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.
Collect Up-to-date Data
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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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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Dr. David Travis ( @userfocus ) has been carrying out ethnographic field research and running product usability tests since 1989. He has published three books on user experience including Think Like a UX Researcher . If you like his articles, you might enjoy his free online user experience course .
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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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The article is Written and Reviewed by Management Study Guide Content Team . MSG Content Team comprises experienced Faculty Member, Professionals and Subject Matter Experts. We are a ISO 2001:2015 Certified Education Provider . To Know more, click on About Us . The use of this material is free for learning and education purpose. Please reference authorship of content used, including link(s) to ManagementStudyGuide.com and the content page url.
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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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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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by Tim Gell
Posted at: 8/4/2023 12:30 PM
Access to reliable and relevant information is crucial for making informed decisions and staying ahead of the competition.
This is where desk research, also known as secondary research or library research, proves to be an indispensable tool.
By harnessing existing sources of data, from published reports and academic papers to market studies and industry analyses, desk research empowers individuals and organizations to delve into a wealth of knowledge without the need for expensive and time-consuming fieldwork.
In this blog post, our market research company will explore the ins and outs of desk research, understand its benefits, and uncover practical ways to use it.
What is Desk Research?
Desk research, also known as secondary research or library research, is a method of gathering information and insights by analyzing and synthesizing existing data and sources rather than conducting primary data collection through fieldwork or surveys.
It involves scouring through published reports, articles, studies, and other publicly available materials to extract valuable knowledge and make informed decisions.
Think back to your high school or college days. When you were assigned to write a paper, you most likely turned to many articles on Google or textbooks as helpful resources. That action was a type of desk research.
Heck, you are technically conducting secondary research by reading this article right now.
On the contrary, new research designed to answer your own specific questions is referred to as primary research . Common primary research methodologies include online surveys , focus groups, and in-depth interviews.
Common Forms of Desk Research
Desk research may come in the form of web searches, online platforms, industry reports, or even physical books.
These sources aren't usually relevant in their entirety but may offer valuable snippets of information to help answer your questions.
Desk research can also help with qualitative recruiting .
While this is often a last-ditch effort (our market research company would first recommend utilizing online panels or paid social media advertisements), depending on the target audience desk research can help find qualified participants to participate in a market research study.
For example, if your company is hosting an online focus group with financial advisors, perhaps LinkedIn could be a valuable tool in researching who would make a great fit as a potential participant.
Advantages of Desk Research
So, why bother with secondary research for your business? Desk research offers several advantages, including:
Disadvantages of Desk Research
As with most things, there are pros and cons to conducting secondary research. The limitations and disadvantages of desk research include:
Free Secondary Research Sources
1. Google Advanced Search
Given that there are over 70,000 Google searches per second, there is a good chance you have turned to an online search recently.
This is really the easiest place to begin desk research, especially if you do not know exactly what you are looking for. Through search, you can find countless articles, blogs, reports, and white papers on just about any topic.
Online search is more powerful than you may know, too. Google search features advanced filters and settings to target keywords, specific date ranges, domains, and more.
See some of the useful options below.
2. Google Analytics
Another valuable free source of secondary data is Google Analytics . While there is some work to initially set up the tracking code on each page of your website, this tool is very user-friendly.
The data can tell you almost anything you want to know about the traffic to and from your website.
For example, with Google Analytics you can get a glimpse into:
Below is an example of the Google Analytics platform with the Google Merchandise Store demo account.
Paid Secondary Sources
1. DemographicsNow by eSite Analytics
Desk research is very important for feasibility studies , in which syndicated research and demographic data are used to identify market supply for a new product or service .
Drive Research uses a secondary data tool called Demographics Now by eSite Analytics to help with these studies.
Market Analysis in Demographics Now provides access to detailed statistics about virtually any US market. The tool offers data on demographics, consumer expenditures, household statistics, psychographics, etc. by target areas.
See an example of the data for the Syracuse DMA below.
2. Industry Trend Reports
Other common paid options for desk research sources are industry or trend reports.
These are usually all-encompassing studies for a particular vertical that may highlight its current state and/or forecast changes over the next several years.
While sometimes costly, these reports can give your business a serious leg up on the competition if relevant.
For example, Drive Research created a Cannabis Consumer Report . It is a paid report that shares the findings of a survey we conducted with nearly 4,000 cannabis users. It covers topics such as purchasing behaviors, usage preferences, and perceived health benefits.
The report covers many areas of interest for those looking to sell or market their cannabis business, but it is at a lower cost than if these audiences were to conduct a custom market research study.
Other Frequently Asked Questions About Desk Research
What is an example of desk research?
Here are three examples of using desk research:
What is the job of a desk researcher?
The job of a desk researcher involves gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information from various sources, such as published reports, databases, academic papers, and online resources, to provide valuable insights and data to support decision-making, research projects, market analysis, and other information-driven endeavors.
Why is it called desk research?
It is called desk research because the primary activity of the research takes place at a desk, where the researcher accesses and analyzes existing data and information from various sources without the need for fieldwork or direct interaction with participants.
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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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Desk research methodology is a method of collecting and analyzing information from available secondary sources, such as documents, reports, academic publications and other materials available online or in libraries. The purpose of desk research is to gain a broader perspective on the problem or issue under study, as well as to supplement or confirm knowledge on the topic. Desk research is particularly useful for research on historical events or processes and theoretical studies.
