If you are seeking ways to conduct desk research, here are some methods you can follow.
No surprise there. When was the last time you checked a book to answer the burning question of “Is pineapple on pizza illegal?” (it should be).
However, choosing authentic and credible sources from an information overload can be tricky. To help you out, the Lydia M. Olson Library has a 6-point checklist to filter out low-quality sources. You can read them in detail here .
You have earned some serious street cred if your preferred source is a library. But, jokes apart, finding the correct information for your research topic in a library can be time-consuming.
However, depending on which library you visit, you will find a wealth of verifiable, quotable information in the form of newspapers, magazines, research journals, books, documents, and more.
NGOs, and governmental agencies like the US Census Bureau, have valuable demographic data that businesses can use during desk research. This data is collected using survey tools like SurveySparrow .
You may have to pay a certain fee to download or access the information from these agencies. However, the data obtained will be reliable and trustworthy.
Colleges and universities conduct plenty of primary research studies every year. This makes them a treasure trove for desk researchers.
However, getting access to this data requires legwork. The procedures vary according to the institution; among other things, you will need to submit an application to the relevant authority and abide by a data use agreement.
For businesses, customer and employee data are focus areas all on their own. But after the pandemic, companies are using even more applications and tools for the operations and service sides.
This gives businesses access to vast amounts of information useful for desk research and beyond. For example, one interesting use case is making employee onboarding more effective with just basic employee data, like their hobbies or skills.
These include radio, newspapers, podcasts, YouTube, and TV stations. They are decent sources of first-hand info on political and economic developments, market research, public opinion, and other trending subjects.
However, this is also a source that blurs the lines between advertising, information and entertainment. So as far as credibility is concerned, you are better off supporting this data with additional sources.
The following listed are some ways desk research can really help you.
Before doing market research, running a usability test, or starting any user-centric project, you want to see what companies have done in the past (in related areas, if not the same domain). Then, instead of learning everything from scratch, you can review their research, successes, and mistakes and learn from them.
How do you know if you’ve found something new? By reviewing what has gone before. By doing this, you can spot gaps in the data that match up with the problem you’re trying to solve.
Thanks to the internet, most of the data you need is at your fingertips, and they are cheaper to compile than field data. With a few (search and mental) filters, you can quickly find credible sources with factual information.
You have less than 15 minutes with your research participant. Two minutes if you’re doing an online survey. Do you really want to waste that time asking questions that have already been answered elsewhere? Lack of preparation can also hurt your credibility.
Desk research helps to provide focus and a framework for primary research. By using desk research, companies can also get the insight to make better decisions about their customers and employees.
Desk research is the yin to the yang of field research – they are both required for a meaningful study. That’s why desk research serves as a starting point for every kind of study.
This brings us to the last question.
While there are some benefits when doing desk research, it comes with its drawbacks and challenges. Let's have a look at them.
To make informed decisions, it's crucial to have up-to-date data. With most of the data in desk research already collected, the probability of it being relevant to contemporary use is low. With inaccurate data, the end results can be skewed.
It's possible that the insight of the data in desk research can't be as deep, especially in qualitative aspects. For example, for something like understanding consumer behavior or preferences, you need new and fresh data. This is not possible with desk research.
If you are someone looking to learn more about your customer, then we recommend going for primary research… preferably using tools like SurveySparrow .
The tool can help you collect fresh and up-to-date data and understand your customers better. From their preferences to emotions, learn about your customers comprehensively.
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Data obtained from existing sources can be biased or incomplete. Each researcher has a different perspective (or agenda), and depending on that, the researched data can be focused. Therefore, it's safe to say that you can expect the data to be incompatible.
The data availability or accessibility can be a major issue. Though you can find research materials existing, it's not necessary that you will be able to access them.
For example, consider Statista. It's one of the top companies that provide industry and region-focused statistics reports. However, except for a few, most of the data are available only on purchase, which, by the way, is expensive...very expensive.
Tracking down all the necessary researched data for your desk research can be quite a time-consuming process. Not to mention how monotonous it can be.
The following are some use cases where desk research has been used. Go through them and learn how and when to use desk research.
Let’s say you’re developing a fintech product. You want to do a concept testing study. To make sure you get it right, you’re interested in finding out your target audience’s attitudes about a topic in your domain. For e.g., Gen Z’s perceptions about money in the US.
With a quick Google search, you get news articles, reports, and research studies about Gen Z’s financial habits and attitudes. Also, infographics and videos provide plenty of quantitative data to draw on.
These steps are a solid starting point for framing your concept testing study. You can further reduce the time spent on survey design with a Concept Testing Survey Template . Sign up to get free access to this and hundreds more templates.
As we wade into the brave new world of Web 5.0 , there are quite a few of us who still remember static websites, flash animations, and images sliced up into tables.
If you want to refresh your memory, you can hop on the Wayback Machine . iI gives you access to over 20 years of web history, with over 635 billion web pages saved over time!
Curiosity aside, there are practical use cases for this web archive. SEO specialist Artur Bowsza explores this in his fantastic article Internet Archeology with the Wayback Machine .
Imagine you’re investigating a recent drop in a website’s visibility. You know there were some recent changes in the website’s code, but couldn’t get any details. Or maybe you’re preparing a case study of your recent successful project, but the website has changed so much, and you never bothered to take a screenshot. Wouldn’t it be great to travel back in time and uncover the long-forgotten versions of the website – like an archaeologist, discovering secrets from the past but working in the digital world?
As a brand, you hope that a crisis never happens. But if hell does break loose, having a crisis management strategy is essential.
If you want examples, just do a Google search. From Gamestop getting caught in a Reddit stock trading frenzy to Facebook being voted The Worst Company of 2021 , we have seen plenty of brands come under fire in recent years.
Some in-depth desk research can help you nail your crisis communication. Reputation management expert Lida Citroen outlines this in her article 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis .
Conduct a thoughtful and thorough perception sweep of the reputation hit’s after-effects. This includes assessing digital impact such as social media, online relationships and Google search results. The evaluation gives you a baseline. How serious is the situation? Sometimes the way we believe the situation to be is not reflected in the business impact of the damage.
Good question! In her blog post , Lorène Fauvelle covers the desk research process in detail.
You can also follow our 4-step guide below.
Note: One more thing about desk research…
Beware of dismissing research just because it was done a few years ago. People new to research often make the mistake of viewing research reports like so many yogurts in a fridge where the sell-by dates have expired. Just because it was done a couple of years ago, don’t think it’s no longer relevant. The best research tends to focus on human behaviour, and that tends to change very slowly. Dr David Travis, Desk Research: The What, Why and How
That’s all folks! We hope this blog was helpful for you.
How have you used desk research for your work? Let us know in the comments below.
Content marketer at SurveySparrow.
Parvathi is a sociologist turned marketer. After 6 years as a copywriter, she pivoted to B2B, diving into growth marketing for SaaS. Now she uses content and conversion optimization to fuel growth - focusing on CX, reputation management and feedback methodology for businesses.
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Despite its potential to provide valuable insights and help designers gain stakeholder confidence, desk research is often overlooked and undervalued. It can be a critical starting point for any design process.
Through this blog, I am uncovering some of the critical aspects of desk research, and understanding the nuances of desk research is beneficial and essential.
This comprehensive guide delves into the top five needs and how-to guides about desk research, unravelling its significance, methodologies, and when to employ it for maximum impact.
Whether you’re a seasoned UX researcher or new to the field, this blog will provide insights and strategies to enhance your research process, ensuring you make informed UX design and development decisions.
Desk research, or secondary research, is vital to UX research. It involves analyzing existing data, reports, and papers to understand a subject, identify trends, and pinpoint gaps in knowledge. It’s cost-effective and time-efficient, informing primary research and guiding decisions in UX design.
Desk research is very flexible and can be used in the primary stages of the project below.
Identifying the right time to use desk research is crucial for a UX researcher. Generally, desk research is most effective in the following two stages.
Before Starting a New Project: Desk research should be one of the first steps when embarking on a new UX project. It helps gain an initial understanding of the market, user demographics, existing solutions, and potential challenges.
Defining the Scope and Objectives: In the project desk, research can clarify the scope and objectives early in the project. By understanding what’s already known, you can avoid duplication of effort and focus on areas that require further investigation.
Informing Research Questions: Conducting desk research before formulating specific research questions for primary research is beneficial. It helps identify the gaps in current knowledge and ensures the research questions are targeted and relevant.
Mid-Project to Validate Findings: Desk research is valuable at the beginning and middle of a project. Here, it can validate findings from primary research, ensuring that the insights align with existing knowledge and trends.
Before Finalizing Design Decisions: Before finalizing design decisions, desk research can provide a final check against market trends, competitor strategies, and technological advancements, ensuring the design is up-to-date and competitive.
In both phases, desk research acts as a tool for grounding the UX research process in existing knowledge, ensuring that the research is comprehensive, relevant, and efficient. It’s beneficial in guiding the direction of primary research and in validating the insights derived from it.
Identifying gaps and opportunities in the user experience (UX) is critical for UX researchers. To achieve this objective, various research methods can be employed, each offering unique insights and data:
Literature Review: Start by conducting a thorough review of existing literature; I observed a lot of product managers and product owners maintain documents that cover valuable information. Using that information for the project will add much value in retaining existing knowledge and for better collaboration with the product leadership.
In addition to that, include academic papers, industry reports, and case studies relevant to your product or service. This helps in understanding the current state of knowledge and identifying areas where information is lacking.
Competitive Analysis: Analyze competitors’ products to identify features or user experiences your product lacks. This comparison can reveal areas for improvement or innovation in your own product.
Heuristic Evaluation: Conduct an expert review of your product based on established usability principles (heuristics). This can highlight usability issues and areas where the user experience does not meet industry standards or best practices.
Analytics Review: Examine your website or app analytics data to identify user behaviour patterns. Look for trends such as high drop-off rates or low engagement in certain areas, which might indicate problems or opportunities for enhancement.
User Feedback Analysis: Analyze user feedback, including customer support tickets, reviews, and feedback from previous research studies. This can reveal what users like or dislike about your product and where they encounter problems.
Survey Research: Conduct surveys targeting specific user experience aspects. Surveys can gather quantitative data on user satisfaction, feature importance, and unmet needs.
Interviews and Focus Groups: Conduct in-depth interviews or focus groups with users to gain qualitative insights. These methods allow a deeper understanding of user motivations, behaviours, and pain points.
Contextual Inquiry: Observe and interview users in their natural environment to understand how they interact with your product in real-life contexts. This can reveal unanticipated issues and opportunities.
Persona Development: Create or refine user personas based on available data. Personas help identify unaddressed user needs and tailor the UX to different user segments.
Journey Mapping: Develop or analyze existing user journey maps to identify pain points and moments of friction in the user journey. This can help in pinpointing areas for improvement.
Desk research is a cost-effective and efficient method that can revolutionize your approach. It provides deeper insights and drives more impactful outcomes in your UX journey.
Join me in exploring the depths of desk research and share your unique experiences and best practices. If you are new to UX Research, please read this blog now and take your first step towards mastering desk research in your UX toolkit!
Senior UX Researcher delivering actionable insights for positive business outcomes. Skilled in qualitative & quantitative methods, adept at research,
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Secondary research: definition, methods, & examples.
19 min read This ultimate guide to secondary research helps you understand changes in market trends, customers buying patterns and your competition using existing data sources.
In situations where you’re not involved in the data gathering process ( primary research ), you have to rely on existing information and data to arrive at specific research conclusions or outcomes. This approach is known as secondary research.
In this article, we’re going to explain what secondary research is, how it works, and share some examples of it in practice.
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Secondary research, also known as desk research, is a research method that involves compiling existing data sourced from a variety of channels . This includes internal sources (e.g.in-house research) or, more commonly, external sources (such as government statistics, organizational bodies, and the internet).
Secondary research comes in several formats, such as published datasets, reports, and survey responses , and can also be sourced from websites, libraries, and museums.
