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The Ultimate Guide to Market Research: Examples and Best Practices

Market research plays a vital role in the success of any business. It helps companies understand their target market, gather valuable insights, and make informed decisions. In this ultimate guide, we will demystify market research, explore different research methods, discuss the importance of selecting the right market research partner, and provide real-life examples and best practices.

Market Research Demystified

Market research is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data about a particular market, industry, or target audience . By conducting market research, companies gain a deeper understanding of market trends, customer preferences, and competitive landscape, allowing them to make informed strategic decisions and create effective marketing campaigns.

Market research can be classified into two main categories: primary and secondary research. Both approaches provide valuable information, but they differ in their data collection methods and purpose.

Unveiling the Importance of Marketing Research

Market research is crucial for businesses because it helps them stay competitive, identify new opportunities, and minimize risks. By conducting thorough market research, companies can understand their customers' needs and preferences, develop products or services that meet those needs, and position themselves effectively in the market.

Market research also helps businesses identify their target audience and determine the most effective ways to reach them. It provides insights into consumer behavior, buying patterns, and market trends, allowing companies to tailor their marketing strategies and messages accordingly.

Primary vs Secondary Market Research: Understanding the Difference

Primary market research involves collecting data directly from the source. This can be done through surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. Primary research provides firsthand information that is specific to the research objectives and allows businesses to gather data tailored to their needs.

Secondary market research, on the other hand, involves using existing data that has already been collected by someone else for a different purpose. This can include published reports, industry studies, government data, or customer feedback. Secondary research is cost-effective, saves time, and provides access to a wide range of data.

Both primary and secondary research have their advantages and limitations. The choice between the two depends on several factors, including the research objectives, budget, and time constraints. In many cases, a combination of both approaches yields more comprehensive and accurate results.

Case Studies: Insights from Successful Market Research

Real-life case studies can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of market research. Let's explore two examples of companies that used market research to drive their success.

Case Study 1: Company XYZ, a startup in the fashion industry, conducted extensive market research before launching their line of sustainable clothing. Through surveys and focus groups , they identified a growing demand for eco-friendly fashion among millennials. This research allowed them to create a unique brand positioning and design products that resonated with their target audience. As a result, they gained a competitive advantage and achieved rapid growth in the market.

Case Study 2: Company ABC, a multinational consumer goods company, used market research to enter a new international market. They conducted thorough market analysis, including competitor analysis, consumer behavior research, and cultural studies. This research helped them tailor their product offering and marketing strategy to suit the local market preferences. As a result, they successfully launched their products and gained a significant market share.

These case studies illustrate the power of market research in driving business success and making informed decisions. Regardless of the industry or size of the company, market research can provide valuable insights and guide strategic planning.

Expanding on the importance of market research, it is worth noting that in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead of the competition is more challenging than ever. Market research plays a vital role in helping companies gain a competitive edge by providing them with valuable information about their target market and customers. By understanding the needs, preferences, and behaviors of their target audience, companies can develop products and services that meet their customers' expectations and stand out in the market.

Furthermore, market research can also help businesses identify emerging trends and opportunities. By analyzing market data and consumer insights, companies can spot gaps in the market and capitalize on them. This proactive approach allows businesses to stay ahead of the curve and adapt their strategies to changing market dynamics.

Another aspect of market research that is worth exploring is the role it plays in risk mitigation. By conducting thorough market research, companies can identify potential risks and challenges before they become major issues. This allows them to make informed decisions and develop contingency plans to mitigate those risks. Market research acts as a compass, guiding businesses through uncertain terrain and helping them navigate potential obstacles.

Decoding Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

Market research methods can be broadly classified into two categories: qualitative and quantitative research. Let's dive deeper into each approach and understand their benefits and applications.

Diving Deep into Qualitative Research Techniques

Qualitative research focuses on understanding human behavior , motivations, attitudes, and perceptions. It provides insights into the "why" behind consumer actions and helps uncover underlying emotions and motivations.

Qualitative research methods include focus groups, interviews, observations, and case studies. These methods allow researchers to gather rich and detailed information, explore participants' thoughts and opinions in depth, and uncover new insights that may not be captured by quantitative research alone. For example, in a focus group, participants can engage in open-ended discussions, allowing for a deeper exploration of their experiences and perspectives.

Moreover, qualitative research is especially useful in the early stages of product development or when exploring new market segments. By conducting interviews or observations, researchers can gain a nuanced understanding of consumer needs, preferences, and pain points. This knowledge can then be used to develop products and services that truly resonate with the target audience.

The Power of Numbers: Quantitative Research Explained

Quantitative research, on the other hand, focuses on numerical data and statistical analysis . It aims to quantify consumer opinions, behaviors, and preferences using structured questionnaires or surveys.

Quantitative research methods include online surveys, face-to-face interviews, and experiments. These methods allow researchers to collect data from a large sample size, analyze trends and patterns , and make statistically valid conclusions. For instance, by distributing an online survey to a large number of respondents, researchers can obtain a representative sample and generate reliable statistical data.

Furthermore, quantitative research is particularly useful when measuring customer satisfaction, conducting market segmentation, or evaluating the impact of marketing campaigns. By using rating scales or Likert-type questions, researchers can assign numerical values to different variables, enabling them to analyze and compare data objectively. This data-driven approach provides valuable insights that can guide strategic decision-making.

Both qualitative and quantitative research methods have their strengths and limitations. Combining both approaches can provide a holistic understanding of consumer behavior and inform strategic decision-making. By triangulating data from multiple sources, researchers can validate findings, identify patterns, and gain a comprehensive view of the market landscape. This integrated approach enhances the reliability and robustness of research outcomes, enabling businesses to make informed and data-driven decisions.

Unleashing the Potential of Market Research Tools

Market research tools can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the research process. Here, we will explore the benefits of using market research tools and highlight the role of Userpilot in enhancing market research.

Market research tools play a crucial role in helping businesses understand market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscapes. They provide valuable data that can guide strategic decision-making, product development, and marketing campaigns. By utilizing these tools, companies can gain a competitive edge and stay ahead in today's dynamic business environment.

Enhancing Market Research with Userpilot

Userpilot is a market research tool that allows businesses to collect feedback, conduct surveys, and analyze user behavior. It provides valuable insights into user preferences, pain points, and feature requests.

One of the key advantages of using Userpilot is its user-friendly interface and easy integration with existing software platforms. It allows companies to create personalized surveys, collect real-time feedback, and analyze data in a centralized dashboard.

By leveraging Userpilot, businesses can gather actionable insights, improve their product or service offerings, and enhance the overall customer experience. Userpilot streamlines the market research process, saving time and resources, and enabling companies to make data-driven decisions.

Furthermore, Userpilot offers advanced analytics capabilities that help businesses track user engagement, retention rates, and conversion metrics. This data-driven approach empowers companies to optimize their marketing strategies, tailor their products to meet customer needs, and drive business growth.

Your Comprehensive Guide to the Market Research Process

The market research process involves several key steps, from defining research objectives to analyzing and interpreting the data. Let's explore each step in detail:

Step-by-Step: Navigating the Market Research Journey

• Define the research objectives: Clearly state the purpose and goals of the research.
• Identify the target audience: Determine the specific group of people or businesses you want to gather insights from.
• Select research methods: Choose the appropriate qualitative or quantitative research methods based on your objectives.
• Design the research instrument: Develop surveys, questionnaires, or interview protocols that align with your research goals.
• Collect data: Implement the research methods and collect data from the identified target audience.
• Analyze and interpret the data: Use statistical analysis or qualitative techniques to analyze the collected data and derive meaningful insights.
• Draw conclusions and make recommendations: Summarize the findings, draw conclusions, and make strategic recommendations based on the data analysis.
• Communicate and present the findings: Present the research results in a clear and concise manner, making it accessible to stakeholders and decision-makers.

The market research process is iterative and requires continuous monitoring and adjustment. By following these steps, businesses can ensure they gather accurate and valuable data to inform their decision-making processes.

Now, let's delve deeper into each step of the market research process to gain a comprehensive understanding:

1. Define the research objectives: In this crucial first step, it is essential to clearly define the research objectives. This involves identifying the specific information you aim to uncover and the goals you want to achieve through the research. By setting clear objectives, you provide a solid foundation for the entire market research process.

2. Identify the target audience: Once you have defined your research objectives, it is important to identify the target audience. This involves determining the specific group of people or businesses from whom you want to gather insights. Understanding your target audience helps ensure that the data collected is relevant and representative of the population you are studying.

3. Select research methods: After identifying your target audience, it is time to choose the appropriate research methods. Depending on your objectives, you may opt for qualitative methods, such as focus groups or interviews, or quantitative methods, such as surveys or experiments. Selecting the right research methods is crucial for obtaining accurate and reliable data.

4. Design the research instrument: With your research methods chosen, the next step is to design the research instrument. This involves developing surveys, questionnaires, or interview protocols that align with your research goals. Designing effective research instruments ensures that you collect the necessary data to answer your research questions and achieve your objectives.

5. Collect data: Once your research instruments are ready, it is time to implement them and collect data from your target audience. This may involve conducting interviews, administering surveys, or observing consumer behavior. Collecting data requires careful planning and execution to ensure that the data collected is accurate and representative of the target audience.

6. Analyze and interpret the data: After collecting the data, the next step is to analyze and interpret it. This involves using statistical analysis or qualitative techniques to uncover patterns, trends, and insights within the data. By analyzing and interpreting the data, you can derive meaningful and actionable insights that can inform your decision-making processes.

7. Draw conclusions and make recommendations: Once the data has been analyzed, it is time to draw conclusions and make recommendations based on the findings. This step involves summarizing the research results, identifying key insights, and drawing conclusions that address the research objectives. Additionally, you can make strategic recommendations based on the data analysis to guide future actions and decision-making.

8. Communicate and present the findings: The final step in the market research process is to communicate and present the findings. This involves presenting the research results in a clear and concise manner, making it accessible to stakeholders and decision-makers. Effective communication of the research findings ensures that the insights gained from the research are understood and utilized to drive informed decision-making.

Remember, the market research process is not a linear path but rather an iterative journey. Continuous monitoring and adjustment are necessary to ensure that the research remains relevant and aligned with changing business needs. By following these steps and adapting as needed, businesses can gather accurate and valuable data to inform their decision-making processes and gain a competitive edge in the market.

Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Best Practices in Market Research

Market research may present its fair share of challenges, but by embracing best practices, businesses can navigate these obstacles and optimize their research efforts. Let's explore some common challenges and best practices:

One common challenge in market research is the issue of data quality. Ensuring that the data collected is accurate and reliable is crucial for making informed business decisions. To address this challenge, businesses can implement rigorous data validation processes, conduct regular data audits, and invest in advanced analytics tools to identify and rectify any discrepancies in the data. By prioritizing data quality, businesses can enhance the credibility and effectiveness of their market research efforts.

Another challenge faced by businesses in market research is the rapid evolution of technology and consumer behavior. With the rise of digital platforms and social media, traditional market research methods may no longer provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer preferences and trends. To overcome this challenge, businesses can leverage advanced data analytics techniques, such as sentiment analysis and social listening, to gain valuable insights from online conversations and interactions. By staying abreast of technological advancements and consumer behavior shifts, businesses can adapt their market research strategies to remain competitive in the ever-changing marketplace.

From Data to Action: Real-Life Market Research Success Stories

Market research generates valuable insights, but the true value lies in how businesses leverage that data to drive action and make informed decisions. Here are two real-life success stories:

Finding Your Perfect Match: Selecting Market Research Tools

Choosing the right market research tools is essential for the success of your research endeavors. Consider the following factors when selecting a market research tool:

Evaluating the Impact of Your Market Research Efforts

Measuring the impact of market research is crucial to determine the effectiveness of your efforts and make informed decisions. Here are some key metrics to consider:

Wrapping It Up: Key Takeaways from Market Research

Market research is a powerful tool that enables businesses to understand their target market, gain valuable insights, and drive informed decision-making. By conducting thorough market research using both qualitative and quantitative methods, leveraging market research tools, and following best practices, businesses can position themselves for success in a competitive market landscape. Remember, the key is not just collecting data but transforming it into actionable insights that drive growth and profitability.

Additional Resources

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A Comprehensive Guide to Collecting and Analyzing Qualitative Feedback

The Ultimate Guide to Analyzing Consumer Behavior

Mastering Data-Driven Decision-Making in Product Management

How to Write a Conclusion for Research Papers (with Examples)

The conclusion of a research paper is a crucial section that plays a significant role in the overall impact and effectiveness of your research paper. However, this is also the section that typically receives less attention compared to the introduction and the body of the paper. The conclusion serves to provide a concise summary of the key findings, their significance, their implications, and a sense of closure to the study. Discussing how can the findings be applied in real-world scenarios or inform policy, practice, or decision-making is especially valuable to practitioners and policymakers. The research paper conclusion also provides researchers with clear insights and valuable information for their own work, which they can then build on and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

The research paper conclusion should explain the significance of your findings within the broader context of your field. It restates how your results contribute to the existing body of knowledge and whether they confirm or challenge existing theories or hypotheses. Also, by identifying unanswered questions or areas requiring further investigation, your awareness of the broader research landscape can be demonstrated.

Remember to tailor the research paper conclusion to the specific needs and interests of your intended audience, which may include researchers, practitioners, policymakers, or a combination of these.

Table of Contents

What is a conclusion in a research paper, summarizing conclusion, editorial conclusion, externalizing conclusion, importance of a good research paper conclusion, how to write a conclusion for your research paper, research paper conclusion examples.

• How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal? 

Frequently Asked Questions

A conclusion in a research paper is the final section where you summarize and wrap up your research, presenting the key findings and insights derived from your study. The research paper conclusion is not the place to introduce new information or data that was not discussed in the main body of the paper. When working on how to conclude a research paper, remember to stick to summarizing and interpreting existing content. The research paper conclusion serves the following purposes: 1

• Warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem.
• Recommend specific course(s) of action.
• Restate key ideas to drive home the ultimate point of your research paper.
• Provide a “take-home” message that you want the readers to remember about your study.

Types of conclusions for research papers

In research papers, the conclusion provides closure to the reader. The type of research paper conclusion you choose depends on the nature of your study, your goals, and your target audience. I provide you with three common types of conclusions:

A summarizing conclusion is the most common type of conclusion in research papers. It involves summarizing the main points, reiterating the research question, and restating the significance of the findings. This common type of research paper conclusion is used across different disciplines.

An editorial conclusion is less common but can be used in research papers that are focused on proposing or advocating for a particular viewpoint or policy. It involves presenting a strong editorial or opinion based on the research findings and offering recommendations or calls to action.

An externalizing conclusion is a type of conclusion that extends the research beyond the scope of the paper by suggesting potential future research directions or discussing the broader implications of the findings. This type of conclusion is often used in more theoretical or exploratory research papers.

