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| Nathan Richter |
Vetting a research firm has never been more difficult for communications professionals. Research has always been a “black box,” but with the adoption of new technologies and reduced budgets, less rigorous and even fraudulent methods have proliferated at the hands of inexperienced vendors.
At the end of the day, if the underlying methodology lacks credibility, PR professionals using survey data risk damaging media relationships and undermining the trust of clients if they are unable to substantiate the findings.
While you may not be able to completely verify the research results upfront, knowing the right questions to ask your potential research partner can help pinpoint red flags. Here are five questions to consider when searching for a trustworthy data provider.
1. Does your team have background in earned media and thought leadership?
While your insights partner does not need to act as an additional PR resource, their team should understand how to translate complex data into compelling stories that drive earned media and thought leadership efforts. Examples of surveys that have appeared in top-tier media alone are not enough to establish a provider's credentials. Everyone gets lucky from time to time. It’s important to understand the background of the team you’ll be working with and whether they have experience supporting earned media initiatives. They should be able to speak knowledgeably about today’s media landscape, trends and coverage related to your client’s industry or survey topic. The team should also be able to share strategic insights on what matters to reporters and recognize how research findings should be distributed differently across owned and earned channels.
2. What is your team’s process for ensuring that the story is newsworthy?
Before fielding a survey, make sure your research partner has a clear point of view on the story behind the data.
This includes looking at the media landscape, understanding what conversations are already taking place and evaluating how the findings will contribute to those discussions in a way that helps elevate brands as category leaders. Research providers should also be able to explain how they identify timely angles and build studies around stories that are relevant to current industry trends.
3. What quotas will you set before collecting data?
The technical validity of data has never been more important than in the gen AI era. Before collecting data, confirm that the research will properly model the intended audience. This includes understanding what quotas will be set for respondents and whether those quotas are distributed properly to avoid skewing the data.
A strong sample is built intentionally from the start; it should not be adjusted after the fact to compensate for gaps in the respondent pool.
This is particularly vital when conducting B2B projects, as it can be more difficult and expensive to reach qualified respondents. Some research firms may use less expensive methods that are ultimately not reliable. If the price seems too good to be true, consider whether the study may be compromised.
A reputable firm should be able to explain how they source respondents, how respondents are qualified and what steps they take to ensure data quality.
4. Will preliminary data files be provided during the research?
As data is being collected, ask whether preliminary files can be shared. Reviewing the data before the study is complete can help identify potential issues early and provide visibility into how responses and sample composition are changing over time.
You don’t need to be a market research analyst to spot obvious inconsistencies. For example, if a respondent reports working for a construction company with more than $1 billion in revenue but only 50 employees, that discrepancy should prompt additional questions.
If there are responses that seem unusual or don’t add up, your research team should be able to explain how those responses were reviewed and addressed.
5. What quality controls will be included in the data file?
PR professionals should be provided with the timestamps and interview lengths for each respondent. These types of metrics can help identify if participants moved through a survey too quickly to provide meaningful responses.
It’s also important to understand how the firm identifies repeat respondents, fraudulent activity and atypical response patterns. Some organizations may request IP address information as an additional precaution against duplicate participation. While not all PR teams have the technical expertise to analyze this data, simply requesting these quality-control metrics signals may encourage research providers to maintain data quality.
Ask the Right Questions
There is no foolproof way to guarantee research quality; however, asking the right questions can help communications professionals identify potential issues before they become credibility problems.
At a time when public trust and misinformation is at an all-time high, PR professionals have an opportunity to help journalists under pressure and provide verifiable data, in addition to expert insights. It’s important to remember that the goal is not to become a research expert but to protect the credibility of the story, the client and the data.
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Nathan Richter is a senior partner at Wakefield Research, a firm trusted by top global brands and agencies – including 50 of the Fortune 100 – across nearly 100 countries. He leads a team that specializes in using research for thought leadership, earned media outreach, lead generation, and other marketing applications. His work has been featured in innumerable media outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal.
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