The information is usually free — or available at a limited access cost — and gathered using surveys , telephone interviews, observation, face-to-face interviews, and more.
When using secondary research, researchers collect, verify, analyze and incorporate it to help them confirm research goals for the research period.
As well as the above, it can be used to review previous research into an area of interest. Researchers can look for patterns across data spanning several years and identify trends — or use it to verify early hypothesis statements and establish whether it’s worth continuing research into a prospective area.
There are five key steps to conducting secondary research effectively and efficiently:
First, understand what you will be researching and define the topic by thinking about the research questions you want to be answered.
Ask yourself: What is the point of conducting this research? Then, ask: What do we want to achieve?
This may indicate an exploratory reason (why something happened) or confirm a hypothesis. The answers may indicate ideas that need primary or secondary research (or a combination) to investigate them.
If secondary research is needed, think about where you might find the information. This helps you narrow down your secondary sources to those that help you answer your questions. What keywords do you need to use?
Which organizations are closely working on this topic already? Are there any competitors that you need to be aware of?
Create a list of the data sources, information, and people that could help you with your work.
Now that you have the list of data sources, start accessing the data and collect the information into an organized system. This may mean you start setting up research journal accounts or making telephone calls to book meetings with third-party research teams to verify the details around data results.
As you search and access information, remember to check the data’s date, the credibility of the source, the relevance of the material to your research topic, and the methodology used by the third-party researchers. Start small and as you gain results, investigate further in the areas that help your research’s aims.
When you have your data in one place, you need to understand, filter, order, and combine it intelligently. Data may come in different formats where some data could be unusable, while other information may need to be deleted.
After this, you can start to look at different data sets to see what they tell you. You may find that you need to compare the same datasets over different periods for changes over time or compare different datasets to notice overlaps or trends. Ask yourself: What does this data mean to my research? Does it help or hinder my research?
In this last stage of the process, look at the information you have and ask yourself if this answers your original questions for your research. Are there any gaps? Do you understand the information you’ve found? If you feel there is more to cover, repeat the steps and delve deeper into the topic so that you can get all the information you need.
If secondary research can’t provide these answers, consider supplementing your results with data gained from primary research. As you explore further, add to your knowledge and update your findings. This will help you present clear, credible information.
Unlike secondary research, primary research involves creating data first-hand by directly working with interviewees, target users, or a target market. Primary research focuses on the method for carrying out research, asking questions, and collecting data using approaches such as:
Using these methods, researchers can get in-depth, targeted responses to questions, making results more accurate and specific to their research goals. However, it does take time to do and administer.
Unlike primary research, secondary research uses existing data, which also includes published results from primary research. Researchers summarize the existing research and use the results to support their research goals.
Both primary and secondary research have their places. Primary research can support the findings found through secondary research (and fill knowledge gaps), while secondary research can be a starting point for further primary research. Because of this, these research methods are often combined for optimal research results that are accurate at both the micro and macro level.
First-hand research to collect data. May require a lot of time | The research collects existing, published data. May require a little time |
Creates raw data that the researcher owns | The researcher has no control over data method or ownership |
Relevant to the goals of the research | May not be relevant to the goals of the research |
The researcher conducts research. May be subject to researcher bias | The researcher collects results. No information on what researcher bias existsSources of secondary research |
Can be expensive to carry out | More affordable due to access to free data |
There are two types of secondary research sources: internal and external. Internal data refers to in-house data that can be gathered from the researcher’s organization. External data refers to data published outside of and not owned by the researcher’s organization.
Internal data is a good first port of call for insights and knowledge, as you may already have relevant information stored in your systems. Because you own this information — and it won’t be available to other researchers — it can give you a competitive edge . Examples of internal data include:
External data is useful when you: 1) need information on a new topic, 2) want to fill in gaps in your knowledge, or 3) want data that breaks down a population or market for trend and pattern analysis. Examples of external data include:
How and why might you conduct secondary research? Let’s look at a few examples:
There are plenty of sites that hold data for people to view and use in their research. For example, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, or Wiley Online Library all provide previous research on a particular topic. Researchers can create free accounts and use the search facilities to look into a topic by keyword, before following the instructions to download or export results for further analysis.
This can be useful for exploring a new market that your organization wants to consider entering. For instance, by viewing the U.S Census Bureau demographic data for that area, you can see what the demographics of your target audience are , and create compelling marketing campaigns accordingly.
If you’re interested in seeing the historical views on a particular topic, for example, attitudes to women’s rights in the US, you can turn to secondary sources.
Textbooks, news articles, reviews, and journal entries can all provide qualitative reports and interviews covering how people discussed women’s rights. There may be multimedia elements like video or documented posters of propaganda showing biased language usage.
By gathering this information, synthesizing it, and evaluating the language, who created it and when it was shared, you can create a timeline of how a topic was discussed over time.
Educational institutions, such as schools and colleges, create a lot of research-based reports on younger audiences or their academic specialisms. Dissertations from students also can be submitted to research journals, making these places useful places to see the latest insights from a new generation of academics.
Information can be requested — and sometimes academic institutions may want to collaborate and conduct research on your behalf. This can provide key primary data in areas that you want to research, as well as secondary data sources for your research.
There are several benefits of using secondary research, which we’ve outlined below:
The disadvantages of secondary research are worth considering in advance of conducting research :
Now that you know the basics of secondary research, when do researchers normally conduct secondary research?
It’s often used at the beginning of research, when the researcher is trying to understand the current landscape . In addition, if the research area is new to the researcher, it can form crucial background context to help them understand what information exists already. This can plug knowledge gaps, supplement the researcher’s own learning or add to the research.
Secondary research can also be used in conjunction with primary research. Secondary research can become the formative research that helps pinpoint where further primary research is needed to find out specific information. It can also support or verify the findings from primary research.
You can use secondary research where high levels of control aren’t needed by the researcher, but a lot of knowledge on a topic is required from different angles.
Secondary research should not be used in place of primary research as both are very different and are used for various circumstances.
Before you start your secondary research, ask yourself these questions:
If your organization has past research, it’s best to review this work before starting a new project. The older work may provide you with the answers, and give you a starting dataset and context of how your organization approached the research before. However, be mindful that the work is probably out of date and view it with that note in mind. Read through and look for where this helps your research goals or where more work is needed.
When you have clear goals, and understand what you need to achieve, you can look for the perfect type of secondary or primary research to support the aims. Different secondary research data will provide you with different information – for example, looking at news stories to tell you a breakdown of your market’s buying patterns won’t be as useful as internal or external data e-commerce and sales data sources.
If you are looking for credibility, you want to consider how accurate the research results will need to be, and if you can sacrifice credibility for speed by using secondary sources to get you started. Bear in mind which sources you choose — low-credibility data sites, like political party websites that are highly biased to favor their own party, would skew your results.
When you’re looking to conduct research, you want the results to be as useful as possible , so using data that is 10 years old won’t be as accurate as using data that was created a year ago. Since a lot can change in a few years, note the date of your research and look for earlier data sets that can tell you a more recent picture of results. One caveat to this is using data collected over a long-term period for comparisons with earlier periods, which can tell you about the rate and direction of change.
If you can’t verify the data by looking at the research methodology, speaking to the original team or cross-checking the facts with other research, it could be hard to be sure that the data is accurate. Think about whether you can use another source, or if it’s worth doing some supplementary primary research to replicate and verify results to help with this issue.
We created a front-to-back guide on conducting market research, The ultimate guide to conducting market research , so you can understand the research journey with confidence.
In it, you’ll learn more about:
Download the free guide for a clearer view on secondary research and other key research types for your business.
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Desk research typically serves as a starting point for design projects, providing designers with the knowledge to guide their approach and help them make informed design choices.
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Desk research (secondary research or literature review) refers to gathering and analyzing existing data from various sources to inform design decisions for UX projects. It’s usually the first step in a design project as it’s cost-effective and informs where teams may need to dig deeper.
This data can come from published materials, academic papers, industry reports, online resources, and other third-party data sources. UX designers or researchers use this information to supplement data, learn about certain markets/user groups, explore industry trends, understand specific topics, or navigate design challenges.
Desk research gives designers a comprehensive understanding of the context, users, and existing solutions. It allows designers to gather valuable insights without conducting primary research which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Desk research helps designers better understand the problem space, explore best practices and industry trends , and identify potential design opportunities without reinventing the wheel while learning from others’ mistakes.
Primary and secondary research complement each other in comprehensively understanding a topic or problem. While primary research provides new first-party data specifically for a project’s goals , secondary data leverages existing knowledge and resources to gain insights.
Desk research helps designers comprehensively understand the problem or design challenge. By reviewing existing knowledge and information, designers can grasp the context, identify pain points, and define the scope of their design project.
For example, when tasked with designing a new mobile banking app, desk research can provide insights into user preferences, common challenges in the banking industry, and emerging trends in mobile banking.
Desk research allows designers to gather background information related to their design project. It helps them explore the domain, industry, target audience, and relevant factors that may influence their design decisions.
For example, when designing a fitness-tracking app, desk research may involve collecting information about fitness activities, wearable technologies, and health guidelines.
Desk research enables designers to explore existing solutions and best practices. By studying successful designs, case studies, and industry standards, designers can learn from previous approaches and incorporate proven techniques.
For example, when creating a website’s navigation menu , desk research can involve analyzing navigation patterns used by popular websites to ensure an intuitive user experience.
Desk research helps designers identify trends and patterns within the industry or user behavior. Designers examine market reports, user surveys, and industry publications to identify trends, emerging technologies, and user preferences.
For example, when designing a smart home app, desk research can involve analyzing market trends in connected devices and user expectations for seamless integration.
Desk research provides designers valuable insights that inform their decision-making and design choices. It helps designers make informed design decisions based on existing knowledge, data, and research findings.
For example, when selecting a color palette for a brand’s website, desk research can involve studying color psychology, cultural associations, and industry trends to ensure the chosen colors align with the brand’s values and resonate with the target audience.
Researchers use these methods individually or in combination, depending on the specific design project and research objectives. They select and adapt these based on the nature of the problem, available resources, and desired outcomes.
Start by defining the research objectives and formulating specific research questions. A clear goal will inform the type and method of secondary research.
For example, if you’re designing a mobile app for fitness tracking, your research objective might be to understand user preferences for workout-tracking features. Your research question could be: “What are the most commonly used workout tracking features in popular fitness apps?”
Identify relevant and reliable sources of information that align with your research objectives. These sources include academic journals, industry reports, reputable websites, and case studies.
For example, you might refer to academic journals and industry reports on fitness technology trends and user behavior to gather reliable insights for your research.
Collect information from the selected sources and carefully analyze it to extract key insights.
For example, you could collect data on user preferences for workout-tracking features by reviewing user reviews of existing fitness apps, analyzing market research reports, and studying user surveys conducted by fitness-related organizations.
Organize the research data and synthesize the findings to identify common themes, patterns, and trends.
For example, you might categorize the collected data based on different workout tracking features, identify the most frequently mentioned features, and analyze user feedback to understand the reasons behind their preferences.
Considering these desk research limitations and considerations allows designers to approach it with a critical mindset, apply appropriate methodologies to address potential biases, and supplement it with other research methods when necessary.
Secondary research is the first step. Design teams must test and validate ideas with end-users using prototypes. With UXPin’s built-in design libraries , designers can build fully functioning prototypes using patterns and components from leading design systems, including Material Design, iOS, Bootstrap, and Foundation.
UXPin’s prototypes allow usability participants and stakeholders to interact with user interfaces and features like they would the final product, giving design teams high-quality insights to iterate and improve efficiency with better results.
These four key features set UXPin apart from traditional image-based design tools :
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The “where” (at your desk) and the “when” (at the beginning of your project) are easy questions to answer. But what is it, why do you need to to do it, and how should you go about doing desk research to make sure it adds value to your project? — David Travis , Jan 4, 2016
By David Travis Jan 4, 2016 / strategy
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Desk research is another name for secondary research. Broadly speaking, there are two types of research activity: primary research (where you go out and discover stuff yourself); and secondary research (where you review what other people have done). Desk research is not about collecting data. Instead, your role as a user researcher carrying out desk research is to review previous research findings to gain a broad understanding of the field.