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The conclusion in a research paper serves several important purposes:

• Offers Implications and Recommendations : Your research paper conclusion is an excellent place to discuss the broader implications of your research and suggest potential areas for further study. It’s also an opportunity to offer practical recommendations based on your findings.
• Provides Closure : A good research paper conclusion provides a sense of closure to your paper. It should leave the reader with a feeling that they have reached the end of a well-structured and thought-provoking research project.
• Leaves a Lasting Impression : Writing a well-crafted research paper conclusion leaves a lasting impression on your readers. It’s your final opportunity to leave them with a new idea, a call to action, or a memorable quote.

Writing a strong conclusion for your research paper is essential to leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you create and know what to put in the conclusion of a research paper: 2

• Research Statement : Begin your research paper conclusion by restating your research statement. This reminds the reader of the main point you’ve been trying to prove throughout your paper. Keep it concise and clear.
• Key Points : Summarize the main arguments and key points you’ve made in your paper. Avoid introducing new information in the research paper conclusion. Instead, provide a concise overview of what you’ve discussed in the body of your paper.
• Address the Research Questions : If your research paper is based on specific research questions or hypotheses, briefly address whether you’ve answered them or achieved your research goals. Discuss the significance of your findings in this context.
• Significance : Highlight the importance of your research and its relevance in the broader context. Explain why your findings matter and how they contribute to the existing knowledge in your field.
• Implications : Explore the practical or theoretical implications of your research. How might your findings impact future research, policy, or real-world applications? Consider the “so what?” question.
• Future Research : Offer suggestions for future research in your area. What questions or aspects remain unanswered or warrant further investigation? This shows that your work opens the door for future exploration.
• Closing Thought : Conclude your research paper conclusion with a thought-provoking or memorable statement. This can leave a lasting impression on your readers and wrap up your paper effectively. Avoid introducing new information or arguments here.
• Proofread and Revise : Carefully proofread your conclusion for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and that your conclusion is coherent and well-structured.

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Remember that a well-crafted research paper conclusion is a reflection of the strength of your research and your ability to communicate its significance effectively. It should leave a lasting impression on your readers and tie together all the threads of your paper. Now you know how to start the conclusion of a research paper and what elements to include to make it impactful, let’s look at a research paper conclusion sample.

How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal?

A research paper conclusion is not just a summary of your study, but a synthesis of the key findings that ties the research together and places it in a broader context. A research paper conclusion should be concise, typically around one paragraph in length. However, some complex topics may require a longer conclusion to ensure the reader is left with a clear understanding of the study’s significance. Paperpal, an AI writing assistant trusted by over 800,000 academics globally, can help you write a well-structured conclusion for your research paper. 

• Sign Up or Log In: Create a new Paperpal account or login with your details.  
• Navigate to Features : Once logged in, head over to the features’ side navigation pane. Click on Templates and you’ll find a suite of generative AI features to help you write better, faster.  
• Generate an outline: Under Templates, select ‘Outlines’. Choose ‘Research article’ as your document type.  
• Select your section: Since you’re focusing on the conclusion, select this section when prompted.  
• Choose your field of study: Identifying your field of study allows Paperpal to provide more targeted suggestions, ensuring the relevance of your conclusion to your specific area of research. 
• Provide a brief description of your study: Enter details about your research topic and findings. This information helps Paperpal generate a tailored outline that aligns with your paper’s content. 
• Generate the conclusion outline: After entering all necessary details, click on ‘generate’. Paperpal will then create a structured outline for your conclusion, to help you start writing and build upon the outline.  
• Write your conclusion: Use the generated outline to build your conclusion. The outline serves as a guide, ensuring you cover all critical aspects of a strong conclusion, from summarizing key findings to highlighting the research’s implications. 
• Refine and enhance: Paperpal’s ‘Make Academic’ feature can be particularly useful in the final stages. Select any paragraph of your conclusion and use this feature to elevate the academic tone, ensuring your writing is aligned to the academic journal standards. 

By following these steps, Paperpal not only simplifies the process of writing a research paper conclusion but also ensures it is impactful, concise, and aligned with academic standards. Sign up with Paperpal today and write your research paper conclusion 2x faster .  

The research paper conclusion is a crucial part of your paper as it provides the final opportunity to leave a strong impression on your readers. In the research paper conclusion, summarize the main points of your research paper by restating your research statement, highlighting the most important findings, addressing the research questions or objectives, explaining the broader context of the study, discussing the significance of your findings, providing recommendations if applicable, and emphasizing the takeaway message. The main purpose of the conclusion is to remind the reader of the main point or argument of your paper and to provide a clear and concise summary of the key findings and their implications. All these elements should feature on your list of what to put in the conclusion of a research paper to create a strong final statement for your work.

A strong conclusion is a critical component of a research paper, as it provides an opportunity to wrap up your arguments, reiterate your main points, and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here are the key elements of a strong research paper conclusion: 1. Conciseness : A research paper conclusion should be concise and to the point. It should not introduce new information or ideas that were not discussed in the body of the paper. 2. Summarization : The research paper conclusion should be comprehensive enough to give the reader a clear understanding of the research’s main contributions. 3 . Relevance : Ensure that the information included in the research paper conclusion is directly relevant to the research paper’s main topic and objectives; avoid unnecessary details. 4 . Connection to the Introduction : A well-structured research paper conclusion often revisits the key points made in the introduction and shows how the research has addressed the initial questions or objectives. 5. Emphasis : Highlight the significance and implications of your research. Why is your study important? What are the broader implications or applications of your findings? 6 . Call to Action : Include a call to action or a recommendation for future research or action based on your findings.

The length of a research paper conclusion can vary depending on several factors, including the overall length of the paper, the complexity of the research, and the specific journal requirements. While there is no strict rule for the length of a conclusion, but it’s generally advisable to keep it relatively short. A typical research paper conclusion might be around 5-10% of the paper’s total length. For example, if your paper is 10 pages long, the conclusion might be roughly half a page to one page in length.

In general, you do not need to include citations in the research paper conclusion. Citations are typically reserved for the body of the paper to support your arguments and provide evidence for your claims. However, there may be some exceptions to this rule: 1. If you are drawing a direct quote or paraphrasing a specific source in your research paper conclusion, you should include a citation to give proper credit to the original author. 2. If your conclusion refers to or discusses specific research, data, or sources that are crucial to the overall argument, citations can be included to reinforce your conclusion’s validity.

The conclusion of a research paper serves several important purposes: 1. Summarize the Key Points 2. Reinforce the Main Argument 3. Provide Closure 4. Offer Insights or Implications 5. Engage the Reader. 6. Reflect on Limitations

Remember that the primary purpose of the research paper conclusion is to leave a lasting impression on the reader, reinforcing the key points and providing closure to your research. It’s often the last part of the paper that the reader will see, so it should be strong and well-crafted.

• Makar, G., Foltz, C., Lendner, M., & Vaccaro, A. R. (2018). How to write effective discussion and conclusion sections. Clinical spine surgery, 31(8), 345-346.
• Bunton, D. (2005). The structure of PhD conclusion chapters.  Journal of English for academic purposes ,  4 (3), 207-224.

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Writing a Research Paper Conclusion | Step-by-Step Guide

Published on October 30, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 13, 2023.

• Restate the problem statement addressed in the paper
• Summarize your overall arguments or findings
• Suggest the key takeaways from your paper

The content of the conclusion varies depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument through engagement with sources .

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Table of contents

Step 1: restate the problem, step 2: sum up the paper, step 3: discuss the implications, research paper conclusion examples, frequently asked questions about research paper conclusions.

The first task of your conclusion is to remind the reader of your research problem . You will have discussed this problem in depth throughout the body, but now the point is to zoom back out from the details to the bigger picture.

While you are restating a problem you’ve already introduced, you should avoid phrasing it identically to how it appeared in the introduction . Ideally, you’ll find a novel way to circle back to the problem from the more detailed ideas discussed in the body.

For example, an argumentative paper advocating new measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture might restate its problem as follows:

Meanwhile, an empirical paper studying the relationship of Instagram use with body image issues might present its problem like this:

“In conclusion …”

Avoid starting your conclusion with phrases like “In conclusion” or “To conclude,” as this can come across as too obvious and make your writing seem unsophisticated. The content and placement of your conclusion should make its function clear without the need for additional signposting.

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Having zoomed back in on the problem, it’s time to summarize how the body of the paper went about addressing it, and what conclusions this approach led to.

Depending on the nature of your research paper, this might mean restating your thesis and arguments, or summarizing your overall findings.

Argumentative paper: Restate your thesis and arguments

In an argumentative paper, you will have presented a thesis statement in your introduction, expressing the overall claim your paper argues for. In the conclusion, you should restate the thesis and show how it has been developed through the body of the paper.

Briefly summarize the key arguments made in the body, showing how each of them contributes to proving your thesis. You may also mention any counterarguments you addressed, emphasizing why your thesis holds up against them, particularly if your argument is a controversial one.

Don’t go into the details of your evidence or present new ideas; focus on outlining in broad strokes the argument you have made.

Empirical paper: Summarize your findings

In an empirical paper, this is the time to summarize your key findings. Don’t go into great detail here (you will have presented your in-depth results and discussion already), but do clearly express the answers to the research questions you investigated.

Describe your main findings, even if they weren’t necessarily the ones you expected or hoped for, and explain the overall conclusion they led you to.

Having summed up your key arguments or findings, the conclusion ends by considering the broader implications of your research. This means expressing the key takeaways, practical or theoretical, from your paper—often in the form of a call for action or suggestions for future research.

Argumentative paper: Strong closing statement

An argumentative paper generally ends with a strong closing statement. In the case of a practical argument, make a call for action: What actions do you think should be taken by the people or organizations concerned in response to your argument?

If your topic is more theoretical and unsuitable for a call for action, your closing statement should express the significance of your argument—for example, in proposing a new understanding of a topic or laying the groundwork for future research.

Empirical paper: Future research directions

In a more empirical paper, you can close by either making recommendations for practice (for example, in clinical or policy papers), or suggesting directions for future research.

Whatever the scope of your own research, there will always be room for further investigation of related topics, and you’ll often discover new questions and problems during the research process .

Finish your paper on a forward-looking note by suggesting how you or other researchers might build on this topic in the future and address any limitations of the current paper.

Full examples of research paper conclusions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.

• Argumentative paper
• Empirical paper

While the role of cattle in climate change is by now common knowledge, countries like the Netherlands continually fail to confront this issue with the urgency it deserves. The evidence is clear: To create a truly futureproof agricultural sector, Dutch farmers must be incentivized to transition from livestock farming to sustainable vegetable farming. As well as dramatically lowering emissions, plant-based agriculture, if approached in the right way, can produce more food with less land, providing opportunities for nature regeneration areas that will themselves contribute to climate targets. Although this approach would have economic ramifications, from a long-term perspective, it would represent a significant step towards a more sustainable and resilient national economy. Transitioning to sustainable vegetable farming will make the Netherlands greener and healthier, setting an example for other European governments. Farmers, policymakers, and consumers must focus on the future, not just on their own short-term interests, and work to implement this transition now.

As social media becomes increasingly central to young people’s everyday lives, it is important to understand how different platforms affect their developing self-conception. By testing the effect of daily Instagram use among teenage girls, this study established that highly visual social media does indeed have a significant effect on body image concerns, with a strong correlation between the amount of time spent on the platform and participants’ self-reported dissatisfaction with their appearance. However, the strength of this effect was moderated by pre-test self-esteem ratings: Participants with higher self-esteem were less likely to experience an increase in body image concerns after using Instagram. This suggests that, while Instagram does impact body image, it is also important to consider the wider social and psychological context in which this usage occurs: Teenagers who are already predisposed to self-esteem issues may be at greater risk of experiencing negative effects. Future research into Instagram and other highly visual social media should focus on establishing a clearer picture of how self-esteem and related constructs influence young people’s experiences of these platforms. Furthermore, while this experiment measured Instagram usage in terms of time spent on the platform, observational studies are required to gain more insight into different patterns of usage—to investigate, for instance, whether active posting is associated with different effects than passive consumption of social media content.

If you’re unsure about the conclusion, it can be helpful to ask a friend or fellow student to read your conclusion and summarize the main takeaways.

• Do they understand from your conclusion what your research was about?
• Are they able to summarize the implications of your findings?
• Can they answer your research question based on your conclusion?

You can also get an expert to proofread and feedback your paper with a paper editing service .

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The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

• A restatement of the research problem
• A summary of your key arguments and/or findings
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

No, it’s not appropriate to present new arguments or evidence in the conclusion . While you might be tempted to save a striking argument for last, research papers follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the results and discussion sections if you are following a scientific structure). The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

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A Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting Effective Market Research

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Market research is the backbone of informed business decisions. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, understanding your market is essential for success. 

In this guide, we’ll take you through a step-by-step process for conducting effective market research. We’ll also explore the role of the “Best Business Market Research Company” and the significance of professional “Business Market Research Services.”

Simple Guidance

Define your objectives.

Before diving into research, clearly define your objectives. Ask yourself what you want to achieve through this research. Are you looking to understand your target audience better, evaluate market trends, or assess your competition? Knowing your goals will guide your research efforts.

Identify Your Target Audience

Your target audience is the foundation of your research. Define who your ideal customers are. Consider variuos demographics of data like age, gender, income, and location. Dive deeper into psychographics, including lifestyle, preferences, and behaviors. Understanding your audience helps tailor your research.

Choose Your Research Methods

There are various research methods at your disposal:

• Surveys: Collect data through questionnaires or online surveys.
• Interviews: Conduct one-on-one interviews with industry experts or potential customers.
• Observation: Observe consumer behavior in a natural setting.
• Secondary Research: Utilize existing data, reports, and studies.
• Focus Groups: Gather a small group to discuss their opinions and experiences.

Select methods that align with your objectives and budget.

Gather Data

Execute your chosen research methods. Create surveys, conduct interviews, or observe market trends. Ensure that your data collection process is unbiased and representative of your target audience.

Analyze Data

Once you’ve gathered data thoroughly, it’s time to analyze it deeply. Look for patterns, trends, and insights. Consider using software tools or hiring professionals for complex data analysis.

Evaluate Competitors

To stay competitive, you must know your rivals. Identify variuos key competitors and analyze their strengths or potential and weaknesses. Determine what sets your business apart and how you can capitalize on it.

Professional Market Research Services

Consider enlisting the expertise of a Best Business Market Research Company . These firms specialize in comprehensive market analysis. They have access to vast data resources and employ skilled analysts to provide in-depth insights. Hiring professionals can save you time and ensure the accuracy of your research.

Customer Feedback

Listen to your customers. Their feedback can be a goldmine of information. Conduct customer surveys, read reviews, and engage with them on social media. Their opinions can guide product development and marketing strategies.

Monitor Trends

Market research isn’t a one-time task. Keep an eye on industry trends, consumer behavior, and emerging technologies. Staying up-to-date ensures your business remains relevant.

Make Informed Decisions

The ultimate goal of market research is to make informed decisions. Based on your findings, adjust your business strategies, marketing campaigns, and product offerings. Your research should guide every aspect of your business.

Testing and Refinement

After implementing changes, continuously monitor their impact. Conduct follow-up research to assess their effectiveness. Be prepared to adapt and refine your strategies as needed.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Evaluate the cost of your market research against the benefits it brings. A well-executed research strategy should generate a significant return on investment.

