  Do you understand their analysis enough that you can connect the dots and agree with their conclusions?  Does your review and analysis result in findings similar to theirs?  Imagine your research provider as the chef and you as the diner.  You should be able to recognize the food you ordered, and it should smell and taste good to you.  If not, you will no doubt be finding a new place to dine. 

The moral of this story… order your food and your research wisely.  Bon Appétit!