How We Work
Market Research Methodology
Every CITE Research study follows a disciplined process tailored to the business question, audience and intended use.
Core principles
Credible Research Starts With the Right Decisions
Objectives First
We begin with the decisions the research must inform. The methodology and deliverables follow from those objectives.
Audience Quality Matters
A large sample cannot compensate for poorly qualified or inattentive respondents.
Neutral Questions Produce Stronger Evidence
Questionnaires are reviewed for leading language, unclear terminology, unbalanced options and other avoidable sources of bias.
Communications Use Is Considered Early
For public-facing studies, we consider the communications objective while allowing the findings to support, complicate or challenge the initial hypothesis.
Findings Should Be Useful
Analysis and reporting are structured around the decisions clients need to make and the audiences who need to understand the results.
The CITE Research process
From Brief to Defensible Findings
Discovery
Clarify the objectives, audience, timeline and intended use.
Research design
Recommend the methodology, sample and analytical plan.
Instrument development
Create and review the questionnaire or discussion guide.
Recruitment and fieldwork
Screen participants and monitor fieldwork.
Quality review
Apply appropriate automated checks, human review and statistical diagnostics.
Analysis and delivery
Provide the agreed findings, data and methodology documentation.
Data Quality
Six Layers of Data Quality Control
The controls used depend on the methodology, audience, market and recruitment source.
Source Evaluation
Evaluate recruitment sources against study requirements.
Eligibility Screening
Confirm that participants meet the agreed audience criteria.
Identity and Duplicate Checks
Use available identity, device, IP and duplicate checks where appropriate.
Engagement Review
Review completion time, attention measures and response patterns together.
Open-Ended Response Review
Evaluate written responses for relevance, comprehension and possible duplication.
Statistical Review
Examine the final data for inconsistencies, improbable combinations and anomalies.
Related Research
PR Survey Research
Credible research designed for PR and communications use.
B2B Market Research
Research with carefully qualified business audiences.
Qualitative Research
Explore the qualitative approaches CITE Research can apply to your question.
Case Studies
See how CITE Research approaches research across a range of client engagements.
Questions About Our Approach?
Tell us about your audience, research question and intended use. A senior researcher will explain the practical options.