Ethical Considerations

Respect ethical standards when conducting market research. Ensure data privacy, obtain informed consent from participants, and avoid deceptive practices.

Conclusion And Final Words

Effective market research is the cornerstone of a successful business. It empowers you to make informed decisions, understand your audience, and stay competitive. While you can conduct research independently, leveraging the expertise of a “Best Business Market Research Company” can provide invaluable insights.

In summary, market research is a dynamic and ongoing process. By following these steps and considering the assistance of professional “Business Market Research Services,” you can gain a competitive edge in your industry and steer your business towards growth and success.

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Home » Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and Examples

Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and Examples

Table of Contents

Research Paper Conclusion

Definition:

A research paper conclusion is the final section of a research paper that summarizes the key findings, significance, and implications of the research. It is the writer’s opportunity to synthesize the information presented in the paper, draw conclusions, and make recommendations for future research or actions.

The conclusion should provide a clear and concise summary of the research paper, reiterating the research question or problem, the main results, and the significance of the findings. It should also discuss the limitations of the study and suggest areas for further research.

Parts of Research Paper Conclusion

The parts of a research paper conclusion typically include:

Restatement of the Thesis

The conclusion should begin by restating the thesis statement from the introduction in a different way. This helps to remind the reader of the main argument or purpose of the research.

Summary of Key Findings

The conclusion should summarize the main findings of the research, highlighting the most important results and conclusions. This section should be brief and to the point.

Implications and Significance

In this section, the researcher should explain the implications and significance of the research findings. This may include discussing the potential impact on the field or industry, highlighting new insights or knowledge gained, or pointing out areas for future research.

Limitations and Recommendations

It is important to acknowledge any limitations or weaknesses of the research and to make recommendations for how these could be addressed in future studies. This shows that the researcher is aware of the potential limitations of their work and is committed to improving the quality of research in their field.

Concluding Statement

The conclusion should end with a strong concluding statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a call to action, a recommendation for further research, or a final thought on the topic.

How to Write Research Paper Conclusion

Here are some steps you can follow to write an effective research paper conclusion:

• Restate the research problem or question: Begin by restating the research problem or question that you aimed to answer in your research. This will remind the reader of the purpose of your study.
• Summarize the main points: Summarize the key findings and results of your research. This can be done by highlighting the most important aspects of your research and the evidence that supports them.
• Discuss the implications: Discuss the implications of your findings for the research area and any potential applications of your research. You should also mention any limitations of your research that may affect the interpretation of your findings.
• Provide a conclusion : Provide a concise conclusion that summarizes the main points of your paper and emphasizes the significance of your research. This should be a strong and clear statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
• Offer suggestions for future research: Lastly, offer suggestions for future research that could build on your findings and contribute to further advancements in the field.

Remember that the conclusion should be brief and to the point, while still effectively summarizing the key findings and implications of your research.

Example of Research Paper Conclusion

Here’s an example of a research paper conclusion:

Conclusion :

In conclusion, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health among college students. Our findings suggest that there is a significant association between social media use and increased levels of anxiety and depression among college students. This highlights the need for increased awareness and education about the potential negative effects of social media use on mental health, particularly among college students.

Despite the limitations of our study, such as the small sample size and self-reported data, our findings have important implications for future research and practice. Future studies should aim to replicate our findings in larger, more diverse samples, and investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the association between social media use and mental health. In addition, interventions should be developed to promote healthy social media use among college students, such as mindfulness-based approaches and social media detox programs.

Overall, our study contributes to the growing body of research on the impact of social media on mental health, and highlights the importance of addressing this issue in the context of higher education. By raising awareness and promoting healthy social media use among college students, we can help to reduce the negative impact of social media on mental health and improve the well-being of young adults.

Purpose of Research Paper Conclusion

The purpose of a research paper conclusion is to provide a summary and synthesis of the key findings, significance, and implications of the research presented in the paper. The conclusion serves as the final opportunity for the writer to convey their message and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

The conclusion should restate the research problem or question, summarize the main results of the research, and explain their significance. It should also acknowledge the limitations of the study and suggest areas for future research or action.

Overall, the purpose of the conclusion is to provide a sense of closure to the research paper and to emphasize the importance of the research and its potential impact. It should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the main findings and why they matter. The conclusion serves as the writer’s opportunity to showcase their contribution to the field and to inspire further research and action.

When to Write Research Paper Conclusion

The conclusion of a research paper should be written after the body of the paper has been completed. It should not be written until the writer has thoroughly analyzed and interpreted their findings and has written a complete and cohesive discussion of the research.

Before writing the conclusion, the writer should review their research paper and consider the key points that they want to convey to the reader. They should also review the research question, hypotheses, and methodology to ensure that they have addressed all of the necessary components of the research.

Once the writer has a clear understanding of the main findings and their significance, they can begin writing the conclusion. The conclusion should be written in a clear and concise manner, and should reiterate the main points of the research while also providing insights and recommendations for future research or action.

Characteristics of Research Paper Conclusion

The characteristics of a research paper conclusion include:

• Clear and concise: The conclusion should be written in a clear and concise manner, summarizing the key findings and their significance.
• Comprehensive: The conclusion should address all of the main points of the research paper, including the research question or problem, the methodology, the main results, and their implications.
• Future-oriented : The conclusion should provide insights and recommendations for future research or action, based on the findings of the research.
• Impressive : The conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader, emphasizing the importance of the research and its potential impact.
• Objective : The conclusion should be based on the evidence presented in the research paper, and should avoid personal biases or opinions.
• Unique : The conclusion should be unique to the research paper and should not simply repeat information from the introduction or body of the paper.

Advantages of Research Paper Conclusion

The advantages of a research paper conclusion include:

• Summarizing the key findings : The conclusion provides a summary of the main findings of the research, making it easier for the reader to understand the key points of the study.
• Emphasizing the significance of the research: The conclusion emphasizes the importance of the research and its potential impact, making it more likely that readers will take the research seriously and consider its implications.
• Providing recommendations for future research or action : The conclusion suggests practical recommendations for future research or action, based on the findings of the study.
• Providing closure to the research paper : The conclusion provides a sense of closure to the research paper, tying together the different sections of the paper and leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
• Demonstrating the writer’s contribution to the field : The conclusion provides the writer with an opportunity to showcase their contribution to the field and to inspire further research and action.

Limitations of Research Paper Conclusion

While the conclusion of a research paper has many advantages, it also has some limitations that should be considered, including:

• I nability to address all aspects of the research: Due to the limited space available in the conclusion, it may not be possible to address all aspects of the research in detail.
• Subjectivity : While the conclusion should be objective, it may be influenced by the writer’s personal biases or opinions.
• Lack of new information: The conclusion should not introduce new information that has not been discussed in the body of the research paper.
• Lack of generalizability: The conclusions drawn from the research may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, limiting the generalizability of the study.
• Misinterpretation by the reader: The reader may misinterpret the conclusions drawn from the research, leading to a misunderstanding of the findings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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The Ultimate Guide to Market Research: Types, Benefits, and Real-World Examples

Ryan Fratzke

Partner & Executive Strategist

Today's consumers hold a lot of power when making purchase decisions. With a quick inquiry in a search engine or search bar within a social media platform, they can access genuine reviews from their peers without relying on sales reps.

Considering this shift in consumer behavior, adjusting your marketing strategy so it caters to the modern-day buying process is essential . To achieve this, you must thoroughly understand your target audience, the market you operate in, and the factors influencing their decision-making.

This is where market research can be leveraged so you stay current with your audience and industry. 

Article Overview

In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to conduct market research, including:

• Why market research is essential for understanding your target audience, the market you operate in, and factors influencing decision-making
• What are the different types of market research, such as primary and secondary market research
• How to collect information about your customers and target market to determine the success of a new or existing product, improve your brand, and communicate your company's value
• Real-world examples of companies leveraging market research

What is market research?

Market research is a necessary process that involves collecting and documenting information about your target market and customers. This helps you determine the success of a new product, improve an existing one, or understand how your brand is perceived. You can then turn this research into profits by  developing marketing strategies and campaigns to effectively communicate your company's value .

While market research can provide insights into various aspects of an industry, it is not a crystal ball that can predict everything about your customers. Market researchers typically explore multiple areas of the market, which can take several weeks or even months to get a complete picture of the business landscape.

Even by researching just one of those areas, you can gain better insights into who your buyers are and what unique value proposition you can offer them that no other business currently provides.

Of course, you can simply use your industry experience and existing customer insights to make sound judgment calls. However, it's important to note that market research provides additional benefits beyond these strategies. There are two things to consider:

• Your competitors also have experienced individuals in the industry and a customer base. Your immediate resources may equal those of your competition's immediate resources. Seeking a larger sample size for answers can provide a better edge.
• Your brand's customers do not represent the entire market's attitudes, only those who are attracted to your brand.

The market research services industry is experiencing rapid growth , indicating a strong interest in market research as we enter 2024. The market is expected to grow from approximately $75 billion in 2021 to $90.79 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 5%. 

Your competitors have highly skilled individuals within the industry, meaning your available personnel resources are likely similar to those of your competitors. So what are you going to do to get ahead?

You’re going to do thorough market research, which is why seeking answers from a larger sample size is essential. Remember that your customers represent only a portion of the market already attracted to your brand, and their attitudes may not necessarily reflect those of the entire market. You could be leaving money on the table by leaving out untapped customers .

Why do market research?

Market research helps you meet your buyers where they are. Understanding your buyer's problems, pain points, and desired outcomes is invaluable as our world becomes increasingly noisy and demanding. This knowledge will help you tailor your product or service to appeal to them naturally. 

What’s even better is when you're ready to grow your business, market research can also guide you in developing an effective market expansion strategy.

Market research provides valuable insights into factors that impact your profits and can help you to :

• Identify where your target audience and current customers are conducting their product or service research
• Determine which competitors your target audience looks to for information, options, or purchases
• Keep up with the latest trends in your industry and understand what your buyers are interested in
• Understand who makes up your market and what challenges they are facing
• Determine what influences purchases and conversions among your target audience
• Analyze consumer attitudes about a particular topic, pain, product, or brand
• Assess the demand for the business initiatives you're investing in
• Identify unaddressed or underserved customer needs that can be turned into selling opportunities
• Understand consumer attitudes about pricing for your product or service.

Market research provides valuable information from a larger sample size of your target audience, enabling you to obtain accurate consumer attitudes. By eliminating any bias or assumptions you have about your target audience, you can make better business decisions based on the bigger picture. 

As you delve deeper into your market research, you will come across two types of research: primary and secondary market research . Simply put, think of two umbrellas beneath market research - one for primary and one for secondary research. In the next section, we will discuss the difference between these two types of research. That way, if you work with a market who wants to use them, you’ll be ready with an understanding of how they can each benefit your business.

Primary vs. Secondary Research

Both primary and secondary research are conducted to collect actionable information on your product. That information can then be divided into two types: qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research focuses on public opinion and aims to determine how the market feels about the products currently available. On the other hand, quantitative research seeks to identify relevant trends in the data gathered from public records. 

Let's take a closer look at these two types.

Primary Research

Primary research involves gathering first-hand information about your market and its customers. It can be leveraged to segment your market and create focused buyer personas . Generally, primary market research can be categorized into exploratory and specific studies.

Exploratory Primary Research

This type of primary market research is not focused on measuring customer trends; instead, it is focused on identifying potential problems worth addressing as a team. It is usually conducted as an initial step before any specific research is done and may involve conducting open-ended interviews or surveys with a small group of people.

Specific Primary Research

After conducting exploratory research, businesses may conduct specific primary research to explore issues or opportunities they have identified as necessary. Specific research involves targeting a smaller or more precise audience segment and asking questions aimed at solving a suspected problem. Specific primary research reveals problems that are unique to your audience so you can then offer a unique (and valuable) solution.

Secondary Research

Secondary research refers to collecting and analyzing data that has already been published or made available in public records. This may include market statistics, trend reports, sales data, and industry content you already can access. Secondary research really shines when you go to your competitors . The most commonly used sources of secondary market research include:

• Public sources
• Commercial sources
• Internal sources

Public Sources

When conducting secondary market research, the first and most accessible sources of information are usually free . That’s right–these public sources are free and at your fingertips so there’s no reason for you to not be checking them out and leveraging them for your own gain.

One of the most common types of public sources is government statistics. According to Entrepreneur, two examples of public market data in the United States are the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor & Statistics. These sources offer helpful information about the state of various industries nationwide including:

Commercial Sources

Research agencies such as Pew, Fratzke, Gartner, or Forrester often provide market reports containing industry insights from their own in-depth studies . These reports usually come at a cost if you want to download and obtain the information, but these agencies are experts at what they do, so the research is most likely valuable.

Internal Sources

Internal sources of market data can include average revenue per sale, customer retention rates, and other data on the health of old and new accounts. They are often overlooked when it comes to conducting market research because of how specific the data is; however, these sources can be valuable as they provide information on the organization's historical data.

By analyzing this information, you can gain insights into what your customers want now . In addition to these broad categories, there are various ways to conduct market research. Let’s talk about them.  

Types of Market Research

• Interviews (in-person or remote)

Focus Groups

• Product/ Service Use Research

Observation-Based Research

Buyer persona research, market segmentation research, pricing research.

• Competitive Analysis Research

Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research

Brand awareness research, campaign research.

Interviews can be conducted face-to-face or virtually, allowing for a natural conversation flow while observing the interviewee's body language. By asking questions about themselves, the interviewee can help you create buyer personas , which are made by using information about the ideal customer, such as:

• Family size 
• Challenges faced at work or in life 

And other aspects of their lifestyle. This buyer profile can shape your entire marketing strategy , from the features you add to your product to the content you publish on your website. Your target audience will feel that the marketing was made just for them and will be drawn to your product or service.

Focus groups are market research involving a few carefully selected individuals who can test your product, watch a demonstration, offer feedback, and answer specific questions. This research can inspire ideas for product differentiation or highlight the unique features of your product or brand that set it apart from others in the market.  This is a great market research option to gain specific feedback, which you can use to improve your services .

Product/Service Use Research

Product or service usage research provides valuable insights into how and why your target audience uses your product or service.  This research can help in various ways including:

•  Identifying specific features of your offering that appeal to your audience. 
• Allowing you to assess the usability of your product or service for your target audience. 

According to a report published in 2020, usability testing was rated the most effective method for discovering user insights, with a score of 8.7 out of 10. In comparison, digital analytics scored 7.7, and user surveys scored 6.4.

Observation-based research is a process that involves observing how your target audience members use your product or service. The way that you intended your product or service to be used may not be the actual way that it is used. Observation-based research helps you understand what works well in terms of customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX), what problems they face, and which aspects of your product or service can be improved to make it easier for them to use.

To better understand how your potential customers make purchasing decisions in your industry, it is essential to know who they are. This is where buyer persona research comes in handy. Buyer or marketing personas are fictional yet generalized representations of your ideal customers. They give you someone to whom you want your marketing efforts to empathize and move, even though they don’t really exist. 