Before carrying out a field visit, developing a prototype, running a usability test, or embarking on any project that you want to be user centred, it makes sense to see what people have done in the past that relates to the product’s domain. Although it’s unlikely that anyone has carried out the exact research activity you’re planning, someone has almost certainly tried to answer related questions. Reviewing this research is the quickest and cheapest way to understand the domain.
Carrying out desk research is a critical first step, for at least three reasons:
At this point, I’ve had many user researchers tell me that they’re working on a bleeding edge design project so there isn’t any desk research to do. There’s a common misconception that no research exists.
In my experience, there is almost always something you can build upon. Here’s an approach I take to go about finding it. It helps me stay focussed but also makes sure that I remember to check all the possible nooks and crannies where relevant research findings may be hiding.
A Venn diagram showing users, goals and environments. Where these three overlap is the sweet spot for user research.
The Venn diagram describes the context of use: your users, their goals and the environments where the action occurs. The best kind of research is where all three of these dimensions overlap: field visits that focus on your users trying to achieve their goals in context. This kind of research is so specific and relevant to your project that it may be hard to find, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t turn anything up in this area.
This set of Venn diagrams shows that research into the overlap between users and goals, environments and goals and users and envrionments can also yield useful insights.
But there is potentially useful research in the other areas of overlap on our Venn diagram. This falls into three broad areas:
The most likely place you’ll find this kind of research is within your own organisation. But you need to be prepared to dig. This is because research findings, especially on agile projects, are often treated as throw-away by-products that apply to a specific project. The findings aren’t shared outside the design team but typically make a fleeting appearance on a research wall or end up buried in someone’s email inbox. Even when research findings are written down, and even when the report is archived somewhere, people typically don’t know how to go about finding it. Organisations are generally poor at creating a shared repository of knowledge and rarely teach staff how to use the intranet or where past reports might be located. The result of these obstacles is that companies waste time and money either doing research that already exists or asking the wrong research questions.
So within your organisation, you should:
In almost every project, you'll find some research that exists into users, goals and environments. This may not be directly relevant to your specific research questions but it will help you become knowledgeable about the domain.
Once you’ve covered the areas of overlap, your next step is to look for more generic information about your users, the environment in which they’ll use the system, and the kinds of goals your system will support.
In this step, you’ll find it useful to:
Judging the quality of research is a whole article in itself. Fortunately, Philip Hodgson’s guidelines for reviewing consumer research reports has it covered.
There’s just one thing I’d add to Philip’s guidelines. Beware of dismissing research just because it was done a few years ago. People new to research often make the mistake of viewing research reports like so many yogurts in a fridge where the sell-by dates have expired. Just because it was done a couple of years ago, don’t think it’s no longer relevant. The best research tends to focus on human behaviour, and that tends to change very slowly.
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Before you launch a product, you should get answers to several questions. The first and, we believe, most important one is to define the overall market situation and take a closer look at the potential customer. Mastering how to do desk research is a suitable, cost-effective way to get information for making data-driven decisions.
In this article, we’re going to highlight some essential tools for conducting desk research and defining user groups.
Desk research (also called secondary research) is a research method that involves using existing data. This technique will allow you to get the first idea of your market and users “from your desk.”
Secondary research includes already published materials in reports, articles, or similar documents. We also recommend using software tools that can help you become more familiar with your users (you can find some of them below).
This method is much more cost-efficient than primary research and requests less time for conducting it. Still, a lot of analysis work should be done, and the result is really helpful. The best way is to mix qualitative user research and desk research. It’ll help you fit into your timelines and budgets.
Since we’ve just mentioned primary research, let’s see what it is and how it differs from secondary desk research.
Primary research refers to the process of gathering firsthand data directly from the source, be it customers or prospects. This approach takes more time and effort than desk research, but you get the latest and most detailed information.
The most common primary research methods include the following:
Secondary research , or desk research, involves analyzing existing data and information collected by someone else or for another project or research purpose. It’s often the starting point for market research, providing foundational knowledge from pre-existing data. This method is quicker and easier than primary research, but the information you get might be older or less specific.
The desk research methods include gathering data from the following sources:
While both research methodologies are helpful, you may be wondering when to use each.
Go for primary research when you:
Desk research often paves the way for primary research. Chose this approach when you:
Desk research is a valuable tool for any researcher. But, like any tool, it has its strengths and weaknesses.
Using desk research methods is highly beneficial. Here are just several reasons for that:
Despite the advantages, desk research comes with its cons. Here’s what to prepare for:
Desk research is a way to gather insights literally without leaving your desk. But where do you find the necessary info? Let’s look at the secondary data sources available to you:
Your company is already a goldmine of information. So before jumping into other types of desk research, consider digging into internal resources:
Besides studying your company information, there are plenty of external resources to explore. Look into the following examples of secondary data:
Let’s now explore some examples of design projects leveraging desk research:
The creator of the Sleepify project sought a user-centric design for an app tracking dreams and well-being. They leveraged external desk research and competitor analysis to:
The secondary research findings, along with quantitative research, were used for creating a high-fidelity prototype, ready for user testing and validation.
MYFIT project suggests creating a fitness app packed with workout routines, aimed to boost user engagement and retention. It is expected to be a clean, stylish, and modern fitness app designed to keep users active and motivated. The designer proposes to tackle this challenge by:
Designers aimed to explore the potential of using AI for personalized sales in the gaming industry. Their desk research targeted:
The insight the designers derived is that a personalized AI tool based on in-game actions, purchase history, demographics, and player data could revolutionize game sales.
As already mentioned, the reason to conduct research is to become more familiar with your users and potential customers. Your focus should be on collecting notable data and analyzing it. Here’s how to do this in five steps:
Before even starting your research, ask yourself what you want to study and why. Outline the questions you aim to answer or the information you’re looking for. Is it to understand industry trends or handle customer journey mapping ? The more specific your question, the easier it will be to steer your research in the right direction.
Go through internal and external resources relevant to your topic, making sure they are credible and objective. Make a list of resources suitable for your research topic and goals.
Go down your resource list and find relevant data. Here’s what you can study:
Most likely, you should start with the existing text available in the public domain. What to look for? Everything! You can go through government or private companies’ reports, the original material on which these reports are based, conference proceedings, primary periodicals, official publications, and articles in newspapers and journals.
This method of data collection is the most inexpensive and nontime-consuming way.
Document analysis is an important part of business analysis . This process includes the examination of existing documents and recordings. In some way, you are using the research that has already been completed.
The objective of this process is to track changes over the whole period. You can analyze logs, email logs, databases, web analytics, minutes of meetings, staff reports, and information logs. These are only a few examples of the sources for this type of research.
For instance, before redesigning the existing product, you have to understand the reason for the low level of purchases or numerous complaints in support. Documents and records help track the interaction between employees and customers or between your current website and customers. This is the way to make correct conclusions.
Knowing your competitors helps analyze the existing solutions and define the current problems they cover. Obviously, to share the entire experience and provide an ultimate guide for conducting competitive research, we have to write a whole new article. Here are some points to pay attention to:
There are a lot of tools that may help. We’d like to share some of those that we use while conducting desk research:
Gathering data is just the beginning. Now, you should organize and make sense of it. Consider using mind maps or spreadsheets to structure your data. Remove any duplications as well.
Now that you have your data in a digestible format, analyze it for helpful insights. Check if the gathered data answers the questions you aimed to study. If not, go back to step two and find other sources of information.
As soon as you finalize your desk research, you will most likely be able to group your users. So now it’s time to take a deeper look at them. Here are some free tools you can use to identify your user personas.
If you already have launched your website, don’t forget to insert the Google Analytics tracking code. It will help you get more information about your clients. Now we’ll share which reports we suggest using:
This report shows the key age group and gender of your website visitors. To kick off the demographic report, follow the flow: Audience tab at the left menu > Demographics > Overview.
Learn more about the preferred interests of your users. As you have already opened an Age or Gender report, you can add a secondary dimension. Select ‘Affinity Category’ at the dropdown. You will see all the segments your visitors are interested in. It is helpful to identify your ideal online customers at scale.
One more good analytics tool to identify the users who are actively researching and comparing items across the Google Display Network (YouTube, paid search results via AdWords, display ads via AdSense, etc.)
This report will provide you with an overview of all the languages your users have set in their browsers and the locations where they may live. It will be useful in understanding cultural differences and will decrease effort for your marketing campaigns.
If you’re going to create a mobile app, think about which devices your guests are most likely to use to access your website. Go to Audience > Benchmarking > Devices. After that, dive deeper into Mobile Devices’ info. You will see exactly which brand of mobile devices they are using. Go to Audience > Mobile > Devices.
So, we’ve just outlined some useful data to understand your users better. Now, let’s move forward to other sources.
As almost everyone over the Internet is a social media user, it is good to use the data it represents. It will help you create more target posts and campaigns that cover your customer needs.
If you already have a customer list or just a list of users with phones or email addresses, you can use it to gain extra information about these people.
You need a list in the .csv file. In the Facebook Ads Manager, you can create a custom audience. Then Facebook Audience Insights will finish uploading the list, and you will receive a ‘Ready’ notification. At this point, you can analyze your audience.
Initially, you need to open an Audience Insights tool. You can choose an Audience you want to analyze. This tool can give you access to such data:
Even if you don’t have a customer list yet, you can use generic insights connected to your Business Page. You can also use software tools that provide you with potential customer emails. Take a look at these tools:
Try to pull out the most useful insights about your potential users, finalize all the gathered information, and be sure your team is aware of the user groups you are trying to reach.
LinkedIn is one more powerful resource for collecting data. A good LinkedIn profile is a pretty ready proto persona. You can discover the user’s location, career path and goals, achievements, and daily work responsibilities. It is especially useful for B2B marketing. By the way, if you are in this segment, you can also use tools like Leadfeeder to understand which companies are visiting your website.
Now, we will break out four components that could be revealed from LinkedIn: business attributes, pain points, hangouts, and values.
They give you a deeper view of the demographics of your business page followers and visitors. What can you gather here? You can see location, job function, seniority, industry, company size. There is also data about similar companies and the comparison in analytics. It’s a great specific tool to reinforce Google Analytics.
Pay attention to the sections ‘Summary,’ ‘Skills & Endorsements,’ ‘Activity,’ and ‘Interests.’
In ‘Summary,’ we can get an overview of the person’s work trajectory, education, and main skills. From the ‘Skills & Endorsements’ section, we can receive data about a person’s strengths and people who endorsed their skills (who can also be useful in the research). The ‘Activity’ section is a great way to observe what the person is talking about, what they like, and comment. ‘Interests’ shows a list of the following companies and people, so it is possible to examine what engages the person.
Company Page includes information about the history, size, and career opportunities. Such pages also may have stories about employees and their quotes. The company’s job descriptions show the professional attributes required of a candidate.
After gathering all this data, you can create a direct message to increase the chances that relevant people will view it. How to do it? Open your Company Page > Click on ‘Create Post’ > Manage Post Audience: from Anyone to Targeted audience. Add some specific details about your audience.
Use LinkedIn Advanced Search to earn data about market size and the number of required companies or people. By working on the filters, you can find more insights about locations, education, seniority levels, etc.
Taking market temperature and understanding your audience are the key ingredients in a way to creating a successful product. Pay attention to detail, document the whole process, and share it with your team and all the stakeholders. Help them to keep an empathic approach to your product and audience.
Have a great time conducting research. If you will need professional help with it, feel free to contact us .
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What is the desk research method?
Secondary desk research is a research method that involves collecting and analyzing information from existing sources like reports, articles, and websites. This approach is particularly valuable in the early stages of prototyping , as it helps to gather essential insights with a streamlined resource investment.
