Where can I find information about published research on a specific area (eg the food industry, the IT sector, people's leisure interests)?
Published market research
A good starting point to finding published market research is the website of RBA Information Services (www.rba.co.uk). The section ‘Business Information on the Internet’ includes a list of market research content aggregators, market research publishers, Internet surveys and government sources.
National Statistics publishes UK statistical information, eg Consumer Trends and Census data (www.statistics.gov.uk).
Published market research reports and data can also be identified using:
- MarketResearch.com (www.MarketResearch.com) is a continuously updated collection of market research, offering more than 110,000 market research reports from over 550 leading global publishers.
- Market Research Findings (www.marketresearchworld.net) offers summaries of survey findings from worldwide sources, organised by industry.
- Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) is a directory of published market research reports, which can be purchased online.
- MindBranch (www.mindbranch.com) is a source of market research data from some of the leading research companies.
In addition the following offer market research data:
Many libraries hold a collection of market research reports:
International research
- The American Marketing Association, AMA, (www.marketingpower.com) website has information on market research in the USA.
- The ESOMAR website (www.esomar.org) is a useful source of information on Europe.
Commissioning research
If you wish to commission research, you can use the Research Buyer’s Guide (RBG), to identify an appropriate agency or consultant. It is a directory of over 600 entries and consultants offering market research and related services throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. It includes details of research markets, services and locations, senior contacts and an overview of each organisation’s activities. It includes an index of the research methods used by the companies.
Research buyers can use RBG-listed suppliers confident in the knowledge that they employ at least one Full Member or Fellow of MRS who ensures compliance with the MRS Code of Conduct.
You can search the online directory for free at www.theresearchbuyersguide.com. As well as searchable up-to-date listings the site also offers a Bulletin Board to display potential research projects.
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