Gathering survey data and additional research to correctly identify your buyer personas will help you to visualize your audience so you can streamline your communications and inform marketing strategy . Key characteristics to include in a buyer persona are:

• Job title(s)
• Family size
• Major challenges

Market segmentation research enables you to classify your target audience into various groups or segments based on specific and defining characteristics. This method allows you to understand their needs, pain points, expectations, and goals more effectively.

Pricing research can provide valuable insights about the prices of similar products or services in your market. It can help you understand what your target audience expects to pay for your offerings and what would be a reasonable price for you to set. Correct pricing is important because if you set it too high, consumers will go to your cheaper competitor; but if you set it too low, your consumers may become suspicious of your product or service and still end up with your competitor. This information allows you to develop a solid pricing strategy aligning with your business goals and objectives. 

Competitive Analysis

Competitive analyses are incredibly valuable as they provide a deep understanding of your market and industry competition. Through these analyses, you can gain insights like: 

• What works well in your industry 
• What your target audience is already interested in regarding products like yours
• Which competitors you should work to keep up with and surpass 
• How you can differentiate yourself from the competition

Understanding customer satisfaction and loyalty is crucial to encouraging repeat business and identifying what drives customers to return (such as loyalty programs, rewards, and exceptional customer service). Researching this area will help you determine the most effective methods to keep your customers coming back again and again. If you have a CRM system, consider further utilizing automated customer feedback surveys to improve your understanding of their needs and preferences.

Brand awareness research helps you understand the level of familiarity your target audience has with your brand. It provides insights into your audience members' perceptions and associations when they think about your business.This type of research reveals what they believe your brand represents. This information is valuable for developing effective marketing strategies, improving your brand's reputation, and increasing customer loyalty .

To improve your marketing campaigns, you need to research by analyzing the success of your past campaigns among your target audience and current customers. This requires experimentation and thoroughly examining the elements that resonate with your audience. By doing so, you can identify the aspects of your campaigns that matter most to your audience and use them as a guide for future campaigns. 

Now that you understand the different market research categories and types let's look at how to conduct your market research.  Using our expertise and experience, we’ve created a step-by-step guide to conducting market research.

How to Do Market Research (Detailed Roadmap)

• Define the problem or objective of the research. 
• Determine the type of data needed. 
• Identify the sources of data. 
• Collect the data. 
• Analyze the data. 
• Interpret the results. 
• Report the findings. 
• Take action based on the findings.

1. Define the problem or objective of the research

Defining the problem or objective of the research is the first step in conducting market research. This involves identifying the specific issue that the research is trying to address. It is essential to be clear and specific about the research problem or objective, as it will guide the entire research process.

2. Determine the type of data needed

After defining the research problem or objective, the next step is determining the data type needed to address the issue. This involves deciding whether to collect primary or secondary data. Primary data is collected directly from the source, while secondary data is collected from existing sources such as government reports or market research studies.

3. Identify the sources of data

Once the data type has been determined, the next step is identifying the data sources. This involves identifying potential sources of primary and secondary data that can be used to address the research problem or objective. Primary data sources can include surveys, focus groups, and interviews, while secondary data sources can include government reports, industry publications, and academic journals.

4. Collect the data

After identifying the data sources, the next step is to collect the data. This involves designing and implementing a data collection plan consistent with the research problem or objective. The data collection plan should specify the methods and procedures for collecting data, sample size, and sampling method.

5. Analyze the data

Once the data has been collected, the next step is to analyze the data. This involves organizing, summarizing, and interpreting the data to identify patterns, relationships, and trends. The research problem or objective should guide the data analysis process and be conducted using appropriate statistical methods and software.

6. Interpret the results

After analyzing the data, the next step is to interpret the results. This involves drawing conclusions from the data analysis and using the results to address the research problem or objective. It is essential to analyze the results objectively and to avoid making assumptions or drawing conclusions that are not supported by the data.

7. Report the findings

Try identifying common themes to create a story and action items.To make the process easier, use your favorite presentation software to create a report, as it will make it easy to add quotes, diagrams, or call clips.

Feel free to add your flair, but the following outline should help you craft a clear summary:

• Background: What are your goals, and why did you conduct this study?
• Participants: Who you talked to? A table works well to break groups down by persona and customer/prospect.
• Executive Summary: What were the most exciting things you learned? What do you plan to do about it?
• Key Findings: Identify the key findings using data visualizations and emphasize key points.
• Recommendations + Action Plan: Your analysis will uncover actionable insights to fuel strategies and campaigns you can run to get your brand in front of buyers earlier and more effectively. Provide your list of priorities, action items , a timeline, and its impact on your business.

8. Take action based on the findings

The final step in conducting market research is to take action based on the findings. This involves using the results to make informed decisions about the marketing strategy, product development, or other business decisions. It is important to use the findings to drive action and to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the action taken continuously.

How to Prepare for Market Research Projects

Identify a persona group to engage, prepare research questions for your market research participants, list your primary competitors.

The idea is to use your persona as a reference point for understanding and reaching out to your industry's audience members. Your business might cater to more than one persona, and that's completely acceptable! However, you must be mindful of each persona while strategizing and planning your content and campaigns. 

How to Identify the Right People to Engage for Market Research

When selecting a group on which to conduct market research , it is essential to consider individuals with the same characteristics as your target audience. 

If you need to research multiple target audiences, recruit separate groups for each one. Select people who have recently interacted with you by looking through social media for post interactions or seeing if they’ve made recent purchases from you.

If you are planning to conduct an evaluation, it is recommended that you focus on people who have completed it within the last six months. However, if you have a longer sales cycle or a specific market, you can extend the period up to a year. It is crucial to ask detailed questions during the evaluation, so the participants' experience must be fresh.

Gather a mix of participants

If you want to expand your customer base, you’re going to want to get viewpoints of your product or service from every angle. Consider getting this mix by recruiting individuals who have already purchased your product, those who have bought a competitor's product, and those who haven't purchased anything. While targeting your existing customers may be the easiest option, gathering information from non-customers can help you gain a more balanced market perspective .

We recommend taking the following steps to select a mix of participants:

• Create a list of customers who made a recent purchase . This is usually the most accessible group to recruit. If you have a CRM system with list segmentation capabilities, run a report of deals that closed within the past six months and filter it for the characteristics you're looking for. Otherwise, work with your sales team to get them a list of appropriate accounts.
• Create a list of customers who were in an active evaluation but didn't make a purchase. You should get a mix of buyers who either purchased from a competitor or decided not to purchase. Again, you can obtain this list from your CRM or your Sales team's system to track deals.
• Use social media to call for participants. Try reaching out to people who follow you on social media but decided not to buy from you. Some may be willing to talk to you and explain why they did not purchase your product.
• Leverage your network . Spread the word that you're conducting a study to your coworkers, former colleagues, and LinkedIn connections. Even if your direct connections don't qualify, some will likely have a coworker, friend, or family member who does.
• Choose an incentive to motivate participants to spend time on your study. If you're on a tight budget , you can reward participants for free by giving them exclusive access to content. 

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Preparation is key when conducting research in hopes of gaining productive and informative conversations. This involves creating a discussion guide, whether it is for a focus group, an online survey, or a phone interview. The guide should help you cover all the relevant topics and manage your time efficiently.

The discussion guide should be in an outline format, with an allocated time and open-ended questions for each section. All the questions must be open-ended, as asking closed questions may lead the interviewee to respond with a simple "yes" or "no" answer. You may need more detailed answers to make informed decisions, so be sure to ask follow-up questions as necessary.  Also leave out any leading questions as they may unintentionally influence the interviewee's response, skewing your research results.

It's essential to identify your competitors accurately and you may even have some hidden in plain sight.  There are some instances where your company's business division might compete with your main product or service, even though that company's brand might have a different focus. Take a look at Apple:  the company is known primarily for its laptops and mobile devices, but Apple Music competes with Spotify over its music streaming service.

From a content perspective, you might compete with a blog, YouTube channel, or similar publication for inbound website visitors — even though their products don't overlap with yours. An example of this is when a toothpaste company might compete with publications like Health.com or Prevention on specific blog topics related to health and hygiene, even though the magazines don't sell oral care products.

Here are a few ways to build your competitor list:

• Check your industry quadrant on G2 Crowd: This is a significant first step for secondary market research in some industries. G2 Crowd aggregates user ratings and social data to create "quadrants" that show companies as contenders, leaders, niche players, or high performers in their respective industries. G2 Crowd specializes in digital content, IT services, HR, e-commerce, and related business services.
• Download a market report: Companies like Forrester and Gartner offer free and gated market forecasts yearly on the vendors leading their industry. On Forrester's website, for example, you can select "Latest Research" from the navigation bar and browse Forrester's latest material using a variety of criteria to narrow your search. These reports are good assets to save on your computer.
• Use social media : Social networks can be excellent company directories if you use the search bar correctly. On LinkedIn, for example, select the search bar and enter the name of the industry you're pursuing. Then, under "More," select "Companies" to narrow your results to the businesses that include this or a similar industry term on their LinkedIn profile.

Identifying Content Competitors

Search engines can be beneficial when it comes to secondary market research . To identify the online publications competing with your business, start with the overarching industry term you identified earlier, and then come up with more specific industry terms that are related to your company . For example, if you run a catering business, you might consider yourself a "food service" company, as well as a vendor in "event catering," "cake catering," "baked goods," and so on.

Once you have this list, follow these steps:

• Google it: Running a search on Google for the industry terms that describe your company can be very beneficial. You may come across a mix of product developers, blogs, magazines, and other websites.
• Compare your search results against your buyer persona: Remember the persona you created during the primary research stage? You can use it to evaluate whether a publication you found through Google could steal website traffic from you. If the website's content aligns with what your buyer persona would want to see, it is a potential competitor and should be added to your list of competitors.

After a series of similar Google searches for the industry terms you identify with, look for repetition in the website domains that have come up.

When searching, examine the first two or three pages of results. These websites are considered reputable sources of content in your industry and should be monitored closely as you create your collection of videos, reports, web pages, and blog posts.

Market Research Examples

Mcdonald's focus on customer feedback and profiling.

McDonald's invests in developing a detailed consumer profile to attract and retain customers, including parents of young children who appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere and menus. The brand seeks feedback from customers through surveys and questionnaires in stores, social media, and its mobile app. It also monitors customer feedback on digital channels.

Nike's Extensive Research and Collaboration for Running Shoes Development

Nike invests heavily in creating running shoes that cater to the needs of its customers, which it determines through extensive market research and customer surveys. The brand goes to great lengths to understand its customers' preferences, such as the type of running surface, the distance they run, and their running style, to develop shoes that meet their specific needs.

In addition to customer surveys, Nike also collaborates with athletes to develop shoes that cater to their specific requirements. This research helps Nike improve its existing running shoe models and innovate new ones, ensuring that the brand stays ahead of the competition.

Disney employs focus groups that specifically cater to children to test out their new characters and ideas.

The Walt Disney Company invests millions of dollars in creating captivating stories tested for their effectiveness with children, the intended audience. Disney executives hold focus groups with preschoolers and kindergartners several times a year to gather their opinions and feedback on TV episodes, Disney characters, and more. 

This market research strategy is effective because children are the ultimate audience that Disney aims to please. The collected feedback helps the company improve existing content to meet the preferences of its audience and ensure continued success as a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

KFC tested its meatless product in specific markets before launching it nationwide.

In 2019, KFC began developing and testing a meatless version of its famous chicken. However, instead of immediately launching the product nationwide, they decided to test it in select stores in the Atlanta, Georgia area. 

This is an innovative and practical approach to market research, as it allows the company to determine the product's sales performance on a smaller scale before committing too many resources to it. If the meatless chicken fails to gain popularity in Georgia, KFC can make the necessary changes to the product before introducing it to the broader market.

Yamaha conducted a survey to determine whether to use knobs or sliding faders on the Montage keyboard.

Yamaha is a Japanese corporation that produces various products, from motorcycles to golf cars to musical instruments. When it began developing its new Montage keyboard, the team was unsure whether to use knobs or sliding faders on the product. 

To address this dilemma, Yamaha used Qualtrics to send a survey to their customers. Within just a few hours , they received 400 responses. By using survey feedback, Yamaha ensured that it was designing a product that would perfectly meet the preferences of its audiences.

The Body Shop used social listening to determine how to reposition brand campaigns based on customer feedback.

The Body Shop is a well-known brand that offers ethically sourced and natural products. They take pride in their core value of sustainability. The Body Shop team tracked conversations to understand the sustainability subtopics that were most important to their audiences. 

They found that their customers cared a lot about refills. Based on this information, the Body Shop team confidently relaunched their Refill Program across 400 stores globally in 2021, with plans to add another 400 in 2022. Market research confirmed that their refill concept was on the right track and also highlighted the need for increased efforts to demonstrate how much the Body Shop cares about its customers' values .

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The takeaway.

Fratzke Consulting offers a comprehensive suite of market research services to help brands gain valuable insights into their target market, competitors, and industry trends. Our expert team utilizes various primary and secondary research methods to gather accurate and unbiased data, including surveys, competitive research, and industry reports. With Fratzke Consulting, you'll have the tools to succeed in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

Interested in learning more? Book a free audit consultation today.

Ryan Fratzke is a Partner and Executive Strategist at Fratzke, specializing in transforming mid-size businesses into human-centered brands through storytelling, strategy, culture, and technology. 

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5 Things to Remember When Writing a Market Research Report

Filed Under: Best Practices , Market Research , Reporting , Tools & Techniques , Quantitative Research

Lynne Bartos

Vice President and Marketing Content Strategist, Marketing

There is nothing more embarrassing for a researcher than to hear a client say “…this doesn’t really address the business questions that we set out to answer.” This is more common an occurrence in research reporting than most of us would care to admit. But unfortunately, much report writing these days falls short of expectations for those on the client side. This is likely due to more emphasis on methodology or analytic technique at the expense of clear graphics, creative story-telling and actionable direction.

What often happens during the report-writing process is that market researchers have their direct research client in mind. They neglect the fact that their direct contact must present these findings to the ultimate stakeholder in the process — someone in senior management or the head of marketing who does not function in the research realm.

We need to take conscious steps to break out of our little bubble to avoid some of the lingo that is prevalent in research circles. You know what I mean if you’ve ever found yourself presenting your findings to marketing folks. While peppering them with terms such as “mean,” “monadic,” “DK/NS,” “latent class,” and the like, you suddenly notice the deer-in-the-headlights reaction. Worse yet, your audience’s eyes glaze over completely. These terms are foreign to many marketers and, frankly, most of them couldn’t care less about such things. They simply want a viable solution to the particular business need they set out to address.

So, when writing a research report for my clients it helps me to keep a few things in mind….

Speak to Marketers in Their Language

Focus on what marketers care most about — getting customers, keeping customers, and increasing their share of the customer’s wallet. So tell them what is meaningful to them….

• How to position their brand
• How best to price it
• Who their best prospects are and how to reach them
• What message should they be communicating
• Who are their most loyal and valuable customers
• How do they keep them loyal to their service or brand

Net, net — put some Marketing-Speak into your report, and leave out the Research-speak.