How to do UX desk research?
To do UX desk research, follow these steps:
1.Define your goals and research questions,
2.Choose secondary data sources like usability studies or industry reports,
3.Go through the data relevant to your research,
4.Structure and compare the gathered data,
5.Analyze the data to make necessary UX improvements.
What are examples of desk research?
What are the two types of desk research techniques?
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Defne Çobanoğlu
Every research starts with thinking and then continues with reading. Lots of reading 🤓. It’s because you have to know what other scientists, marketers, and researchers have found on the subject so you can build on it. This is basically what desk research is.
In this article, you will learn what secondary or desk research is and how to do it with some excellent tips and examples. Let us get started with the basic definition!
In layman’s terms, desk research is a type of research where you gather data while “ sitting at a desk .” It is another name for secondary research where the study itself is desk-based research and not experiment-based research.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of main research types. One of them is primary research , where the researcher tries to gather data firsthand (directly from the data source). The other one is secondary research , where the researcher is going through secondary data from published books, case studies, and other quantitative research. In other words, secondary research basically equals desk research.
No matter the objective of the study, desk research should always be the first step. Because previously done experimental research and explanatory research give a good starting point. If you can take advantage of the existing information, it is always constructive to see what was previously said. But that is not the only reason to use this research method. So here are the advantages of desk research:
It would be foolish of you to just jump into the middle of research without doing any research beforehand. A researcher who collects data before going along with their plan will gather substantial information and continue with their plan with this obtained insightfulness.
Conducting a full-on study from start to finish is quite time-consuming. However, secondary data is right there waiting to be inspected. Thanks to that, the data collection is very quick.
As mentioned above, the secondary data collection sources are available on many platforms. They can be found in libraries, databases, online sources, booklets, and many more.
In addition to the other advantages, doing desk research is very cheap, too. So long as you can access a library or have an internet connection, you can gather the appropriate data without a cost.
The benefits of desk research
The best approach to any research is a systematic one. That is why you should always have a plan or outline you will follow during your research. And we have gathered this step-by-step plan to guide you on your desk research. You can use it as is or build on these steps.
5 Steps to conduct a desk research
Even the simplest task is best done by following a structured plan and organization. In addition to this, if you are planning to start your desk research, you should mind these smart tips to guide you in your way:
Now, we know how to do desk research, what to have in mind, and its advantages. But on what occasions can you use this type of research? Let us see some examples of desk research.
When you want information on the latest fashion trends and clothing preferences of teenagers, it is best to consult appropriate data. You can read through magazines, fashion articles, fashion brand reports, and so on. Worth the data you obtain, you can build your fashion brand or create an eye-catching ad.
Let us say you are a scholar who specializes in second language acquisition in children in a bilingual household. You can check out available online academic sources such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Wiley Online Library, or Library Genesis. There, you can find previously done studies, articles, and statistics.
Let us say you will work with or around university students aged 18-28, and you want to know more about their behaviors and preferences to make informed decisions. You can use sources such as textbooks, news articles, reviews, journal entries, and previously done interviews and surveys.
The sources for desk research are limitless. Because they are basically every study conducted on the research topic. As long as they are organized, tangible, and objective , there is no problem using them. Some appropriate resources for desk research are:
You may go through the relevant sources all you want, but if you fail to make sure the data is accurate, this can disrupt your project. There are some instances where desk research is not reliable and usable. For example, you can not use information that is outdated, biased, insufficient, irrelevant, or inaccurate .
Empirical research is based on observation as directly experienced by the researcher. And even though secondary research backs up the theory part, empirical data is a primary research method . In desk research, the researcher goes through existing sources; therefore, desk research is a secondary research method.
Desk research is also known as secondary research and it involves collecting data from secondary sources such as published documents. And, primary research involves collecting data directly from the original sources. For example, doing experiments, observations, or interviews.
Desk research, also known as secondary research, is when data collection is completed from secondary sources such as published documents or website sources. Field research, also known as primary research, is when data collection is directly from the source about a specific subject.
In desk research you collect pre-existing information while in field research you create new knowledge via exploration.
Desk research is an essential part of any study, no matter the concept. Thanks to desk research, the researcher collects all available data to draw their own conclusions or support their research theory.
It can be done using a number of source materials from books, reports, analyses, and entries. İt is a valuable part of the study. Desk research has its own advantages, and it can be perfected with some tips as well. What's more, you can use a smart tool such as a form and survey maker tool like forms.app to help you with all your research subjects!
Defne is a content writer at forms.app. She is also a translator specializing in literary translation. Defne loves reading, writing, and translating professionally and as a hobby. Her expertise lies in survey research, research methodologies, content writing, and translation.
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Where to start is one of the hardest questions to answer when researching a problem. Depending on the type of project, you’ll need to look into a variety of research types to learn what’s been done before. Understanding past research will help you to focus on where you can do new research, and how best to frame that research.
This process is known as benchmarking. Essentially, it means doing traditional desk-based research to find out what others have discovered in the field you’re investigating. You should also look for research that supports, or does not support, items that you might already know, or think you know, about the subject.
This process both informs and gives direction to your work. If you know where others have been, you can build off of their work, and contribute to the overall knowledge in this topic through your original research.
Academic Research can help you uncover what people have already done in your topic area. Use search engines like Google Scholar or Academia.edu, and publications like the Harvard Business Review, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and the MIT Technology Review to find projects related to your subject. Read the abstracts of articles that sound interesting, then check those papers’ bibliographies to find additional articles and works.
Statistical Research can help you properly frame your area of interest. For example, historical statistics will allow you to understand whether your problem frame should widen out or focus in. Always evaluate the source of your data to maintain data hygiene and fidelity.
Internal-to-Organization Research is helpful if your project relates to a program or set of programs already underway in your organization. Look at those programs to see what’s already being done. Talk to the program leaders, review their documents, and, if possible, observe them working in the field. This process will help you frame your approach to avoid duplication of work, and increase your contribution to work already in process.
External-to-Organization Research means seeking out and studying existing programs outside of your organization. Look across all sectors: private, non-profit, academic, or other government organizations. Learning what others are developing will help you frame your project in a way that builds on this work. As you notify others of your work, you will also contribute to the community of knowledge on your subject.
Always properly cite and document desk research sources. Follow the examples below; either print them, or take a screenshot and mark them up digitally.
Keep all your citations organized and together. Keeping track of research sources means you can quickly and easily find content that you would like to reference or cite in a final report or communication.
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When it comes to pushing out a product to market, research and usability testing raises your chances of success. We have already covered a lot of different research and testing topics , but this time we wanted to focus on one of the easiest research methods – desk research. What is it and how you can do it?
There’s two types of research – primary and secondary. Primary research is when you actually go out and get first-hand data and gather information “in the wild”. Secondary research, which includes desk research, is when you look at secondary data or data that’s already available . So, instead of interviewing users or doing A/B testing (primary research) you just search for and sort through everything others published that is relevant to the issue at hand. The resources you find may vary greatly from simple articles, through industry reports to complex studies done by research institutes. All those things can be done from your desk or desktop (which is why some call desk research desktop research). That’s why this particular method of research is so popular.
There’s a common misconception that desk research will not be of any value to you, because the project is so cutting-edge and really innovative. And while that may be true, that doesn’t mean you should just rely on primary research. The data available online may not be 100% accurate but it doesn’t mean it’s not relevant to your project. You should search for any information that can be found about the specific market your business operates on. Doing this will save you time when planning your primary research and will help you ask your users more relevant questions. That’s the number one reason people do desk research – trying to find out information that somebody already researched and published is just a waste of time.
Besides that, desk research is completely free. Sitting at your desk, looking at market research, analyzing data and making conclusions is definitely cheaper than organizing primary research activities like focus groups or 1:1 interviews. It’s kind of like preparing for a job interview – you need to first get yourself familiar with the company you’re interviewing for, their market, process, competition etc. Otherwise you will seem unprofessional. To sum up, desk research is free, can be done right at your desk anytime and anywhere and will get you the information necessary to be more prepared for your other research activities.
How to carry out desk research.
Because desk research is focused on searching for existing information, people tend to get lost in the available resources. If you just search for your question in Google you will get thousands and thousands of results. And you may find that quite overwhelming. Which sources should you trust? How to use available statistics? Which research is relevant to your specific business? How to sort through this information ? Your desk-based research should fall into one of these categories: users, their goals, their environment or an overlap of two or more of those. Here’s a Venn diagram we use to help us identify which pieces of information we found will be useful:
As you can see, the diagram has three circles which overlap. Each represents something that is a contact for how the users use your product. The spot where all three (users, goals and environments) overlap is the best kind of market research. And that’s because it contains information about who uses your product in a very specific context.
However, this kind of information is very hard to obtain, especially from secondary data. You will usually need to gather primary data from field visits to get such specific information. But that doesn’t make other data not relevant. You may not find market research that lies within all those categories. But there’s definitely some research published that will get you an overview of your users and their environments or the users and their goals. Just remember, desk research is not here to replace any research activities. It’s here to help you refine your studies.
Based on the diagram above, you can see that you can search for research that falls into three areas: users and goals, users and environments as well as environments and goals. When in doubt, you can always check the diagram to see which category does a specific research piece fall into. Here’s what to look for during your desk research:
These three types of data will help you find missing spots that you can fill in later with your field research. It may be hard to find articles and studies that cover those topics, so don’t forget to look inside your company. Chances are, there’s a lot of data from previous projects that can be used to aid your efforts. Another great resource are government websites and research institutes. They often publish a lot of different research papers, so finding the one most useful for you may take some time. But the quality of market research from those sources is top-notch! Also, when you search for data, opt for using Google Scholar. It’s a specific section of Google that you can use to find scientific, data-based research and academic papers. If you narrow your search it will be much easier to find relevant information.
If you’re looking for an experienced team to help you research your business idea – contact us and let’s set up a research plan together!
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If you’re already familiar with UX Design, you know how essential research is to get to know the users of a product and understand their needs.
Basically, there are two types of research: primary (where you collect information yourself by surveys, interviews, observations, etc.) and secondary (searching for data compiled from previous findings). Desk Research falls into the second category.
Keep reading to know the best practices and a step-by-step to research successfully from your own desk!
Desk Research is a method that explores data from existing documents and previous research — secondary data — to gather information over a particular topic.
It can provide solid arguments and help you elaborate a line of thought or fight for your ideas. And to do this, Desk Research relies on data already collected from other people.
Therefore, before spending time and money on field visits, prototypes, or usability tests, it’s wise to see what the world already knows that could be relevant for you and your team.
Desk Research should be used as a research method before starting any Product Design project. It’s always constructive to see what previous studies and experts say about a particular topic, especially if you can take advantage of the information already out there.
Secondary research has the objective of any investigation: to provide information that could support and guide decision-making.
So in terms of objectives , using Desk Research is not that different from Primary Research.
Primary and Secondary Research share the same object of study but are different in their process.
Primary research is first-hand research created and tailored to meet specific needs. The source of this kind of research is the individuals or organization behind the investigation.
Additionally, primary research uses raw data, which needs to be filtered and organized in order to be analyzed and reported.
On the other hand, secondary research collects data from previous research, so it doesn’t belong to anyone.
Needless to say, primary research demands more time and money, while secondary research is cheaper and faster to gather results.
Since Desk Research relies on other people’s findings, pay close attention to the sources and always run check facts.
There are all kinds of information online so we need to be diligent to filter good quality material.
Also, the internet is not the only possible source of information to carry out Desk Research. You may want to check:
An insightful resource is observing products that are already on the market.
Furthermore, evaluate the products that your own company has already launched.
Look at the concepts, interactions, and experiences these products provide.
Go through research and analysis your own company has conducted in the past.
This type of information is extremely valuable to understand ideas, opportunities, and difficulties the company has faced in the past and that can serve as a starting point for your own proposal.
Investigate further, look at the people in charge of these data, and if possible, try to talk to them directly and exchange knowledge about what they have found out, and what you intend to do.