Tell a good story

A good report tells a good story. So, how do you tell a compelling story? Start by getting organized!

• Develop an analytic plan that focuses on business issues and objectives — the questions that need to be answered.
• Outline how the questions will be.
• Once the data is in, all team members should know how the data relates to those question, and they can craft the best story together.

Remember, every page in the report should contribute to the story! If something doesn’t contour well with your story, stick it in the Appendix. How many hundred-page reports have you been subjected to where the charts are all in the same order as the questionnaire? Where is the story?

It’s also important to stick closely to your analytic plan when crafting your story. The analytic plan is what helps to keep everyone focused on why the research was conducted in the first place.

Insightful Headlines and Bullets

What I also find helpful in getting my arms around the story is to write effective bullets and headlines for the data presented. Too many people think an insight is reiterating the numbers that are in the charts. Remember, anyone can read the numbers on a chart – our job, as researchers, is to pull the deeper insights from seemingly obvious data.

Be Creative and Have a Llittle Fun

Creativity also comes into play! Package the story in a creative way. No one wants to see rows and rows of data. Make the report visually appealing so you don’t intimidate those who are going to be using the findings to help drive strategy. Avoid too much text and too many numbers.

And, don’t be afraid to insert some humor here and there. It reminds your clients that you are human and helps to lighten the tone and keep things relaxed.

Get to the Heart of It

And finally, probably the hardest part of the report process for any researcher is to get straight to the heart of it… what is the story – conclusions, implications, and recommendations. Go to the next step to tell them what the data MEANS, and what they might consider doing to maximize their investment.

And there is nothing sweeter to a market researcher’s ears than to hear a client voice saying, “Thanks, this really addresses the business questions that we set out to answer!”

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How to write a strong conclusion for your research paper

Last updated

17 February 2024

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Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

Writing a research paper is a chance to share your knowledge and hypothesis. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your many hours of research and prove your ability to write convincingly.

Ideally, by the end of your research paper, you'll have brought your readers on a journey to reach the conclusions you've pre-determined. However, if you don't stick the landing with a good conclusion, you'll risk losing your reader’s trust.

Writing a strong conclusion for your research paper involves a few important steps, including restating the thesis and summing up everything properly.

Find out what to include and what to avoid, so you can effectively demonstrate your understanding of the topic and prove your expertise.

• Why is a good conclusion important?

A good conclusion can cement your paper in the reader’s mind. Making a strong impression in your introduction can draw your readers in, but it's the conclusion that will inspire them.

• What to include in a research paper conclusion

There are a few specifics you should include in your research paper conclusion. Offer your readers some sense of urgency or consequence by pointing out why they should care about the topic you have covered. Discuss any common problems associated with your topic and provide suggestions as to how these problems can be solved or addressed.

The conclusion should include a restatement of your initial thesis. Thesis statements are strengthened after you’ve presented supporting evidence (as you will have done in the paper), so make a point to reintroduce it at the end.

Finally, recap the main points of your research paper, highlighting the key takeaways you want readers to remember. If you've made multiple points throughout the paper, refer to the ones with the strongest supporting evidence.

• Steps for writing a research paper conclusion

Many writers find the conclusion the most challenging part of any research project . By following these three steps, you'll be prepared to write a conclusion that is effective and concise.

• Step 1: Restate the problem

Always begin by restating the research problem in the conclusion of a research paper. This serves to remind the reader of your hypothesis and refresh them on the main point of the paper. 

When restating the problem, take care to avoid using exactly the same words you employed earlier in the paper.

• Step 2: Sum up the paper

After you've restated the problem, sum up the paper by revealing your overall findings. The method for this differs slightly, depending on whether you're crafting an argumentative paper or an empirical paper.

Argumentative paper: Restate your thesis and arguments

Argumentative papers involve introducing a thesis statement early on. In crafting the conclusion for an argumentative paper, always restate the thesis, outlining the way you've developed it throughout the entire paper.

It might be appropriate to mention any counterarguments in the conclusion, so you can demonstrate how your thesis is correct or how the data best supports your main points.

Empirical paper: Summarize research findings

Empirical papers break down a series of research questions. In your conclusion, discuss the findings your research revealed, including any information that surprised you.

Be clear about the conclusions you reached, and explain whether or not you expected to arrive at these particular ones.

• Step 3: Discuss the implications of your research

Argumentative papers and empirical papers also differ in this part of a research paper conclusion. Here are some tips on crafting conclusions for argumentative and empirical papers.

Argumentative paper: Powerful closing statement

In an argumentative paper, you'll have spent a great deal of time expressing the opinions you formed after doing a significant amount of research. Make a strong closing statement in your argumentative paper's conclusion to share the significance of your work.

You can outline the next steps through a bold call to action, or restate how powerful your ideas turned out to be.

Empirical paper: Directions for future research

Empirical papers are broader in scope. They usually cover a variety of aspects and can include several points of view.

To write a good conclusion for an empirical paper, suggest the type of research that could be done in the future, including methods for further investigation or outlining ways other researchers might proceed.

If you feel your research had any limitations, even if they were outside your control, you could mention these in your conclusion.

After you finish outlining your conclusion, ask someone to read it and offer feedback. In any research project you're especially close to, it can be hard to identify problem areas. Having a close friend or someone whose opinion you value read the research paper and provide honest feedback can be invaluable. Take note of any suggested edits and consider incorporating them into your paper if they make sense.

• Things to avoid in a research paper conclusion

Keep these aspects to avoid in mind as you're writing your conclusion and refer to them after you've created an outline.

Dry summary

Writing a memorable, succinct conclusion is arguably more important than a strong introduction. Take care to avoid just rephrasing your main points, and don't fall into the trap of repeating dry facts or citations.

You can provide a new perspective for your readers to think about or contextualize your research. Either way, make the conclusion vibrant and interesting, rather than a rote recitation of your research paper’s highlights.

Clichéd or generic phrasing

Your research paper conclusion should feel fresh and inspiring. Avoid generic phrases like "to sum up" or "in conclusion." These phrases tend to be overused, especially in an academic context and might turn your readers off.

The conclusion also isn't the time to introduce colloquial phrases or informal language. Retain a professional, confident tone consistent throughout your paper’s conclusion so it feels exciting and bold.

New data or evidence

While you should present strong data throughout your paper, the conclusion isn't the place to introduce new evidence. This is because readers are engaged in actively learning as they read through the body of your paper.

By the time they reach the conclusion, they will have formed an opinion one way or the other (hopefully in your favor!). Introducing new evidence in the conclusion will only serve to surprise or frustrate your reader.

Ignoring contradictory evidence

If your research reveals contradictory evidence, don't ignore it in the conclusion. This will damage your credibility as an expert and might even serve to highlight the contradictions.

Be as transparent as possible and admit to any shortcomings in your research, but don't dwell on them for too long.

Ambiguous or unclear resolutions

The point of a research paper conclusion is to provide closure and bring all your ideas together. You should wrap up any arguments you introduced in the paper and tie up any loose ends, while demonstrating why your research and data are strong.

Use direct language in your conclusion and avoid ambiguity. Even if some of the data and sources you cite are inconclusive or contradictory, note this in your conclusion to come across as confident and trustworthy.

• Examples of research paper conclusions

Your research paper should provide a compelling close to the paper as a whole, highlighting your research and hard work. While the conclusion should represent your unique style, these examples offer a starting point:

Ultimately, the data we examined all point to the same conclusion: Encouraging a good work-life balance improves employee productivity and benefits the company overall. The research suggests that when employees feel their personal lives are valued and respected by their employers, they are more likely to be productive when at work. In addition, company turnover tends to be reduced when employees have a balance between their personal and professional lives. While additional research is required to establish ways companies can support employees in creating a stronger work-life balance, it's clear the need is there.

Social media is a primary method of communication among young people. As we've seen in the data presented, most young people in high school use a variety of social media applications at least every hour, including Instagram and Facebook. While social media is an avenue for connection with peers, research increasingly suggests that social media use correlates with body image issues. Young girls with lower self-esteem tend to use social media more often than those who don't log onto social media apps every day. As new applications continue to gain popularity, and as more high school students are given smartphones, more research will be required to measure the effects of prolonged social media use.

What are the different kinds of research paper conclusions?

There are no formal types of research paper conclusions. Ultimately, the conclusion depends on the outline of your paper and the type of research you’re presenting. While some experts note that research papers can end with a new perspective or commentary, most papers should conclude with a combination of both. The most important aspect of a good research paper conclusion is that it accurately represents the body of the paper.

Can I present new arguments in my research paper conclusion?

Research paper conclusions are not the place to introduce new data or arguments. The body of your paper is where you should share research and insights, where the reader is actively absorbing the content. By the time a reader reaches the conclusion of the research paper, they should have formed their opinion. Introducing new arguments in the conclusion can take a reader by surprise, and not in a positive way. It might also serve to frustrate readers.

How long should a research paper conclusion be?

There's no set length for a research paper conclusion. However, it's a good idea not to run on too long, since conclusions are supposed to be succinct. A good rule of thumb is to keep your conclusion around 5 to 10 percent of the paper's total length. If your paper is 10 pages, try to keep your conclusion under one page.

What should I include in a research paper conclusion?

A good research paper conclusion should always include a sense of urgency, so the reader can see how and why the topic should matter to them. You can also note some recommended actions to help fix the problem and some obstacles they might encounter. A conclusion should also remind the reader of the thesis statement, along with the main points you covered in the paper. At the end of the conclusion, add a powerful closing statement that helps cement the paper in the mind of the reader.

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Changing the Conversation: Messages for Improving Public Understanding of Engineering (2008)

Chapter: 4 conclusions and recommendations.

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

CONCLUSIONS AND 4 RECOMMENDATIONS The purpose of this project was to look beyond the engineering com- munity and to change the longstanding pattern of self-initiated, ad hoc communications. To make this goal, the committee needed both an independent analysis of the situation and the advice of experienced, creative market-research professionals. One unanticipated benefit of engaging outside professionals was that committee members were encouraged, indeed obliged, to become educated about the processes, benefits, and limitations of message development and testing. Another was that our many interactions with Bemporad Baranowski Marketing Group/Global Strategy Group led to a relationship of trust and mutual respect that facilitated our dialog about complex, sometimes difficult, issues. Market research is as much an art as a science. Although it is desir- able, and often feasible, to gather data via focus groups and surveys, gathering the right data, and doing it effectively, requires a professional approach based on judgment, experience, and common sense. Market research provided direction and a rationale for helping us allocate time, money, and human resources in developing our positioning statement and messages. 97 

98 CHANGING THE CONVERSATION Happily, our research revealed that the public does not have a negative image of engineers. In fact, the public has a much more posi- tive view of engineers than engineers seem to have of themselves. Most adults and teens in our samples respect engineers and believe that their work is both rewarding and important, although they also have a poor idea about what engineers do on a day-to-day basis. They also have a strong sense that engineering is not “for everyone,” especially not for girls. The public understanding of engineering is strongly linked to just one aspect of the discipline—the need for mathematics and science skills. Other vital aspects of engineering, such as creativity, teamwork, and communication, are largely unknown. Based on the results of our research, we can make a strong case that effective messaging will require different messages for different target audiences (see Table 3-10). For example, when branding engineers or marketing engineering to teens, we must take into account how their ideas of engineering and their interests differ from those of adults. In addition, messages for teens will have to be adapted to take into account gender, because girls and boys have different perspectives on engineer- ing and different connections to it. In the sections that follow, the committee presents conclusions and recommendations that will lead to strategic as well as tactical changes in the way the engineering community communicates with the ­public. In the first section, the committee addresses how the positioning statement, messages, and taglines should be used. The second section includes an argument for a centralized public relations “tool kit” for the engineering community. In the third section, the committee proposes an ambitious, long-term initiative—the development and implementa- tion of a large-scale communications “campaign.” Using the Positioning Statement, Messages, and Taglines We live in a society inundated with information and messages. More than 25 years ago, advertising experts Al Ries and Jack Trout lamented, “There’s a traffic jam on the turnpikes of the mind” (Ries and Trout, 1981). Since then, the situation has gotten even worse. Publishers 

Conclusions and Recommendations 99 in the United States put out hundreds of thousands of books every year, viewers can choose from hundreds of television channels, and Internet users can instantaneously search billions of web pages via a variety of search engines. To help break through the communications clutter, the committee recognized that it would be necessary to use modern mass-marketing techniques, which are commonly used in the commercial and ­political sectors but rarely used by the engineering community for public out- reach. Up to now, efforts to promote a positive image of engineering have largely been based on opinions and educated guesses about the kinds of messages that will work. Decisions have been made by leader- ship and staff of engineering organizations that rarely reflect the make- up of the target populations of these messages (i.e., young people, girls, and underrepresented minorities). Although some individuals may have training in public relations or marketing, as far as the committee could tell, few engineering organizations have relied on the services of professional creative or market-research firms. One of the most important findings of this study is the strong asso- ciation in the minds of the public between engineering and competency in mathematics and science. “Must be good at math and science” was by far the most frequently selected attribute of engineers in our online surveys, indicating that messages emphasizing ability in mathematics and science as a prerequisite to the study of engineering have been absorbed by both adults and teenagers. Our testing also showed that the least appealing of five tested messages was the one that portrayed engineers as “connecting science to the real world.” From this, we concluded that, if we continue to overly emphasize math and science in marketing or rebranding engineering, we are likely to alienate or scare off youngsters, rather than attract them to engineer- ing. We believe the same can be said about messages that focus on the practical benefits of being an engineer rather than the inspirational, optimistic aspects of engineering. Recommendation 1. To present an effective case for the importance of engineering and the value of an engineering education, the engineering community should engage in coordinated, consistent, effective com- 

100 CHANGING THE CONVERSATION munication to “reposition” engineering.  Specifically, the engineering community should adopt and actively promote the positioning state- ment (Box 4-1) in this report, which emphasizes that engineering and engineers can make a difference in the world, rather than describing engineering in terms of required skills and personal benefits.  The statement should not appear verbatim in external communications but should be used as a point of reference, or anchor, for all public outreach. Of course, mathematics and science will continue to be necessary skills for engineers. Math and science skills can last a lifetime and can also provide a springboard for careers in many fields. At this point, an analogy with the medical profession might be instructive for show- ing how a change in messaging might work. The medical profession, which depends heavily on science skills, does not market itself to young people by emphasizing that they will have to learn organic chemistry. Physicians are promoted as people who cure disease and relieve human suffering. In marketing engineering, we too ought to appeal to the hopes and dreams of prospective students and the public. This approach will not only appeal to the higher aspirations of young people, but will also place math and science skills, correctly, as one of a variety of skills and BOX 4-1 A Positioning Statement for Engineering No profession unleashes the spirit of innovation like engineering. From research to real-world applications, engineers constantly dis- cover how to improve our lives by creating bold new solutions that connect science to life in unexpected, forward-thinking ways. Few professions turn so many ideas into so many realities. Few have such a direct and positive effect on people’s everyday lives. We are counting on engineers and their imaginations to help us meet the needs of the 21st century. 

Conclusions and Recommendations 101 dispositions necessary for successful engineers, including collabora- tion, communication, and teamwork. In addition to developing a new, powerful positioning statement, we created and tested several messages. Our research does not, and should not, preclude others from pursuing additional message devel- opment, but the committee believes that the rigorous process we used to generate our messages justifies their widespread use. In February 2008, the National Academy of Engineering launched a new website, Engineer Your Life (www.­engineeryourlife.org), which aims to interest academically prepared high school girls in careers in engineering. The site used our message “Engineers make a world of difference” on its homepage and adopted other key words vetted in our research, such as creativity and problem-solving. Recommendation 2. The four messages that tested well in this p ­ roject—“Engineers make a world of difference,” “Engineers are c ­ reative problem-solvers,” “Engineers help shape the future,” and “Engineering is essential to our health, happiness, and safety”—should be adopted by the engineering community in ongoing and new public outreach initiatives. The choice of a specific message should be based on the demographics of the target audience(s) and informed by the qualitative and quantitative data collected during this project. Finally, the committee notes that, because of money and time constraints, we were not able to carry out a full creative process in the development of taglines, which would have led to many more pos- sible taglines, presentations of the taglines in context, and testing of the contextualized taglines in focus groups. Nevertheless, the positive responses via online testing to several of the taglines suggest that they may be able to be effectively used for engineering-outreach projects. The committee believes the taglines should be further tested to iden- tify and validate which ones might be appropriate for a broad-scale national campaign. Recommendation 3. More rigorous research should go forward to identify and test a small number of taglines for a nationwide engineer- 

102 CHANGING THE CONVERSATION ing-awareness campaign. The taglines should be consistent with the positioning statement and messages developed through this project and should take into account differences among target populations. In the interest of encouraging coordination among outreach activi- ties, the results of this research should be made widely available to the engineering community. Creating a Shared Public-relations Resource Engineering societies, universities, technology-based firms, federal laboratories, museums, and other organizations currently spend more than $400 million annually to promote public awareness of engineering (Davis and Gibbin, 2002). These ad hoc efforts, although praiseworthy in their intentions, have not succeeded, largely because their messages are not consistent. In addition, because of the discontinuous nature of these efforts, it has been impossible to develop effective metrics to measure their effectiveness and refine the messages accordingly. The committee concludes that, in the short term, consistent messages, even by a modest number of these organizations, could be a huge step for- ward in promoting a positive, appealing image of engineering. Recommendation 4. To facilitate deployment of effective messages, an online public relations “tool kit” should be developed for the engineer- ing community that includes information about research-based mes- sage-development initiatives and examples of how messages have and can be used effectively (e.g., in advertising, press releases, informational brochures, and materials for establishing institutional identity). The online site should also provide a forum for the sharing of information among organizations. Launching a Campaign Although making current messages more consistent is an impor- tant short-term goal, the committee concludes that a more explicit, coordinated approach is likely to yield better results in the long term. Thoughtful targeting of the messages and further refinement of the taglines for public outreach about engineering will be necessary, but 

Conclusions and Recommendations 103 not sufficient. Outreach efforts must be embedded in a larger strategic framework—a communications campaign driven by a strong brand positioning statement and involving a variety of communication m ­ ethods. A campaign must include diverse messengers and be sup- ported by dedicated resources. Finally, the campaign must include met- rics for determining the effectiveness of its components and, equally important, must be given enough time to succeed. In short, a campaign must reach multiple audiences in creative ways, using the following tools and techniques: • traditional and online advertising; • corporate partnerships/sponsorships; • pop-culture initiatives (e.g., contests, games, books, TV s ­ pecials, documentary projects); • educational initiatives (e.g., curricula); • outreach to young people, parents, educators, guidance coun- selors, and the media; and • media training for ambassadors or spokespersons. A campaign of the size and duration that will have a measurable impact on the public understanding of engineering will require sig- nificant resources. Our consultants proposed a “conservative” price tag of $12 million to $25 million per year for two or three years. This may be enough to launch a campaign, but the long-term costs could easily be higher. The recent “Got Milk?” campaign targeting teenagers cost $20 million annually (Levere, 2006), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anti-obesity campaign, “Verb: It’s What You Do,” targeting young people ages 9 to 13, had a budget of $59 million in 2005 (Beirne, 2006). Resources of this magnitude are not likely to be forthcoming from government or foundations. Thus the question arises as to whether the engineering community, particularly large and influential technology- focused corporations, will be willing to support such an initiative. A second concern is how the campaign would be organized and carried out. Some degree of centralized planning will be necessary to ensure coordination and communication, which will require agree- 

104 CHANGING THE CONVERSATION ment by the major participants. There is already one cooperative out- reach venture in engineering, National Engineers Week, which might be leveraged for this purpose. We might, however, need a new structure to coordinate a campaign. A final concern relates to the need for metrics to determine the effectiveness of messages and projects. Although measuring the out- comes of public outreach efforts is notoriously difficult, a campaign of this scope must include a substantial evaluation component to ensure that we can determine what works and improve upon elements that are not as effective as anticipated. Recommendation 5. A representative cross section of the engineering community should convene to consider funding, logistics, and other aspects of a coordinated, multiyear communications campaign to improve the public understanding of engineering. A Final Word The project described in this report was conducted according to a carefully designed process for developing messages to improve the pub- lic understanding of engineering. The approach included the services of professionals in the fields of communications and market research and required both quantitative and qualitative research methods. To ensure balance and accuracy, the report and the findings and recom- mendations were carefully vetted by outside experts, whose comments and suggestions led to improvements in the final document. The rigor of the study process should reassure the engineering community—and others interested in this important topic—that a tested set of tools is now available to promote a more positive image of engineering and engineers. As suggested in Recommendation 4, we know that more work will be necessary to enrich, expand, and disseminate messaging resources, and, as noted in Recommendation 3, more research on taglines will be necessary. Neither of these requirements, however, should delay or discourage action by the engineering community. Even if the national campaign described in Recommendation 5 is not immediately forth- 

Conclusions and Recommendations 105 coming, creative implementation of messages and taglines can have an immediate impact. Combined efforts by multiple organizations following the same “playbook” can create positive momentum toward increasing the appeal of engineering to students, educators, parents, policy makers, and society at large. The most significant outcome of this project is the recasting of engineering as articulated in the positioning statement. If this state- ment were adopted by the engineering community, as urged in Recom- mendation 1, we can not only reshape the self-images of engineers, but also empower engineers to communicate more confidently with the public. In this way, we may truly change the conversation. REFERENCES Beirne, M. 2005. CDC tries to take a bite out of childhood obesity. Ad Week. October 24, 2005. Davis, L., and R. Gibbin. 2002. Raising Public Awareness of Engineering. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. Levere, J.L. 2006. Body by milk: More than just a white mustache. New York Times, Section C, p. 3, August 30, 2006. Ries, A., and J. Trout. 1981. Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. New York: Warner Books. 

Can the United States continue to lead the world in innovation? The answer may hinge in part on how well the public understands engineering, a key component of the 'innovation engine'. A related concern is how to encourage young people—particularly girls and under-represented minorities—to consider engineering as a career option.

Changing the Conversation provides actionable strategies and market-tested messages for presenting a richer, more positive image of engineering. This book presents and discusses in detail market research about what the public finds most appealing about engineering—as well as what turns the public off.

Changing the Conversation is a vital tool for improving the public image of engineering and outreach efforts related to engineering. It will be used by engineers in professional and academic settings including informal learning environments (such as museums and science centers), engineering schools, national engineering societies, technology-based corporations that support education and other outreach to schools and communities, and federal and state agencies and labs that do or promote engineering, technology, and science.

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New Report: State of Connected Insights

A complete guide to online market research

Getting a clear picture of your market is crucial for business success. 

Online market research provides a variety of tools that make it easier to understand your audience and stay ahead of trends. 

For example, to better understand if a specific region is as receptive to a new drink flavor your brand recently released elsewhere, it would be helpful to conduct online market research by surveying consumers in that area. By gaining a better understanding of consumer receptiveness before bringing your product into their market, you can reduce risk and potentially increase its overall success.  

In this blog, I’ll walk through the different types of online market research, highlight their benefits and offer practical tips to help you make the most of these tools.

Online market research is the process of gathering data and insights about a target market, customer behavior, competitors and industry trends using digital tools and platforms. 

This form of research is conducted through the internet and uses various methods like surveys, social media analysis, website analytics and online focus groups.

Ultimately, online market research is a vital tool for businesses to understand their market, improve their offerings and make data-driven decisions. 

Now let’s dive into the advantages and disadvantages.

Cost-effective:

Online research eliminates the need for physical materials, travel or venue costs, making it much cheaper than traditional research methods.

Many online tools offer free, one-off or low-cost options, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Speed and efficiency:

Data collection can be instantaneous, allowing businesses to gather insights and make decisions quickly.

Online surveys, for instance, can reach thousands of respondents in a matter of minutes, significantly speeding up the research process.

Wider reach and global access:

The internet allows businesses to access a global audience, making it easier to gather data from diverse demographics.

This is particularly advantageous for companies that operate internationally or are looking to expand into new markets.

Convenience and flexibility:

Respondents can participate at their own convenience, leading to potentially higher response rates.

Online tools offer flexibility in research methods, from surveys to social media analysis, allowing businesses to choose the most appropriate approach for their needs.

Better targeting and personalization:

Online tools enable businesses to precisely target specific customer segments, ensuring that the data collected is highly relevant.

Behavioral targeting and data analytics allow companies to gain deeper insights into specific customer preferences and behaviors.

Real-time data and continuous monitoring:

Online platforms, such as social media listening tools and website analytics, provide real-time insights.

This allows businesses to track trends, customer sentiment and market changes continuously, enabling more agile decision-making.

Scalability:

Online research can easily scale from small to large sample sizes without significant additional costs or logistical challenges.

Whether a business needs insights from hundreds or thousands of people, the process remains streamlined and efficient.

Environmental impact:

Conducting research online reduces the need for paper and other physical resources, making it a more sustainable option.

This can also resonate positively with environmentally conscious consumers.

Disadvantages

Limited representativeness: Not everyone has access to the internet, potentially excluding certain demographics and leading to biased results .

Data quality concerns: Without face-to-face interaction, it can be challenging to verify the authenticity of responses, and survey fatigue may affect data quality.

Tips for tackling data quality in market research

3. Privacy and security issues: Collecting personal data online raises concerns about data protection and compliance with regulations like GDPR. That’s why it’s crucial to stay on top of these regulations when conducting research. 

The advantages of online market research, particularly in terms of cost, speed, reach and flexibility, make it a powerful tool for businesses today. While there are some limitations, the benefits often outweigh the drawbacks, especially when businesses use online research for a more comprehensive understanding of their market.

There are various types of online market research methods that businesses can use to gather insights about their target market, competitors and industry trends. Each method serves a different purpose and can be used in different contexts. 

Here are several key types and who might typically use them:

1. Online surveys and questionnaires

Who: Product Managers, Market Researchers, Consumer Insights Specialists

All three may use surveys to gather customer feedback on new products or ads , understand customer satisfaction or track brand perception. Surveys are extremely helpful in making decisions about product or ad development and improvements.

2. Social media listening and analysis

Who: Social Media Managers, Brand Managers

Social media managers and brand managers monitor social media platforms to gauge public opinion, track brand mentions and respond to trends. This is especially useful for brands focusing on engagement and reputation management.

3. Website analytics

Who: Digital Marketers, E-commerce Managers

Digital marketers and e-commerce managers rely on website analytics to track visitor behavior, optimize conversion rates and measure the effectiveness of online campaigns. It's essential for those focused on driving website traffic and improving user experience.

4. Online focus groups

Who: Market Researchers, Brand Strategists

Market researchers and brand strategists use online focus groups to gain in-depth insights into customer attitudes and preferences. This method is beneficial for exploring new ideas or testing concepts before a full market launch.

5. Online panels

Who: Market Research Analysts, Consumer Insights Specialists

Analysts conducting ongoing studies use online panels to track consumer behavior over time. This method is valuable for brands looking to monitor changes in customer preferences or loyalty over extended periods.

6. Competitor analysis tools

Who: Competitive Intelligence Analysts, SEO/SEM Specialists

Competitive Intelligence Analysts and SEO/SEM specialists use these tools to track competitors' digital strategies. They focus on benchmarking performance, identifying market gaps and improving search engine rankings or advertising campaigns.

7. Online customer reviews and feedback

Who: Customer Experience Managers, Product Developers

Customer experience managers and product developers analyze online reviews to identify common customer pain points and areas for improvement. This data is critical for enhancing product quality and customer service.

8. Crowdsourcing

Who: Innovation Managers, Product Designers

Innovation managers and product designers use crowdsourcing platforms to gather ideas and feedback from a broad audience. This method is ideal for generating creative solutions or crowdsourcing opinions on new concepts.

9. Online experiments (A/B Testing)

Who: Digital Marketers, UX Designers

Marketers and UX designers use A/B testing to optimize website performance, email campaigns and online ads. They focus on improving user experience and maximizing conversion rates by testing different variations.

10. Behavioral tracking

Who: UX Researchers, Web Analysts

UX Researchers and Web Analysts use behavioral tracking tools like heatmaps to understand how users interact with a website or app. This method is valuable for identifying usability issues and improving overall site or app design.

11. Online marketplaces and sales data analysis

Who: E-commerce Managers, Retail Analysts

E-commerce managers and retail analysts analyze sales data from platforms like Amazon or Shopify to track product performance and identify trends. This method helps in optimizing product listings, pricing strategies and inventory management.

Here are a few additional tips to consider when using online market research that go beyond the basics:

1. Leverage multiple data sources for a holistic view

Don’t rely on a single method or tool for market research. Combining data from surveys at every stage of your production process will provide a more comprehensive understanding of your market. This approach helps you cross-validate findings and ensures that you are making well-rounded decisions.

2. Prioritize mobile-friendly research

Ensure that your surveys, forms and research tools are optimized for mobile devices. With a significant portion of users accessing the internet via smartphones, mobile-friendly research methods will help you reach a broader audience and improve participation rates.

3. Use data segmentation for deeper insights

Segment your data by different demographics (age, location, interests) to uncover more targeted insights. This will allow you to tailor your marketing strategies more effectively, addressing the specific needs and preferences of different customer groups.

4. Incorporate visuals to improve engagement

When conducting online surveys or focus groups, consider using visuals such as images, videos or infographics to make the process more engaging. Visual elements can help clarify questions, keep participants interested and lead to more thoughtful responses.

5. Stay updated on privacy regulations

As data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) continue to evolve, it’s crucial to stay informed and ensure that your online market research practices are compliant. Being transparent with participants about how their data will be used and protected builds trust and can improve participation rates.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can enhance the effectiveness of your online market research efforts and gain deeper, more actionable insights.

Online market research is a game-changer for businesses looking to better understand their market and make smarter decisions. 

With tools like surveys, social media monitoring and competitor analysis, you can gather the insights you need to stay ahead. But while the benefits are clear, it’s crucial to be aware of potential pitfalls like data quality and privacy concerns. 