Most of the time, internal research helps to clarify essential points, due to the fact they were applied in the same context, in the same market segment.
External research sources are perhaps the most common and widely known. However, as we already mentioned, it’s important to understand which sources are reliable.
With that in mind, we compiled a few aspects for your consideration:
Internet is the most popular and accessible source of information there is. With just one click you can download any data or research you want.
Despite much information being available for free, that are company sites that sell information and reports.
If you’re digging the internet for free content, check reliable websites with known expertise in the field.
For example, in the case of research and data about usability, it’s common to rely on data from the Nielsen Norman Group . The consulting firm is an expert on UX, has authority and reputation in the market.
In times when the internet rules the era of information, libraries end up being underestimated. But they can be excellent sources for desk research.
Of course, recent studies will most likely be found online but there may be old interesting research published only on paper. So, apart from books, beware to check articles, papers, and research from a wide range of authors.
Don’t dismiss studies that are not recent. Even if research was carried out a couple of years ago, it can still be extremely relevant and serve to support your ideas, provide you answers, questions, or insights.
Human behavior, for example, changes very slowly, so studies that focus on that, won’t lose its “expiration date” so soon.
In addition to using university libraries, you can search for more specific research conducted by students or professors at the institutions.
As a general rule, educational institutions conduct a variety of primary research that can be requested and used as Desk Research by companies.
Desk Research can also rely on newspapers, magazines, and even news transmitted on TV or radio.
However, it is always important to be diligent when using this type of information because it is generally superficial and informational for the public.
Relying solely on media data can bring biased and shallow information. Nevertheless, it can be a good start for your Desk Research.
It’s wise to consider a couple of measures to ensure the quality and efficiency of your Desk Research.
So we’ll describe a step-by-step to help you in your endeavor.
Of course, as you gain experience with this research method, you can adapt each step to make it more coherent to the way you work. But be sure to go through them.
Before starting the research, identify its purpose: What do you want to know? Which question do you need to answer?
Without a pre-determined objective, you won’t be a good judge whether the information you’re coming across is relevant or not for your project.
Establishing objectives is all about setting a clear path to the questions you want to answer; this will ground you and help you stay focused, so you don’t end up wasting precious time.
Your research objectives can revolve around:
Will you only use the internet? Or will you also go to public libraries? Are you going to talk to people in your company too?
Mapping the sources you intend to use saves time and prevents you from losing focus. At this stage, identify which sources are more likely to bring you the best results.
Remember to have a plan B, too. For example, if you can’t find all the information on websites, find out what the next trusted source you should be using.
Working with deadlines is another strategy to maintain focus during research.
Determine whether you will invest hours, days, or a few weeks to carry out your Desk Research.
However, keep in mind that we tend to use up all the time assigned to us. So keep it a tight schedule and propose realistic deadlines to help your productivity and your research efficiency.
It’s time to carry out your research, keeping in mind: your objective, the deadline, and reliable sources.
Use whichever method you think is best to identify and gather the necessary information: summarizing, filing, highlighting, or copying.
For instance, you can put all your findings on an online whiteboard (like miro.com ).
Remember to seek different views on the same problem. Don’t fall into so-called confirmation bias, where you only collect data that confirms your assumption.
Look for information that may contradict the initial ideas to bring other perspectives that will be essential upon data analysis.
A crucial step of Desk Research is analyzing the data collected. First, carefully read the information and review all the findings. Then, go deeper into your study: compare the results of different sources and define the importance of each one.
Next, check if your research answered the questions and met the initially proposed objective.
If not, redo the research or check if the objective is coherent or needs to be changed.
In this step, you should also formalize the information in a way it’s presentable to others; you can write a report or organize your findings into a presentation.
Every method, or tool, has its pros and cons. Therefore, you need to assess where you are to decide if Desk Research is the right resource for your project. And, of course, it can always — and should — serve as a starting point for Primary Research.
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As depicted by name Desk Research is the research technique which is mainly acquired by sitting at a desk .
Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executives time, telephone charges and directories. However, it could also be a complete waste of time and money if the researcher does not have the proper knowledge of how the research is performed.
Desk research is very effective and can be conducted in starting phase of market research as it is quite quick and cheap and most of the basic information could be easily fetched which can be used as benchmark in the research process.
There are basically two types of desk research techniques:
The main advantage here in performing internal desk research is that it involves internal and existing organizational resources to organize the collected data in such a way that it is not only efficient but also usable. Internal desk research is comparatively very cheap and effective as internal recourses are deputed and the expenditure in getting data from outside is less.
There could be two approaches for digging out the relevant information from internet, one is directly browsing the specific information from industrial, marketing or business sites and extracting the information out of these sites. Secondly, using the various search engines like www.google.com, www.yahoo.com, www.infoseek.go.com, www.altavista.com etc, for modulated searching.
The important aspect here is to refine the searching techniques in such a way that results are promising and relevant. For this it is necessary that the researcher should know the importance of the research and follow the guideline intellectually to reduce the efforts made and time consumed in searching.
Customers are the one who are considered the most informed as they are actually using products and services and are aware of the current market trends more than any other. Hence the feedback and information provided by customers is the most accurate and useful data which can be used most effectively in the further process of research.
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In this article, we will walk you through the process of conducting desk research step-by-step. You’ll learn how to find reliable sources of information and analyze them to ensure you can confidently conduct your own desk research.
This is the second in a series of blog posts designed to help startup founders better understand and plan the products they build. If you wish to learn more about market research , read our previous post.
Desk research is a method that can be utilized to gather information about literally anything, but we’ll focus on employing secondary research techniques for designing the UX of your product.
Secondary research is an excellent method to take your first steps with market analysis.
However, if you feel you need professional guidance, and are looking for a desk research company, be sure to check out our UX research services . Our specialist can conduct secondary research, as well as other types of research, tailored to your business.
HOW TO DO DESK RESEARCH?
💡 Desk research plan & example: MyVet
One more thing before we begin: if you want to learn more about the entire process of building digital products, not just secondary research methods, be sure to read our free ebook How to start a startup .
What is desk research? Desk research is a market research method . You can also call it secondary or documentary research. It involves collecting and analyzing information about a subject gathered from various sources such as the Internet, newspapers, magazines, governmental reports, and others.
In contrast to primary research, where you collect data yourself, desk research focuses on using existing data (secondary data that someone has already researched before) .
Desk research is a powerful tool that can help us understand significant market trends, identify key competitors, and learn about customer buying habits. Secondary research can also help identify potential opportunities and risks when entering a new product category. Finally, it’s a great method of user research, when you need to get initial, basic information about your potential customers.
When conducting documentary research, you want to analyze:
This research method can be categorized into two main types: internal desk research and external desk research.
Internal desk research. Before you look elsewhere, the best practice is to check the information already available within your organization . Internal desk research uses internal reports, data sets, and statistics gathered by your organization. All data that you have collected up to this point can be used to conclude what works and what needs to be changed to ensure your prospect’s satisfaction.
External research , on the other hand, refers to the study of information obtained from external sources (not by your organization/company).
The goal of desk research is to provide information that could support and guide decision-making. But to be more precise, you carry out desk research to:
Desk research isn’t limited to specific roles, but rather involves individuals across various domains who need to gather information efficiently . Here are some examples for business:
Advantages of desk research.
Desk research, also known as secondary research, is the process of gathering existing data rather than collecting it firsthand. While this can be a quick and easy way to obtain relevant information about your research topic, there are some potential disadvantages.
You can collect information through primary or secondary research. Let’s compare these two methods.
With primary research, you (your organization) collect the research data. Thanks to this, you can address your specific needs and problems with the data collected. | In the case of secondary research, the data was collected by someone else, so it might not answer your specific research question. | |
Secondary data analysis | ||
It costs more, takes longer | Low cost, quick | |
Raw data | Data analyzed, filtered, and interpreted |
To properly conduct research, it is essential to find reliable and up-to-date sources of information. Search engines can be a good starting point, but it is also crucial to check the credibility of the sources found .
Educational institutions, government organizations, and public libraries are good data sources for your research. National statistics can be found on the websites of governments or statistical agencies. Websites devoted to specific topics can also provide relevant data.
For research papers and articles, go to:
Google Scholar: a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature
Google Scholar is a free website engine that indexes scholarly literature.
For market studies, go to:
Forrester: helps organizations grow through customer obsession
Forrester is a research and advisory company that offers services focused on customer obsession, including research, consulting, and events.
Gartner: delivering actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams
Gartner is an analytical and research company specializing in the strategic use of technology and technology management. The tool you might be particularly interested in is Insights —a collection of articles, guides, podcasts, Q&A, and webinars. After filling in the contact information blank, you can download all the content for free
For statistics, go to:
Eurostat: statistical office of the European Union
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union. Eurostat encourages free re-use of its data for non-commercial and commercial purposes. It allows users to re-use all statistical data, metadata, web pages, other dissemination tools, official publications, and other documents published on its website with minimal restrictions.
World Bank Open Data: World Bank datasets
World Bank gathers international data based on data generated by national statistical systems and supports a number of programs to collect transnational data. It’s a vast source of relevant data containing not only global development data but also international debt statistics, demographic data, and living standards measurement studies.
All of the data found on this site are free of charge with some minimal restrictions.
Our World in Data: research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems
Our World in Data is yet another free-of-charge data collection. The statistics here are presented in the form of articles with interactive diagrams. Thanks to that, the data is easy to comprehend and navigate through.
OECD Stats: data from across OECD’s many databases
OECD Stats includes data and metadata for OECD countries and selected non-member economies and is free of charge.
Statista: statistics portal for market data, market research and market studies
Statista calls itself a leading provider of market and consumer data. Indeed, their data collection is quite impressive. It contains over 1 million statistics and covers over 80,000 topics from 170 industries and 150 countries.
However, you can access only 7% of the English database with a free account.
Of course, these are not all statistical data sources out there. Go check your local databases. For example, for the UK that would be Office For National Statistics.
It’s time to see desk research in action. Here’s a desk research methodology – the 6 steps you can guide you through the process.
To better understand what a secondary research process may look like, let’s take a look at an example of desk research for a hypothetical app MyVet.
MyVet is intended to be an innovative application that allows direct contact between pet owners and veterinarians (sending messages, scheduling appointments, making payments, buying pet food, and consulting through a photo).
The project is in the early stages of developing a product strategy, and the team is still considering the opportunities and advantages of its product.
Primary concern: are vets and clients ready to communicate this way?
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
A substantial advantage of the app is access to your pet’s health log. So the research team collected ten such paper-based pet health logs. Thanks to such analysis, the team learned what information such logs consist of and thus was able to design default settings and auto prompts.
1 | Name of the pet owner |
2 | Address of the pet owner |
3 | Pet ID Number |
4 | Description of the animal – Name – Breed – Sex – Date of birth/age – Coat – Distinguishing marks |
5 | Date of visit |
6 | Diagnosis |
7 | Treatment |
8 | Medication used |
9 | Recommendations |
10 | Vet’s signature |
Desk (market) research is a great way to get an overview of your industry and the attitudes of your target market. It can help you verify the information and understand your competition.
However, it’s important to remember that desk research is only a starting point on your journey to creating a product people will love . But fear not! After thorough desk research, you are already well on your way to success!
Now is the time to extend your knowledge by conducting a competitor analysis to see how you stack up against the competition. The next step will be gathering all of your knowledge in a clear and concise way by using Lean Canvas.
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I research and write about fintech, digital health, & AI. With every piece of content, my goals are to transform complex topics into clear, actionable insights that everyone can understand. Especially excited about Gen Z-oriented tech (since I'm Gen Z myself, rel).
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Zita Fontaine
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I used to work with strategic departments, where I onboarded junior analysts and held training sessions on the topic for various fields. I found that carrying out desk research properly is simple, but not easy. It seems very self-explanatory, and it seems like everyone can do it. After all, all you need is your laptop and common sense.