When done right, online market research becomes a key driver of growth, helping you connect with your audience and adapt to market shifts with confidence.

Reach out to us to learn how Zappi can help you get started.

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Draw Conclusions From Market Research Results: The Complete Skill Guide

Rolecatcher's skill library - growth for all levels, introduction.

Draw Conclusions From Market Research Results: Why It Matters

Real-world impact and applications, skill development: beginner to advanced, getting started: key fundamentals explored.

At the beginner level, individuals should focus on building a foundation in market research concepts, statistical analysis, and data interpretation. Recommended resources include online courses such as 'Introduction to Market Research' and 'Data Analysis for Beginners.' Additionally, practicing with sample market research data sets and seeking feedback from experts can help improve proficiency in drawing conclusions from research results.

Taking the Next Step: Building on Foundations

Expert level: refining and perfecting, interview prep: questions to expect.

Links To Question Guides:

• 1: What methods do you use to draw conclusions from market research results?
• 2: How do you identify potential markets from market research results?
• 3: How do you present major observations from market research results?
• 4: How do you suggest potential target groups from market research results?
• 5: How do you suggest potential prices from market research results?
• 6: How do you suggest potential investments from market research results?
• 7: Can you provide an example of a time when you drew conclusions from market research results that had a significant impact on a business?

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 21, 2024

Angelica Evans, Riley Bailey, Nicole Wolkov, Christina Harward, Grace Mappes, and Frederick W. Kagan

March 21, 2024, 6:35pm ET  

Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report.

Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of Ukraine. Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly recommended for using this data-heavy tool.

Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline. ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly.

Note: The data cut-off for this product was 12:15pm ET on March 21. ISW will cover subsequent reports in the March 22 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment.

The Russian military command appears to be forming reserves capable of sustaining ongoing offensive operations in Ukraine, but these reserves are unlikely to be able to function as cohesive large-scale penetration or exploitation formations this year.  Ukrainian military observer Kostyantyn Mashovets stated on March 21 that the Russian military command plans for the bulk of its “strategic reserves” to be operational ahead of Russia’s reported summer 2024 offensive but suggested that it is unlikely that Russia’s “strategic reserves” will be equipped to their full end strength by this time due to materiel and manpower shortages.[1] Mashovets cited Russia’s 44th Army Corps (AC), a formation that Russia is reportedly forming as part of the Leningrad Military District (LMD), and Russia’s 163rd Armored Repair Plant as examples of how materiel limitations will constrain the formation of Russian “strategic reserves.” Mashovets stated that the Russian military command will likely only be able to provide 55 to 60 percent of the arms and equipment that the 44th AC will need by the end of 2024. Mashovets similarly stated that Russian authorities are attempting to double the 163rd Armored Repair Plant’s production volumes but that this effort will likely not be completed until the end of 2024 instead of in summer 2024 as planned. Mashovets suggested that Russia’s ability to produce new weapons and equipment and modernize old systems “does not correspond” with how quickly Russia hopes to equip its strategic reserves. Mashovets’ assessment is consistent with ISW’s assessment that Russian defense production is capable of sustaining the current tempo of Russian offensive operations but is unlikely to be able to fully support a potential operational or strategic-level mission in 2024.[2]

Large-scale Russian manpower losses are likely more significant than armored vehicle losses at this point in the war, particularly since Russian forces adjusted their tactics and transitioned to infantry-heavy ground attacks to conserve armored vehicles at the expense of greater manpower losses in fall 2023.[3] Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) Deputy Chief Major General Vadym Skibitskyi previously reported that Russia is capable of generating forces at a rate equal to Russian monthly personnel losses (roughly 25,000 to 30,000 personnel per month) and that Russia would have to conduct “mobilization” (likely referring to large-scale mobilization) to establish a “powerful strategic reserve.”[4] The British International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank reported on February 12 that Russia is likely able to sustain its current rate of vehicle losses (over 3,000 armored fighting vehicles annually and nearly 8,000 since February 2022) for at least two to three years by mainly reactivating vehicles from storage.[5]

It is unclear what kind of “strategic reserve” Russia is forming based on open-source reporting but known Russian manpower and material limitations suggest that Russia will likely not commit these “strategic reserves” as a cohesive formation to fighting in Ukraine but will instead use them as a manpower pool to replenish losses along the frontline. Russia’s “powerful strategic reserves” could in theory be capable of serving as a first-echelon, penetration force or second-echelon exploitation force, capable of conducting large-scale mechanized assaults into Ukrainian defensive lines and making operationally significant advances if they were fully equipped and properly trained. ISW forecasts that Russia will not develop a strategic reserve that can serve in such capacities, however, due to the limitations discussed above.[6] Russia’s ongoing crypto-mobilization efforts have proven capable of sustaining Russia’s current offensive efforts in Ukraine despite heavy losses and could be capable of recruiting the manpower necessary to form more limited Russian operational reserves.[7] The formation of additional reserves would likely allow the Russian military to backfill losses in Ukraine without taking a significant operational pause between Russia’s ongoing localized offensive efforts this spring and Russia’s anticipated summer 2024 offensive effort, which ISW previously assessed Russian forces are attempting to avoid despite difficult weather and terrain conditions.[8]

Russian offensive tactics will likely increasingly pressure Ukrainian defenses as long as delays in Western security assistance persist.  Russian forces are generally relying on their manpower and materiel superiority to conduct a relatively consistent tempo of assaults against Ukrainian positions along the frontline in hopes of wearing down Ukrainian defenders and setting conditions for exploiting Ukrainian vulnerabilities.[9] Russian forces are also expanding their use of tactical aviation, drones, and electronic warfare (EW) systems in Ukraine to prepare for and support these assaults while reportedly conducting artillery fire exceeding Ukrainian artillery fire by a ratio of up to ten to one.[10] Russian forces have significantly increased guided and unguided glide-bomb strikes against rear and frontline Ukrainian positions in 2024, notably employing mass glide-bomb strikes to tactical effect in their seizure of Avdiivka in mid-February.[11] Russian and Ukrainian forces have heavily integrated drones into their reconnaissance-fire complexes (RFC) along the frontline, and Russian forces rely on drones both before and during assaults.[12] A Ukrainian commander stated on March 20 that Russian forces in the Bakhmut direction currently operate first-person view (FPV) drones at night after Russian artillery units conduct indirect fire during the day, suggesting that Russian forces continue to experiment with tactical drones and may be deconflicting artillery and drone strikes temporally.[13] Russian forces are widely employing EW systems throughout the front to disrupt Ukraine’s own drones and are reportedly increasingly equipping armored vehicles with EW systems to minimize the threat that Ukrainian drones pose to mechanized assaults.[14] Russian artillery advantages allow Russian forces to provide extensive artillery preparation and coverage for Russian assaults and are likely allowing Russian forces to systematically degrade Ukrainian fortifications.

Ukrainian military observer Tatarigami stated on March 20 that Russian forces conduct offensive operations near Bilohorivka (south of Kreminna) and in many other sectors of the front according to the following sequence: Russian forces first conduct reconnaissance with drones, strike Ukrainian forces with glide bombs, conduct artillery preparations, advance with small squad- to company-sized infantry or lightly mechanized groups, attack Ukrainian positions from 50 to 150 meters away with FPV drone support, and then, if successful, seize positions and quickly fortify them.[15] Tatarigami added that once Russian forces sufficiently degrade the Ukrainian defense in an area, Russian forces will then commit larger, company-sized assault groups to exploit vulnerabilities.[16] Tatarigami’s observations are consistent with ISW’s observations of the general chronology of the majority of current Russian assaults along the front. Russian forces do routinely change the size of assault groups and the amount of equipment they use in assaults, however, likely to test Ukrainian responses and exploit tactical opportunities in specific sectors of the front.[17]

Overall materiel shortages will likely limit how Ukrainian forces can conduct effective defensive operations while also offering Russian forces flexibility in how to conduct offensive operations. Ukrainian ammunition shortages are reportedly forcing Ukraine to husband artillery shells, constraining Ukrainian artillery units from conducting effective counterbattery fire and likely preventing Ukrainian forces from relying on artillery fire to repel Russian assaults.[18] Tatarigami stated that constrained Ukrainian artillery resources complicate Ukrainian efforts to push Russian forces from recently captured positions and often necessitate that Ukrainian forces conduct more costly counterattacks.[19] Open-source investigations indicate that Ukraine’s ammunition shortage and inability to conduct sufficient counterbattery warfare has likely allowed Russian forces to establish stationary artillery fire positions allowing for higher and more sustained rates of fire.[20] Ukrainian air defense missiles shortages will likely continue to limit Ukraine’s ability to contest air space over occupied Ukraine and threaten the Russian tactical aircraft conducting routine glide-bomb strikes.[21] Well-provisioned Ukrainian forces have repeatedly shown that they are able to prevent these Russian offensive tactics from producing tactical gains, however.[22]

Russian forces conducted a larger series of missile strikes targeting Kyiv City on the night of March 20 to 21.  The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched two Iskander-M/KN-23/Kh-72M Kinzhal ballistic and “aeroballistic” missiles and 29 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles from 11 Tu-95MS from Volgodonsk, Rostov Oblast and Engels, Saratov Oblast and that Ukrainian air defenses and mobile fire units shot down all of the missiles over Kyiv Oblast.[23] “Aeroballistic missiles” likely refer to air-launched Kh-72M2 Kinzhal missiles, as Iskander-Ms and North Korean KN-23s are ground-launched.[24] The Kyiv City Military Administration noted that Russian forces have not targeted Kyiv City with missiles strikes in the past 44 days.[25] Ukrainian outlet  Suspilne  reported that its sources in the GUR stated that the Russian missile strikes targeted GUR positions.[26] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Patriot and other Western-provided air defense systems can down Russian ballistic missiles but noted that Ukraine does not currently have enough of these systems to cover other areas of Ukraine.[27]

NATO Military Committee Chairperson Admiral Rob Bauer stated that neither Ukraine nor NATO prompted Russia to invade Ukraine and that Ukrainian forces’ adaptations and innovations have in part changed modern warfare.  Bauer stated on March 21 that “Russia’s war against Ukraine has never been about any real security threat coming from either Ukraine or NATO” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “not achieved any of his strategic objectives.”[28] ISW continues to assess that Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 not to defend Russia against a nonexistent threat from NATO but rather to weaken and ultimately destroy NATO — a goal he still pursues.[29] Putin has claimed that Russia did not start the war in 2022 and that Russia’s invasions of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and 2022 were part of a defensive campaign aimed at protecting Russian people and the Russian state — false narratives that are meant to hide Russia’s aggression.[30] ISW also continues to assess that Putin’s maximalist goals in Ukraine, which amount to complete Western and Ukrainian capitulation and expansionist territorial gains, remain unchanged.[31]

Bauer also stated that Ukrainian forces have “fundamentally changed many aspects of modern warfare” and have quickly adapted and innovated, including by using Soviet-style equipment with modern Western materiel.[32] Ukraine’s innovations on the battlefield include its successful employment of so-called FrankenSAM hybrid air defense systems and experimentation and production of different drone technologies for combat missions on the battlefield.[33] Ukrainian officials have recently stated that Ukrainian forces have proven that a well-trained army with more advanced weapons can defeat an enemy with numerical manpower and materiel superiority but that Ukrainian forces can only maintain their superior capabilities with Western support, such as the provision of long-range, high-precision munitions and ammunition for Western-provided artillery systems.[34]

The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on March 21 that Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov became acting Commander of the Russian Northern Fleet. [35] Kabantsov previously served as the Northern Fleet’s First Deputy Commander and replaced Admiral Alexander Moiseev who became acting Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.[36]

Bloomberg  reported on March 20 that an unspecified source close to the Kremlin stated that the all-Russian pro-Ukrainian incursions into Belgorod Oblast are forcing the Russian military to divert forces from the frontline to Belgorod Oblast, although ISW has not observed such claims. [37] It is unclear what forces  Bloomberg ’s source is referencing. Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian airborne conscripts repelled recent raids in Tetkino, Kursk Oblast and that elements of the 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade repelled recent raids in Belgorod Oblast.[38] Russian officials stated that Russian military, Federal Security Service (FSB) border personnel, and Rosgvardia personnel repelled recent incursions into Russia, and Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov claimed that units of the Chechen "Zapad-Akhmat“ Battalion repelled raids from Kharkiv Oblast.[39] Russia previously deployed similar forces to defend against Russian pro-Ukrainian border incursions in June 2023.[40] ISW continues to assess that the Kremlin must balance between the reputational cost of accepting that pro-Ukrainian forces will sometimes be able to conduct minimally effective cross-border raids into Russia while conserving its military resources for use in Ukraine and the resource cost of allocating additional forces and means to border security to reassure the Russian populace at the expense of its military operations against Ukraine.[41] The Kremlin may not suffer as high a reputational cost for limited border incursions in 2024 as it did in 2023 due to ongoing censorship efforts, however.

US sanctions continue to influence the financial sector in post-Soviet countries, as two banks in Kazakhstan recently banned the use of Russia’s “Mir” national payment system to prevent secondary sanctions.  Kazakhstan’s Freedom Finance Bank stated on February 28 that it suspended operations with the “Mir” payment system due to US sanctions.[42] Kazakhstan‘s Bereke Bank also stopped issuing cash from cards using the “Mir” system on March 6.[43] Russia’s Sberbank, which fell under Western sanctions in 2022, previously owned Bereke Bank, and a company owned by the Kazakh government bought over 99 percent of Bereke Bank’s shares in September 2023, leading the US Treasury Department to remove sanctions on Bereke Bank in March 2024.[44] ISW previously reported that Armenia’s Central Bank will reportedly ban the use of the “Mir” system on March 29 and that 17 of 18 Armenian commercial banks will stop using the system on March 30.[45] The US imposed sanctions against the “Mir” system’s operator, the National Payment Card System Joint Stock Company, in February 2024.[46]

Key Takeaways:

• The Russian military command appears to be forming reserves capable of sustaining ongoing offensive operations in Ukraine, but these reserves are unlikely to be able to function as cohesive large-scale penetration or exploitation formations this year.
• Russian offensive tactics will likely increasingly pressure Ukrainian defenses as long as delays in Western security assistance persist.
• Russian forces conducted a larger series of missile strikes targeting Kyiv City on the night of March 20 to 21.
• NATO Military Committee Chairperson Admiral Rob Bauer stated that neither Ukraine nor NATO prompted Russia to invade Ukraine and that Ukrainian forces’ adaptations and innovations have in part changed modern warfare.
• The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on March 21 that Vice Admiral Konstantin Kabantsov became acting Commander of the Russian Northern Fleet.
• Bloomberg  reported on March 20 that an unspecified source close to the Kremlin stated that the all-Russian pro-Ukrainian incursions into Belgorod Oblast are forcing the Russian military to divert forces from the frontline to Belgorod Oblast, although ISW has not observed such claims.
• US sanctions continue to influence the financial sector in post-Soviet countries, as two banks in Kazakhstan recently banned the use of Russia’s “Mir” national payment system to prevent secondary sanctions.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Bakhmut and in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast amid continued positional engagements along the entire line of contact on March 21.
• Russian officials continue to highlight the work of Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB) in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting. We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas. We utterly condemn Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports.   

• Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine (comprised of two subordinate main efforts)
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and encircle northern Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast
• Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis
• Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign
• Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts
• Russian Technological Adaptations
• Activities in Russian-occupied areas
• Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Efforts

Russian Information Operations and Narratives

• Significant Activity in Belarus

Russian Main Effort – Eastern Ukraine

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast  (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast)

Positional fighting continued along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line on March 21. Russian and Ukrainian sources stated that positional engagements occurred northeast of Kupyansk near Synkivka; west of Kreminna near Terny and Yampolivka; and south of Kreminna near Zolotarivka and Bilohorivka (12km south of Kreminna).[47] Elements of the Russian “GORB” detachment and of the 2nd, 7th, 6th, 85th, and 123rd motorized rifle brigades (all of the 2nd Luhansk People’s Republic [LNR] AC) are reportedly operating in the Bilohorivka area.[48] Elements of the 204th “Akhmat“ Spetsnaz detachment are also reportedly operating near Bilohorivka.[49]

Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast  (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)

Russian forces recently advanced west of Bakhmut amid continued positional fighting in the area on March 21. Geolocated footage published on March 21 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced north of Ivanivske (west of Bakhmut).[50] The Russian MoD claimed that Russian forces captured the Alebastrova railway station east of Klishchiivka (southwest of Bakhmut), but ISW has not observed confirmation of this claim.[51] Positional fighting continued northwest of Bakhmut near Bohdanivka; west of Bakhmut near Ivanivske; southwest of Bakhmut near Klishchiivka; and south of Bakhmut near Niu York.[52] Elements of the Russian 106th Airborne (VDV) Division continue to operate northeast of Bakhmut near Soledar.[53]

The Russian MoD claimed that Russian forces captured Tonenke (west of Avdiivka) amid continued positional fighting west of Avdiivka on March 21.[54] Russian milbloggers largely did not corroborate the MoD’s claims, instead claiming that Russian forces advanced in or near Tonenke while capitalizing on gains near Orlivka (west of Avdiivka) on March 21.[55] A Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces control half of Berdychi (northwest of Avdiivka).[56] ISW has not observed confirmation of these Russian claims, however. Positional fighting continued northwest of Avdiivka near Berdychi; west of Avdiivka near Semenivka and Tonenke; and southwest of Avdiivka near Pervomaiske, Netaylove, and Nevelske.[57] Elements of the Russian 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade (41st Combined Arms Army [CAA], Central Military District [CMD]) and of the 1453rd Motorized Rifle Regiment (1st Donetsk People’s Republic [DNR] AC) are reportedly operating near Berdychi.[58]

Positional fighting continued west and southwest of Donetsk City on March 21, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline. Positional fighting continued west of Donetsk City near Krasnohorivka and southwest of Donetsk City near Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, and Vodyane.[59] Elements of the Russian 238th Artillery Brigade (8th CAA, Southern Military District [SMD]) are reportedly operating near Krasnohorivka.[60]

Positional fighting continued near Staromayorske and Urozhaine (both south of Velyka Novosilka) in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area on March 21.[61] Elements of the Russian 394th Motorized Rifle Regiment (127th Motorized Rifle Division, 5th CAA, Eastern Military District [EMD]) reportedly continue operating in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area.[62]

Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis  (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes)

Positional engagements continued in western Zaporizhia Oblast on March 21, but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline. Positional engagements continued near Robotyne and northwest of Verbove (east of Robotyne).[63] Elements of the Russian 108th VDV Regiment (7th VDV Division) reportedly continue operating near Verbove.[64] Elements of the Russian 429th Motorized Rifle Regiment (19th Motorized Rifle Division, 58th CAA, SMD) and 104th VDV Regiment (76th VDV Division) are reportedly operating in the Zaporizhia direction.[65]

Russian forces recently made a confirmed advanced north of Pidstepne (4km south of the Dnipro River) in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast, although Russian forces likely did not make this advance within the past day.[66] Positional engagements continued in east bank Kherson Oblast, including near Krynky, on March 21.[67] A Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces continue to operate in dacha areas near the Antonivsky roadway bridge (north of Oleshky).[68] Elements of the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) reportedly continue operating near Krynky.[69]

The Russian MoD claimed that Russian air defenses destroyed three Ukrainian drones over occupied Crimea on March 21.[70]

Russian Air, Missile, and Drone Campaign  (Russian Objective: Target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure in the rear and on the frontline)

Russian forces conducted a missile strike against Mykolaiv City during the day on March 21. Ukraine’s Southern Operational Command reported that Russian forces launched a ballistic missile from occupied Crimea and damaged an industrial enterprise.[71]

Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts  (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization)

Russian officials continue to highlight the work of Russia’s defense industrial base (DIB) in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Russian DIB enterprises in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on March 21.[72] The general director of an unspecified Russian plant told Shoigu that the plant began mass producing FAB-3000 aerial bombs in February 2024 and at least doubled its production of FAB-1500 and FAB-500 aerial bombs over the past year, all of which Russian forces likely further modify to use as glide bombs. The plant also reportedly increased its production of artillery and aviation weapons fivefold over the past year. Shoigu visited another plant that produces artillery ammunition and claimed that Russia is producing enough artillery ammunition to supply the Russian military in Ukraine.[73] Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev also visited Russia’s Tambov gunpowder plant and called on Russian DIB enterprises to “work faster” to support the Russian military in Ukraine.[74]

Russian Technological Adaptations  (Russian objective: Introduce technological innovations to optimize systems for use in Ukraine)

Nothing significant to report.

Ukrainian Defense Industrial Efforts  (Ukrainian objective: Develop its defense industrial base to become more self-sufficient in cooperation with US, European, and international partners)

ISW is not publishing coverage of Ukrainian defense industrial efforts today.

Activities in Russian-occupied areas  (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural, economic, military, and governance systems)

ISW is not publishing coverage of activities in Russian-occupied areas today.

Russian officials continued to threaten escalation as part of Kremlin efforts to constrain Western discussions about support for Ukraine. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on March 20 in response to French discussions about possibly sending military personnel to Ukraine that sending foreign troops to Ukraine could lead to “extremely negative...even irreparable consequences.”[75] Russia has not significantly responded to Western security assistance to Ukraine that Russia has previously labeled as significant escalations.[76]

Kremlin mouthpieces continued to criticize the Armenian government's interest in cooperation with the West as contrary to Armenian interests against the backdrop of deteriorating Russian – Armenian relations. A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger claimed on March 20 that Armenia’s increased cooperation with the European Union (EU) equates to a loss of Armenian sovereignty.[77]

Significant activity in Belarus  (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus)

Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source, uses only publicly available information, and draws extensively on Russian, Ukrainian, and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports. References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update.

[1] https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1722 ; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1723 ; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1724  https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02Guc2radeemZ79M8Rvf9LfTscsGbcFFhkKKgJZQGVtuqRs7sPhMCavzjaQqyJ83Pxl

[2] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031124 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar021124 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar020424

[3] https://isw.pub/UkrWar122623 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar120723 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar102623

[4] https://isw.pub/UkrWar011524

[5] https://isw.pub/UkrWar021324

[6] https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1722 ; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1723 ; https://t.me/zvizdecmanhustu/1724  https://www.facebook.com/pashtetof/posts/pfbid02Guc2radeemZ79M8Rvf9LfTscsGbcFFhkKKgJZQGVtuqRs7sPhMCavzjaQqyJ83Pxl ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar021424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar020424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar020224

[7] https://isw.pub/UkrWar022424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar021424 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar011924

[8] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524

[9] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-1-2023-0; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-16-2024; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-22-2024; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-22-2023; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-15-2024; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-27-2024

[10] https://isw.pub/UkrWar011824 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524 ;

[11] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524

[12] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524

[13] https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/03/20/na-bahmutskomu-napryamku-vorog-zastosovuye-fpv-drony-zgrayamy-i-hovayetsya-vid-teplovizoriv-pid-kovdramy/

[14] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524 ; https://www.ft.com/content/a477d3f1-8c7e-4520-83b0-572ad674c28e ; https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/27/russia-electronic-warfare-turn-tide-war-ukraine/ ; https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/

[15] https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/

[16] https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/

[17] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-february-27-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-16-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-15-2024

[18] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031324

[19] https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/

[20] https://isw.pub/UkrWar020224

[21] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031524 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar021724

[22] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-14-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-15-2024 

[23] https://t.me/kpszsu/12091

[24] https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG/Asset/9b081897f106881e03b3bec55c80b9ff ; https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG/Asset/a0bca263a697a76c69bd798d07549c80 ; https://odin.tradoc.army.mil/WEG/Asset/1ac3fba200d3b642c1c455e088b39ee6

[25] https://t.me/VA_Kyiv/5142

[26] https://suspilne dot media/710976-pid-cas-rankovoi-raketnoi-ataki-na-kiiv-rosiani-namagalisa-pociliti-v-obekti-gur-dzerela/

[27] https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/9812

[28] https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_223931.htm

[29] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/weakness-lethal-why-putin-invaded-ukraine-and-how-war-must-end

[30] https://isw.pub/UkrWar020824

[31] https://isw.pub/UkrWar011824 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Jan%2016%20Russian%20Offensive%20Campaign%20Assessment%20PDF.pdf ;  https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-13-2023 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-28-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-17-2024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar012224 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar012224 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar012024  ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar011924 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-25-2024

[32] https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_223931.htm

[33] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-17-2024 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-12-2024

[34] https://isw.pub/UkrWar021424

[35] https://t.me/tass_agency/238317

[36] https://www.kommersant dot ru/doc/6581392 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar031924

[37] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-20/attacks-near-russia-s-ukraine-border-bring-home-costs-of-putin-s-war

[38] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031224 ; https://t.me/rybar/58173 ; https://t.me/rybar/58307 ; https://t.me/rusich_army/13701 ; https://t.me/vysokygovorit/14987

[39] https://t.me/RKadyrov_95/4585 ; https://t.me/mod_russia/36642 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/236667 ; https://www.rbc dot ru/politics/13/03/2024/65f16e0a9a794758962543cd

[40] https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-1-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-2-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-5-2023 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-15-2023

[41] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-14-2024

[42] https://interfax dot com/newsroom/top-stories/99887/ ; https://tass dot ru/ekonomika/20096183

[43] https://www.forbes dot ru/finansy/485522-kazahstanskij-bereke-bank-prekratit-vydacu-nalicnyh-s-kart-mir-bankov-pod-sankciami ; https://www.rbc dot ru/finances/15/03/2024/65f47bf49a7947252b7e4726

[44] https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-remove-sanctions-on-former-kazakhstan-subsidiary-of-russias-sberbank-11675791574 ; https://interfax dot com/newsroom/top-stories/88534/

[45] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-19-2024

[46] https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-19-2024

[47] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02zQNrYD7yu9ewB2AxiTemgVTGTanuKjHDP9nVxeute3QWkQVD1jRe7rCk9h8RU2vvl    ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl ; https://t.me/NeoficialniyBeZsonoV/34202 ; https://t.me/luhanskaVTSA/17731

[48] https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/ ; https://twitter.com/Tatarigami_UA/status/1770753544200630410 ; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/64183 ; https://t.me/boris_rozhin/117274

[49] https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/03/20/want-to-know-how-ukraine-can-resist-russia-in-2024-look-to-bilohorivka/ ; https://twitter.com/Tatarigami_UA/status/1770753544200630410

[50] https://t.me/ua_42nd_ombr/230; https://t.me/creamy_caprice/4829

[51] https://t.me/mod_russia/36866

[52] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl; https://t.me/mod_russia/36866; https://t.me/wargonzo/18875; https://t.me/dva_majors/37523

[53] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/8471; https://t.me/prigozhin_2023_tg/9139 (Soledar)

[54] https://t.me/mod_russia/36866

[55] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/8486; https://t.me/wargonzo/18873; https://t.me/wargonzo/18875; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/64214; https://t.me/dva_majors/37523

[56] https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/8486

[57] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02zQNrYD7yu9ewB2AxiTemgVTGTanuKjHDP9nVxeute3QWkQVD1jRe7rCk9h8RU2vvl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/8486; https://t.me/wargonzo/18873; https://t.me/wargonzo/18875; https://t.me/dva_majors/37523

[58] https://t.me/prigozhin_2023_tg/9141; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/64214 (Berdychi)

[59] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02zQNrYD7yu9ewB2AxiTemgVTGTanuKjHDP9nVxeute3QWkQVD1jRe7rCk9h8RU2vvl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl; https://t.me/tass_agency/238346; https://t.me/voenkorKotenok/54987; https://t.me/mod_russia/36867

[60] https://t.me/RVvoenkor/64190; https://t.me/nm_dnr/11994 ; https://t.me/NeoficialniyBeZsonoV/34213 (Krasnohorivka)

[61] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02zQNrYD7yu9ewB2AxiTemgVTGTanuKjHDP9nVxeute3QWkQVD1jRe7rCk9h8RU2vvl; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl

[62] https://t.me/voin_dv/7587; https://t.me/RVvoenkor/64172; https://t.me/dva_majors/37532 (Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area)

[63] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02zQNrYD7yu9ewB2AxiTemgVTGTanuKjHDP9nVxeute3QWkQVD1jRe7rCk9h8RU2vvl ; https://t.me/rybar/58349 ; https://t.me/wargonzo/18875 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/37506 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/37523 ; https://t.me/rusich_army/13738

[64] https://t.me/rusich_army/13727

[65] https://t.me/dva_majors/37559 ; https://t.me/ZA_FROHT/27631 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/37573 ; https://t.me/DnevnikDesantnika/8483

[66] https://twitter.com/Ryan72101/status/1770830354154201343

[67] https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid02gGuHTgtmiZGQTHugarN4B7J4SNfSBnwFWeDHTUfS49EETb8tLvXNL7cfRqBERezol ; https://www.facebook.com/GeneralStaff.ua/posts/pfbid0QuK3iL8swSyNRqGc59LqdNZS8BSB4gv1uxVNExbXV4bUS7MgfepaqaFzUnBF5mLkl ; https://t.me/SJTF_Odes/7390 ; https://t.me/dva_majors/37523

[68] https://t.me/dva_majors/37523

[69] https://t.me/wargonzo/18884

[70] https://t.me/mod_russia/36870

[71] https://t.me/SJTF_Odes/7399

[72] https://t.me/mod_russia/36875; https://t.me/zvezdanews/140030 ; https://t.me/mod_russia/36874  ; https://t.me/tass_agency/238394 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/238391 ; https://t.me/tass_agency/238392

[73] https://t.me/mod_russia/36876 ; https://t.me/mod_russia/36875

[74] https://t.me/tass_agency/238402

[75] https://tass dot ru/politika/20305149

[76] https://isw.pub/UkrWar030924 ; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-18-2024

[77] https://t.me/rybar/58361