Well, yes. But there’s a little bit more to it. And sometimes common sense isn’t that common.
Whether you are writing an article, working on a brand strategy, trying to identify your target group’s insights, creating personas, or trying to pinpoint elements of a customer journey, you’ll need desk research to gather enough data on a particular topic to be knowledgeable about it.
I’ve created a five-step guide for those who are just starting desk research for their work, and for those who think they’re doing it right but are still open for some guidance.
There are several cases when you don’t need any desk research — we’ve all seen examples for all of these:
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What is desk research and in what situations can it be useful? Read our article to find out in what situations desk research can be helpful, and how to conduct it correctly to get valuable data for the project.
How to conduct desk research, advantages and disadvantages of secondary research.
Desk research in UX research is also referred to as secondary research or as a literature review. This research method involves summarizing and compiling research findings and data already available. It includes collecting and analyzing information that already exists and is relatively easy to obtain, such as data already held by a company, published government reports, periodic market research, and information in newspapers, magazines, or the Internet.
We usually apply desk research to expand knowledge on a topic (about a product, competitors, its users, its characteristics, or behaviors) at an early stage of discovery. It can also help in answering relevant research questions.
Secondary research is the opposite method of primary research. Primary research involves generating self-reported data, while secondary research uses primary research as a source of data for analysis. Unlike primary research, which we conduct to answer the research questions posed, secondary research has been conducted by other researchers in the past (the exception may be when you apply the research that you have conducted before – such as a few years ago, on another project).
While most of the previous studies you probably carried out for purposes unrelated to your current project or product, a meticulous and thoughtful review of the literature can help you acquire relevant data and increase your knowledge in the area you are researching – which will translate into a better result and final product.
As with any other research method in the UX process, desk research requires having a specific and purposeful plan. Before you begin desk research, identify the topic you’ll focus on (e.g., user habits of e-commerce sites) and identify the research questions you want to answer (e.g., how much time do users spend on a particular subpage? What is their buying process like?).
Ensure that the topic and research question is broad enough to allow for a thorough review of available resources, yet narrow enough that you are not overwhelmed by the size and scope of the literature.
No matter what type of secondary research and what sources you choose, remember to clearly define the scope of the research before you begin – sketch out the maximum or the minimum number of sources your review should include. Plan the time required to collect and analyze these sources.
Defining the scope in advance will help you organize your work and avoid wasting time and energy. If you are wondering what is the ideal amount of time you should spend on secondary research – it depends. It can range from a few hours to several weeks. The exact length will depend, of course, on the scope of the project, the topic, the target audience as well as the objectives.
Once you’ve determined your research topic and the scope of your study, it’s time to search for available sources. Naturally, they will vary depending on your subject matter. Still, it’s always worthwhile to browse through:
Designers often have a spreadsheet to keep track of selected sources to note and mark important sections as well as highlight the terms they want to return to at a later stage of analysis.
Once you have collected valuable materials on the topic you are exploring, you can begin to examine the relationships between sources and identify key insights and conclusions. Look for trends and patterns of methods in current sources. Analyze conflicts and disagreements between sources, look for gaps in materials, and fill them by comparing data from other sources.
Once you have collected and searched your sources, you can proceed to write a secondary research report. The process is similar to that of writing reports on any other type of research. A typical desk research report includes an introduction, a list of sources used, a summary of insights, a discussion of weaknesses, and recommendations for the next steps in the project. Start by introducing the topic and providing context: why the study was conducted, what you wanted to find out, what the study includes and what was left out.
Summarizing the sources, present the information common to them (they can be arranged chronologically, thematically, methodologically, or theoretically – it depends on you and the topic under study). Don’t forget to identify gaps and limitations (what was missing from the available sources? what new questions arose?). Also, outline newly emerging questions or areas for possible future research. Finally, reflect and write down how the information you found influences your next steps and design decisions.
The key advantages of conducting secondary research in the UX process include:
A literature review will help researchers avoid the so-called “reinventing the wheel” when conducting research with limited time and resources. If we have access to and the ability to draw knowledge from other sources it is worth taking advantage of this and building on what is already known. This is an especially common method when we are researching general trends or working on a product or solution already on the market and known to users, and when we have a broadly defined audience.
Desk research, however, may not yield the expected results when our product is something new, innovative, not yet known on the market, or when it targets a very narrow niche. Then finding valuable data that is publicly available can be quite a challenge. One of the few drawbacks of secondary research is that it can prove to be time-consuming and monotonous – often digging through the available amount of materials can consume a lot of a researcher’s time, and we never have a guarantee that it will provide us with the information we are looking for and data that is valuable from a design point of view.
As you can see, desk research is yet another integral part of the UX research process. At a relatively small cost, it enables the acquisition of valuable data that can influence the next steps in the project and the final solution. Every day there is new, relevant, and sometimes even groundbreaking) data and information published that can help you in the process. Before you delve into complex journal research, card sorting, or A/B testing, start by reviewing and analyzing secondary research.
You may get surprised by how much valuable information you can find by sitting at your desk and reviewing the results of other researchers’ work. Remember, this can work both ways – so make your research results available and share them (unless a non-disclosure agreement binds you). Perhaps someone will benefit from your publications too.
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Author: Klaudia Kowalczyk A graphic & UX Designer which conveys into design what cannot be conveyed in words. For him, every used color, line or font has a meaning. Passionate in graphic and web design. View all posts
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June 12, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing
Research is an integral part of the marketing of every business . The success of a business depends on the acceptability of the product . Research is used to understand the expectation of the target audience. The outcome of thorough research helps in developing a successful marketing plan .Research can be categorized into two broad categories, primary research and desk research or secondary research .
Read this article to learn the definition of desk research, what is desk research, the importance of desk research, reasons to conduct desk research, advantages of desk research, and steps to do desk research.
Table of Contents
Desk research can be defined as a type of market research where the information about the topic in research is available in printed form or published on the internet, in newspapers, magazines, and government reports is collected and analyzed.
Desk research is a type of research that can be performed over a desk. In this type of research, a researcher finds, collects, and reviews the publicly available data about the research topic. In primary research, the researcher interacts with people and collects data firsthand using different primary research methods.
On the other hand, desk research is conducted by gathering and analyzing information available on public platforms such as internet forms, newspaper articles, magazines, market intelligence , government reports, databases, statistics, and data sets.
The desk research is also popularly known as secondary research, as in this research, the data for the analysis is not collected by involving participants. But the previously existed data is gathered and studied. The researcher conducts research sitting behind his or her desk by collecting the previously existing data.
Many organizations prefer desk research because it helps to establish an understanding of the research topic at a very low-cost. In addition to this, the information collected from the desk research is verified by the public. Hence, the outcome of the research is reliable.
Moreover, desk research can be categorized into two categories: internal desk research and external desk research. Internal desk research is referred to as the analysis of internal reports, data sets, and organization statistics. At the same time, external desk research is applied to the study of information collected from the external sources.
Market research is an essential part of every business. A business needs to understand the product’s demand that they want to launch in the market. Research is the only method to learn about the market condition and the acceptability of the product.
Companies adopt two research methods to analyze the market condition, such as primary research and secondary research. However, conducting primary research is quite expensive and requires a lot of effort and resources.
Therefore, organizations opt for secondary research methods to learn about the field of research. Conducting desk research is a cost-effective method to establish an understanding of the area.
Desk research is one of the essential market research that many organizations opt to learn about their investment. The following are the advantages of conducting desk research.
1. Inexpensive
The first benefit of conducting desk research is that it costs almost nothing. You need to have a desktop and internet connection to perform this type of research.
If you are new in the business world and want to start your business from scratch, then it is understood that you are low on budget to conduct primary research.
Therefore, secondary research is the best option for you to understand the market segment you want to enter and the demand for the product in the market.
2. Helpful in making well-informed decisions
Marketing plays an essential role in the success of every business. A company spends a considerable amount of money to market their product. A manager can make better decisions when they understand the field better.
The desk research allows managers to understand the demands and needs of consumers . Thus, they can create effective marketing plans for their products and services.
3. Helpful in finding new opportunities
Through desk research, a manager can learn about the business opportunities available in the market.
They can analyze the competition in the market and can position their product in such a way so that they can increase their market share .
4. It takes less time to conduct
Secondary research can be undertaken in comparatively less time than the primary research. With the help of technology and using public sources, the information can be collected in very little time.
5. Helpful in focusing the research
Many times, managers face the problem of having one focused research topic. In such a scenario, conducting primary research will be a waste of time and a waste of resources.
The companies can either hire experts in conducting secondary research or use the services of third-party organizations that help you in conducting the secondary research.
1. Unreliability of data
Relying on the data collected through desk research is a little risky. The data that you are basing your research on can be outdated as government organizations don’t update their data regularly. Their statistics and database are updated once or twice a year.
2. Difficult to find specific data
Another disadvantage of desk research is that you can’t find accurate data for your research topic. Secondary research is useful to establish an understanding of the research topic, but reaching conclusions only based on the desk research outcome is not advisable.
3. No control over the participants and the methods of research
In secondary research, the data you collect or analyze is based on the research conducted by others. Therefore, as a researcher, you cannot control the research participants and the methods used by them.
Here is a video by Marketing91 on Desk Research.
The following are the sources that can be used to collect data for desk research.
1. Business libraries and databases
All large libraries have business sections where one can access the latest material in different fields of business. Many libraries also provide access to online business sources. Therefore, if you are an entrepreneur and want to do preliminary research for your business, libraries are the best source for you to conduct your desk research.
2. Local directories
Local directories are the best place to conduct desk research if you want to start a business locally and have information about your competitors.
Local directories can provide you information about your local competitors and the product and services.
3. Trade associations
The members of an industry form trade associations.
If you want to enter an industry, it will help you have connections in their trade association. Business associations provide statistics, reports, and data to their members.
4. Market research report
Market research reports contain information about a particular market segment. These reports contain information such as threats and opportunities in a specific market. Several organizations sell market research reports.
You can buy research reports to conduct desk research.
5. Newspapers and magazines
Newspapers and magazines are one of the cheapest and readily available sources. In all newspapers, there is a business section where they print business news and market.
Similarly, business magazines publish news about different industries. You can buy their latest copies and can access older copies from your local library.
Carrying desk research requires skills and knowledge to scrutinize the right sources to collect data. Whether you want to write a personal story or research a business opportunity, desk research will help you do it effectively.
In this section, you will learn about the steps you can follow to conduct effective desk research.
Step 1: Define the objective of your research
Conducting desk research will become a lot easier if you have a predefined objective for your research. If you are not sure about your research’s objective, you should list down all the questions you want to research.
Your research should be focused on finding the answers to all of these questions. Follow the logic of going from general research to reaching a precise research topic. Lastly, have a rough idea of how much information you want to collect so you will know when to move to the next step.
Step 2: Make a research plan
Now, this step might contradict your pre-notion about the desk research. Most people believe that desk research takes place without following a plan. But, trust me, having a research plan will make your research work a lot easy.
Choose a research method that you will use and the tool that you will use to collect and analyze your research data.
Step 3: Select a deadline
Having a deadline to conclude your research will make your research work fast and will save you from wasting your time procrastinating, and you will end up conducting your research in less time.
Step 4: Conduct research
Conducting desk research means collecting the data from reliable sources and analyzing them to reach conclusions. Ensure the reliability of the data source and analyze the information collected using tables and flow charts.
Step 5: Reach conclusions
Once you have collected enough information and have organized and analyzed it properly, then reaching conclusions will not be difficult for you.
Your whole effort to conduct research will be successful only if you understand the information entirely and draw conclusions from it without any confusion.
Desk research or secondary research is conducted by collecting and analyzing the data collected by other researchers. Using desk research, you can establish an understanding of your research field by spending fewer resources like time and money.
Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Market research
Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.
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Are you making the most of desk research in your business strategy? This often-overlooked method can provide a wealth of insights without needing expensive primary data collection… And it offers a cost-effective way to gather valuable data and enhance strategic decision-making.
Secondary Research is a technique that uses existing and publicly available data. It includes material published in research papers and other such documents. Desk research tends to be more affordable. Companies perform secondary research to assess low-cost, publicly-verified, and quick knowledge. It paves the way for primary research, helps companies analyze the external market environment, and identifies broad trends and shifts in an industry. It also gives insight into market information and regulation.
This type of research is particularly useful for obtaining a broad understanding of a market, identifying trends, and informing strategic decisions without the high costs associated with primary research methods. Desk research can address several issues, including:
Desk research , or secondary research , offers numerous benefits, making it an essential tool for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge and make informed decisions. Here are some key benefits of desk research, along with actionable tips:
Desk research provides businesses with comprehensive market insights crucial for strategic planning. By analyzing existing data, companies can identify market trends, understand consumer behavior, and anticipate future developments. This helps formulate effective strategies that align with market conditions.
With detailed market insights, businesses can identify opportunities to enhance their products and services, meeting the needs and preferences of their target audience. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, driving revenue growth.
Desk research helps businesses identify potential risks and challenges in the market. Companies can anticipate regulatory changes, economic fluctuations, and competitive threats by analyzing data from various sources. This allows them to develop strategies to mitigate these risks and make more informed decisions.
Secondary research provides valuable consumer behavior and preferences insights, helping businesses create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns. By understanding what drives consumer decisions, companies can optimize their marketing efforts, improving their return on investment.
Access to existing research and data can inspire new ideas and innovations. Desk research allows businesses to identify gaps in the market and explore new growth opportunities.
Investing in desk research can lead to a higher return on investment. Through existing data, businesses can make informed decisions that drive success without the high costs associated with primary research. This cost-effective approach ensures that companies allocate their resources efficiently.
Desk research offers a broad overview of key players, market size, and growth trends. This comprehensive understanding helps businesses position themselves strategically and identify areas for expansion or improvement.
Startups and small businesses often operate with limited resources and budgets. Desk research provides a cost-effective way to gather valuable market insights without the high costs associated with primary research. Established companies leverage desk research to stay competitive, identify new market opportunities, and refine their strategic plans. Large corporations can gain insights into emerging trends, consumer behavior, and competitive dynamics by analyzing existing data.
Investors and venture capitalists also use desk research to evaluate market potential and make informed investment decisions. By analyzing market trends, competitive landscapes, and regulatory environments, they can assess the viability of investment opportunities. Moreover, government agencies and non-profit organizations can use desk research to understand social, economic, and environmental trends.
Identifying the right circumstances to conduct desk or secondary research is crucial in effectively leveraging its benefits. This research method is beneficial in various scenarios in a business’s lifecycle. Here are the situations when conducting desk research is most beneficial:
Desk research can be categorized into two main types: internal and external. Both types offer valuable insights but differ in their sources and applications.
Internal desk research involves analyzing data already available within the organization. This data can include sales reports, customer databases, financial statements, and previous market research studies.
Examples of Internal Desk Research Sources :
Actionable Tip : Review internal data regularly to identify trends and patterns that can inform strategic decisions. Ensure that data is kept up-to-date and accessible for analysis.
External desk research involves gathering data from sources outside the organization. This can include industry reports, academic journals, government publications, news articles, and online databases. External data provides a broader perspective on the market, industry trends, and competitive landscape.
Examples of External Desk Research Sources :
Actionable Tip : Develop a list of reliable external sources and regularly monitor them for new information. Cross-reference data from multiple sources to ensure accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Combining internal and external desk research is beneficial for a holistic understanding. This approach ensures that businesses can leverage internal insights while staying informed about external market conditions and trends.
Before embarking on desk research , clarifying your objectives and gathering relevant and reliable data is essential. Here are key questions to ask before starting your desk research:
Clearly define the research objectives and the specific information you need to gather. This will help narrow the focus and ensure that the research is relevant and actionable.
Identify the most credible and reliable sources for the data you need. This includes industry reports, academic journals, government publications, and reputable online databases.
Understand how the collected data will be utilized in strategic planning and decision-making. This ensures that the research is focused on actionable insights that can drive business outcomes.
Assess the potential limitations and biases of the data sources. This includes considering the publication date, geographic coverage, and the methodology used in data collection.
Implement measures to verify the accuracy and relevance of the data. This includes cross-checking information, reviewing the credibility of sources, and ensuring the data is current.
Determine the scope and depth of the desk research. This includes deciding whether the research will provide a broad market overview or a detailed analysis of specific aspects.
Establish a budget and timeline for the desk research. This will help manage resources effectively and ensure that the research is completed within the desired timeframe.
Selecting the appropriate secondary research consulting agency is crucial for businesses seeking expert assistance in gathering and analyzing existing market and industry data. The right agency can provide valuable insights and save time and resources. Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a secondary research consulting agency:
To maximize the benefits of desk research , it’s important to follow best practices that ensure the information’s accuracy, relevance, and utility. Here are some key best practices:
Ensure that the data comes from credible and authoritative sources. This includes peer-reviewed journals, official government publications, reputable industry reports, and trusted news outlets.
Validate the accuracy of the data by cross-referencing multiple sources. This helps confirm the reliability of the information and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Use the most recent data to ensure relevance and accuracy. Market conditions and trends can change rapidly, so relying on outdated information can lead to inaccurate conclusions.
Keep a detailed record of all sources used, including publication dates, authors, and URLs. This ensures transparency and allows you to reference and validate the information later.
Consider the context in which the data was collected and its implications for your research. This includes understanding the methodology, geographic scope, and potential biases.
Ensure that the data collected is directly relevant to your research objectives. Avoid gathering excessive information that does not add value to your analysis.
Use data visualization tools to present the data in a clear and understandable format. This helps identify patterns, trends, and insights more easily.
Combine secondary research with primary research to gain a more comprehensive understanding. This approach leverages the strengths of both methods and provides more robust insights.
Market conditions and trends evolve, so keeping your research updated is important. Regularly review and refresh your data to maintain its relevance and accuracy.
When conducting desk research or secondary research, it is crucial to ensure that the sources of information are credible, reliable, and relevant. Here are key steps and criteria to evaluate the credibility of sources:
Actionable Tip : Look for author profiles or bios on the publication’s website to verify their credentials and expertise.
Actionable Tip : Cross-check the information with multiple sources to verify its accuracy and consistency.
Actionable Tip : Compare the information with other sources to identify potential biases and ensure a balanced perspective.
Actionable Tip : Prioritize sources published within the last two to three years, especially in rapidly evolving fields.
Actionable Tip : Focus on sources that -relate to your research topic and provide comprehensive information.
Actionable Tip : Create a matrix to compare findings from different sources and identify common patterns and discrepancies.
Actionable Tip : Look for sources that disclose their research methodology and offer transparency about their data sources and processes.
SIS International leverages secondary research to deliver actionable insights and drive business success. Through meticulous analysis and strategic interpretation, businesses can anticipate several key outcomes such as:
By tapping into a vast array of secondary sources, including industry reports, academic studies, and market analyses, SIS equips clients with the information needed to make informed decisions. Whether entering new markets, launching products, or refining strategies, clients benefit from data-driven insights that mitigate risks and maximize opportunities.
SIS International l’s utilization of secondary research enables clients to gain a competitive edge by staying abreast of market trends, consumer preferences, and competitor strategies. With comprehensive insights, clients can devise strategies that resonate with target audiences and outmaneuver rivals.
We delve deep into secondary sources to uncover hidden patterns, identify emerging trends, and elucidate consumer behaviors. This holistic understanding empowers clients to tailor their offerings to meet evolving market demands.
Beyond raw data, SIS synthesizes findings into actionable recommendations. Through meticulous analysis and expert interpretation, our team provides clients strategic guidance that drives business growth and fosters long-term success.
In an uncertain environment, informed decision-making is instrumental in risk mitigation. By harnessing the power of secondary research, SIS helps clients identify and assess potential risks, enabling proactive measures to mitigate adverse impacts and safeguard business interests.
Understanding the differences between primary and secondary research is crucial for businesses to effectively utilize these methods in their market research strategies. Both types of research offer unique benefits and can complement each other to provide comprehensive market insights.
Primary research involves collecting new, original data directly from respondents. This data is gathered specifically for the research objectives at hand and tailored to address the specific questions and needs of the business.
Advantages :
Disadvantages :
Secondary research, or desk research involves analyzing data already collected by other sources. Although this data is not specifically gathered for the current research objectives, it can still provide valuable insights.
Secondary research in emerging markets versus mature markets presents distinct challenges and considerations due to differences in market structures, data availability, and economic conditions. Here are some key differences:
Data Availability and Reliability
Market Dynamics
Infrastructure and Technological Penetration
Economic Indicators and Metrics
Secondary research draws upon diverse sources, offering researchers a wealth of information to analyze and interpret. Here are some familiar sources of secondary research:
Desk research varies significantly across different industries due to the unique nature of each sector, its specific needs, and the types of data available. Here is a comparison of how desk research is applied in various industries:
Application :
Desk research plays a crucial role in crisis management by providing timely and relevant information to help organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises. Here’s how desk research can be effectively utilized in different stages of crisis management:
Desk research helps organizations anticipate potential crises by analyzing historical data, industry reports, and expert analyses. This proactive approach enables companies to develop contingency plans and mitigate risks.
Applications :
During a crisis, desk research provides critical real-time information that aids in effective response and decision-making. Organizations can adapt their strategies to the evolving crisis by continuously monitoring the situation.
In the recovery phase, desk research helps organizations evaluate the effectiveness of their crisis response and identify areas for improvement. It also aids in rebuilding reputation and trust with stakeholders.
Secondary research offers a range of opportunities for businesses to enhance their strategic planning and decision-making processes. By leveraging existing data and insights, businesses can capitalize on several fronts. Here are some key opportunities that secondary research currently presents:
Desk research is a valuable tool for businesses that comes with its own set of challenges. Thus, successfully navigating these challenges is key to leveraging the full benefits of secondary research. Here are some common obstacles businesses may encounter:
Secondary research is generally less expensive than primary research since it uses existing data. | The data may not be specific to the current research objectives, leading to potential misalignment. |
Data can be gathered and analyzed quickly, allowing for faster decision-making. | The accuracy and reliability of secondary data can be difficult to verify, leading to potential inaccuracies. |
Provides a broad range of information from various sources, offering comprehensive market insights. | Secondary data might be outdated, especially in fast-changing industries, leading to inaccurate conclusions. |
Includes historical data, allowing businesses to analyze trends over time and forecast future trends. | Often provides broad, general insights rather than specific, detailed information needed for particular research questions. |
Invaluable for benchmarking performance against competitors and conducting competitive analysis. | Businesses have no control over how secondary data was collected, which can affect its relevance and accuracy. |
Can complement primary research by providing a broader context and background information. | Secondary data may be subject to biases based on the original purpose of the data collection. |
Collected by third parties, which can reduce potential bias present in primary research conducted by the business itself. | Secondary sources may not cover all aspects of a topic comprehensively, leading to incomplete analyses. |
Provides a comprehensive understanding of the market landscape, including key players, market size, and growth trends. | The abundance of available information can lead to data overload, making it challenging to sift through large volumes of data to find relevant information. |
Evolving technologies, changing data landscapes, and the growing need for strategic insights will likely shape the future of desk research in the business world.
SIS provides comprehensive market research and consulting services tailored to businesses’ unique needs and objectives across industries. Through a strategic blend of primary and secondary research methodologies, we deliver actionable insights and strategic guidance to drive business growth and success.
Market Entry Feasibility and Sizing Studies: SIS assists businesses in evaluating market entry opportunities by conducting in-depth feasibility and sizing studies. By leveraging secondary research to analyze market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and consumer behaviors, our team helps businesses assess the viability and potential risks of entering new markets.
Strategy Consulting: SIS International offers strategic consulting services to help businesses formulate and implement winning strategies. Through a combination of secondary research, market analysis, and industry expertise, we provide clients with strategic recommendations and actionable insights to capitalize on market opportunities, overcome challenges, and achieve sustainable growth.
Market Intelligence and Competitive Analysis: SIS delivers comprehensive market intelligence and competitive analysis services to help businesses stay ahead. Through rigorous secondary research and competitive benchmarking, SIS International provides clients valuable insights into competitor strategies, market trends, and emerging opportunities, enabling informed decision-making and strategic positioning.
Customized Solutions: SIS International offers customized research solutions for specific challenges and objectives. Whether it’s conducting industry studies, market segmentation analyses, or customer satisfaction surveys, our experts collaborate closely with clients to design research initiatives that deliver actionable insights and drive tangible results.
SIS International offers Quantitative, Qualitative, and Strategy Research. We provide data, tools, strategies, reports, and insights for decision-making. We also conduct interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other Market Research methods and approaches. Contact us for your next Market Research project.
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Desk research: how to conduct secondary research efficiently.
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If you’re already familiar with UX Design, you know how essential research is to get to know the users of a product and understand their needs.
Basically, there are two types of research: primary (where you collect information yourself by surveys, interviews, observations, etc.) and secondary (searching for data compiled from previous findings). Desk Research falls into the second category.
Keep reading to know the best practices and a step-by-step to research successfully from your own desk!
Desk Research is a method that explores data from existing documents and previous research — secondary data — to gather information over a particular topic.
It can provide solid arguments and help you elaborate a line of thought or fight for your ideas. And to do this, Desk Research relies on data already collected from other people.
Therefore, before spending time and money on field visits, prototypes, or usability tests, it’s wise to see what the world already knows that could be relevant for you and your team.
Desk Research should be used as a research method before starting any Product Design project. It’s always constructive to see what previous studies and experts say about a particular topic, especially if you can take advantage of the information already out there.
Secondary research has the objective of any investigation: to provide information that could support and guide decision-making.
So in terms of objectives , using Desk Research is not that different from Primary Research.
Primary and Secondary Research share the same object of study but are different in their process.
Primary research is first-hand research created and tailored to meet specific needs. The source of this kind of research is the individuals or organization behind the investigation.
Additionally, primary research uses raw data, which needs to be filtered and organized in order to be analyzed and reported.
On the other hand, secondary research collects data from previous research, so it doesn’t belong to anyone.
Needless to say, primary research demands more time and money, while secondary research is cheaper and faster to gather results.
Since Desk Research relies on other people’s findings, pay close attention to the sources and always run check facts.
There are all kinds of information online so we need to be diligent to filter good quality material.
Also, the internet is not the only possible source of information to carry out Desk Research. You may want to check:
An insightful resource is observing products that are already on the market.
Furthermore, evaluate the products that your own company has already launched.
Look at the concepts, interactions, and experiences these products provide.
Go through research and analysis your own company has conducted in the past.
This type of information is extremely valuable to understand ideas, opportunities, and difficulties the company has faced in the past and that can serve as a starting point for your own proposal.
Investigate further, look at the people in charge of these data, and if possible, try to talk to them directly and exchange knowledge about what they have found out, and what you intend to do.
Most of the time, internal research helps to clarify essential points, due to the fact they were applied in the same context, in the same market segment.
External research sources are perhaps the most common and widely known. However, as we already mentioned, it’s important to understand which sources are reliable.
With that in mind, we compiled a few aspects for your consideration:
Internet is the most popular and accessible source of information there is. With just one click you can download any data or research you want.
Despite much information being available for free, that are company sites that sell information and reports.
If you’re digging the internet for free content, check reliable websites with known expertise in the field.
For example, in the case of research and data about usability, it’s common to rely on data from the Nielsen Norman Group . The consulting firm is an expert on UX, has authority and reputation in the market.
In times when the internet rules the era of information, libraries end up being underestimated. But they can be excellent sources for desk research.
Of course, recent studies will most likely be found online but there may be old interesting research published only on paper. So, apart from books, beware to check articles, papers, and research from a wide range of authors.
Don’t dismiss studies that are not recent. Even if research was carried out a couple of years ago, it can still be extremely relevant and serve to support your ideas, provide you answers, questions, or insights.
Human behavior, for example, changes very slowly, so studies that focus on that, won’t lose its “expiration date” so soon.
In addition to using university libraries, you can search for more specific research conducted by students or professors at the institutions.
As a general rule, educational institutions conduct a variety of primary research that can be requested and used as Desk Research by companies.
Desk Research can also rely on newspapers, magazines, and even news transmitted on TV or radio.
However, it is always important to be diligent when using this type of information because it is generally superficial and informational for the public.
Relying solely on media data can bring biased and shallow information. Nevertheless, it can be a good start for your Desk Research.
It’s wise to consider a couple of measures to ensure the quality and efficiency of your Desk Research.
So we’ll describe a step-by-step to help you in your endeavor.
Of course, as you gain experience with this research method, you can adapt each step to make it more coherent to the way you work. But be sure to go through them.
Before starting the research, identify its purpose: What do you want to know? Which question do you need to answer?
Without a pre-determined objective, you won’t be a good judge whether the information you’re coming across is relevant or not for your project.
Establishing objectives is all about setting a clear path to the questions you want to answer; this will ground you and help you stay focused, so you don’t end up wasting precious time.
Your research objectives can revolve around:
Will you only use the internet? Or will you also go to public libraries? Are you going to talk to people in your company too?
Mapping the sources you intend to use saves time and prevents you from losing focus. At this stage, identify which sources are more likely to bring you the best results.
Remember to have a plan B, too. For example, if you can’t find all the information on websites, find out what the next trusted source you should be using.
Working with deadlines is another strategy to maintain focus during research.
Determine whether you will invest hours, days, or a few weeks to carry out your Desk Research.
However, keep in mind that we tend to use up all the time assigned to us. So keep it a tight schedule and propose realistic deadlines to help your productivity and your research efficiency.
It’s time to carry out your research, keeping in mind: your objective, the deadline, and reliable sources.
Use whichever method you think is best to identify and gather the necessary information: summarizing, filing, highlighting, or copying.
For instance, you can put all your findings on an online whiteboard (like miro.com ).
Remember to seek different views on the same problem. Don’t fall into so-called confirmation bias, where you only collect data that confirms your assumption.
Look for information that may contradict the initial ideas to bring other perspectives that will be essential upon data analysis.
A crucial step of Desk Research is analyzing the data collected. First, carefully read the information and review all the findings. Then, go deeper into your study: compare the results of different sources and define the importance of each one.
Next, check if your research answered the questions and met the initially proposed objective.
If not, redo the research or check if the objective is coherent or needs to be changed.
In this step, you should also formalize the information in a way it’s presentable to others; you can write a report or organize your findings into a presentation.
Every method, or tool, has its pros and cons. Therefore, you need to assess where you are to decide if Desk Research is the right resource for your project. And, of course, it can always – and should – serve as a starting point for Primary Research.
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Desk research is a type of research that is based on the material published in reports and similar documents that are available in public libraries, websites, data obtained from surveys already carried out, etc. Some organizations also store data that can be used for research purposes. It is a research method that involves the use of existing data.
Desk research is gathering information and data from existing sources, such as books, journals, articles, websites, reports, and other published materials. Learn the advantages, limitations, methodologies, and applications of desk research for marketing and customer journey analysis.
What is desk research? Desk research is a type of market research that uses existing data to support or validate outcomes and conclusions. Also known as secondary research, it's a cost-effective way to obtain relevant data from a broad range of channels.. How is desk research used? From small start-ups to established businesses, doing desk research provides you with crucial insights into ...
Learn what desk research is, how to use it, and its advantages and disadvantages. Desk research relies on existing data from various sources to answer research questions, such as market trends, consumer behavior, or industry analysis.
Learn what desk research is, how to do it, and why it is useful for businesses. Explore examples of desk research methods and sources, and discover the advantages of this type of secondary data collection.
What is desk research? Desk research, or secondary research, is vital to UX research. It involves analyzing existing data, reports, and papers to understand a subject, identify trends, and pinpoint gaps in knowledge. It's cost-effective and time-efficient, informing primary research and guiding decisions in UX design.
Secondary research, also known as desk research, is a research method that involves compiling existing data sourced from a variety of channels. This includes internal sources (e.g.in-house research) or, more commonly, external sources (such as government statistics, organizational bodies, and the internet).
Desk research is gathering and analyzing existing data from various sources to inform design decisions for UX projects. Learn what desk research is, why it's important, how to conduct it, and what tools to use with UXPin.
Learn how to review previous research findings to gain a broad understanding of the field before embarking on a user research project. Find out where to look for relevant research and how to judge its quality.
Pros and cons of desk research. Desk research is a valuable tool for any researcher. But, like any tool, it has its strengths and weaknesses. Pros of desk research. Using desk research methods is highly beneficial. Here are just several reasons for that: Budget-friendly. Compared to primary research, desk research is more cost-efficient.
What is desk research? In layman's terms, desk research is a type of research where you gather data while " sitting at a desk .". It is another name for secondary research where the study itself is desk-based research and not experiment-based research. Broadly speaking, there are two types of main research types.
Learn how to conduct desk research for discovery operations in human-centered design (HCD) projects. Find out where to start, what types of research to use, and how to organize your sources.
Desk research is a secondary research method that involves searching for and sorting through existing data on a specific topic. Learn why desk research is useful, how to carry it out and what kinds of resources to look for.
Desk Research can also rely on newspapers, magazines, and even news transmitted on TV or radio. However, it is always important to be diligent when using this type of information because it is ...
Desk Research - Methodology and Techniques. As depicted by name Desk Research is the research technique which is mainly acquired by sitting at a desk. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in ...
Desk research is a powerful tool that can help us understand significant market trends, identify key competitors, and learn about customer buying habits. Secondary research can also help identify potential opportunities and risks when entering a new product category. Finally, it's a great method of user research, when you need to get initial ...
In any other case, the five steps look like this: 1. Have an Objective. Photo by David Paschke on Unsplash. It may seem trivial, but this is the first step, and you can actually screw it up — big time. To be able to carry out proper desk research on your topic, you need to have an objective.
Desk research in UX research is also referred to as secondary research or as a literature review. This research method involves summarizing and compiling research findings and data already available. It includes collecting and analyzing information that already exists and is relatively easy to obtain, such as data already held by a company ...
Desk research is a type of research that can be performed over a desk. In this type of research, a researcher finds, collects, and reviews the publicly available data about the research topic. In primary research, the researcher interacts with people and collects data firsthand using different primary research methods.
Desk research allows businesses to identify gaps in the market and explore new growth opportunities. Actionable Tip: Use desk research to identify emerging technologies and industry innovations. Incorporate these insights into your product development processes to stay ahead of the competition and drive growth. 6.
The R.G. White Large Animal Research Station (LARS) has a broad mission to support research, education, and outreach on Alaskan animals. We support the interests and activities of UAF researchers and also serve scientists from other institutions and organizations in the United States and from around the world. Our animals are maintained for a wide variety of research and educational projects ...
Desk Research is a method that explores data from existing documents and previous research — secondary data — to gather information over a particular topic. It can provide solid arguments and help you elaborate a line of thought or fight for your ideas. And to do this, Desk Research relies on data already collected from other people.
As the 2024 U.S. presidential race intensifies, a new poll from the Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab and Mainstreet Research USA reveals the shifting tides of politics in Florida, highlighting significant gender, age and racial divides among likely voters.Trump Maintains Narrow Lead Over Harris
Story by TOI World Desk • 11h J D Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, sparked controversy on Friday with remarks about "ethnic enclaves" and crime during a campaign event.
The polling bias for the 2016 and 2020 Presidential elections is based on analysis from the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) comparing actual results to national polls. For the 2018 and 2022 elections, bias was measured by comparing FiveThirtyEight's Generic Ballot polling average with the adjusted US House National Popular vote, using data from the UVA Center for ...