Methods for implementing desk research include various ways to collect and analyze available market information without conducting face-to-face surveys with users. Here are some example methods: Analysis of available industry reports and publications: you can collect data from available industry reports and publications, such as market reports, industry analysis, scientific reports, etc. Analysis of statistical data: you can use available statistical data, such as demographic data, sales data, labor market data, etc. Review of websites and industry portals: you can collect data from various websites and industry portals, such as those of manufacturers, distributors, industry organizations, etc. Analysis of newspaper articles: you can analyze newspaper articles posted in newspapers, magazines and the Internet to gain information about the market and its trends. Internet search: you can search for market information using search engines such as Google to gain a wide range of available information. Social media data analysis: you can collect and analyze data from social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., to gain information about users’ opinions and preferences.
The methods for carrying out desk research are as follows: Searching databases: Various databases, such as industry, statistical or scientific databases, can be used to find the information needed. Reviewing documents and reports: You can also review various types of documents and reports, such as financial reports, market statistics or industry reports, to obtain information on an issue of interest. Analyzing data from the Internet: You can also use various sources available on the Internet, such as websites, online forums and social media to find the information you need. Literature research: You can also conduct literature research, that is, you can analyze the available scientific literature and review articles from scientific journals or books in the field. Data analysis from other sources: You can also use data available from other sources, such as data files from government offices or institutions or data collected by other companies or organizations.
Our company Fieldstat specializes in Desk Research. We provide top-notch services and our teams are professionally qualified. We do market research, product quality research, competitive research, consumer research, social media research, technology research and much more. We have a wealth of tools and knowledge to meet our clients’ needs and deliver the best results. If you are looking for someone to help you gather and interpret information, please contact us.
Desk research is commissioned by various individuals or institutions that need information on a particular issue or market. Examples of people or institutions that may commission desk research: Companies: Many companies commission desk research to learn about the market situation, customer needs and preferences, competition or industry trends. Non-profit organizations: Non-profit organizations, such as foundations or associations, often commission desk research to obtain information on a particular field or social problem. Government institutions: Government institutions, such as ministries or offices, may also commission desk research to obtain information on various issues, such as to develop public policy. Individuals: Individuals can also commission desk research, such as if they want to learn about the market for services or products in order to make purchasing or investment decisions.
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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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Desk research.
Knowing what others have already discovered means you can contribute new, original thought to an existing knowledge base.
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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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A desktop study is generally considered to be a preliminary review of readily available and accessible information about a project site to help determine what additional data may be needed. A desktop study is generally conducted during the conceptual design phase and prior to actual on-site investigations needed for final design. This allows the engineer to make earlier decisions regarding design and construction alternatives with respect to finding the most economic and practical methods.
Prior experience in a particular geographic region can be extremely valuable as it can make the project team more sensitive to potential conditions on the ground that can have costly and time-consuming impacts.
Study of historical aerial photography can help identify evidence of streams that have meandered considerable distances over time. Old former landfill sites, environmentally sensitive locations, sites with archaeological or historical significance and even former military installations with possible unexploded ordinance are all areas which are ideally avoided. This is all information that can be found in old land records and topographic maps. This data can prove very significant for routing of lines or spotting of structures.
Elevation data is readily available from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It Is generally of sufficient accuracy to perform preliminary routing. In some instances, it can be used to begin procurement of structures. USGS Interactive Geologic Maps of US States can also be of value. This resource can help determine the extent of geotechnical exploration and follow up lab work that may be needed. It can also provide a glimpse into the soils or rock types prevalent at a particular location. This can be useful for determining what type(s) of foundations to use. For example, if it is determined that granite is located along a transmission route, conventional drilled pier construction may not be the most practical or economical foundation type to construct.
The greatest benefits to be recognized from such studies can be placed into three categories including:
Review of existing research for information relevant to a project's needs.
When reviewing data it’s important to assess how the data was gathered. Knowing how to assess the conclusions reached in published research is an important skill. All conclusions should be critically examined before use in reports.
Updated 5 July 2023
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COMMENTS
Desk research is a type of research that uses existing data from various sources, such as websites, libraries, surveys, etc. Learn how to do desk research, its advantages and disadvantages, and how it differs from primary research.
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.
My list of go-to tools for desk research includes: Google Analytics & Search Console - your own site's performance and visitor stats. Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence - uncover market, industry & competitor trends across web, mobile, and apps. Tableau - data visualization for presenting your findings.
Desk research is a type of research that uses existing data from various sources to answer your research questions. Learn about the methods, examples, and benefits of desk research, and how to conduct it effectively.
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. #6. More Meaningful Data. Desk research is the yin to the yang of field research - they are both required for a meaningful study.
Desk research is a type of secondary research that reviews previous findings to gain a broad understanding of a domain. Learn how to approach desk research using a Venn diagram and various sources of information.
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 (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 ...
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.
The job of a desk researcher involves gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing information from various sources, such as published reports, databases, academic papers, and online resources, to provide valuable insights and data to support decision-making, research projects, market analysis, and other information-driven endeavors. Why is it called ...
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 ...
The purpose of desk research is to gain a broader perspective on the problem or issue under study, as well as to supplement or confirm knowledge on the topic. Desk research is particularly useful for research on historical events or processes and theoretical studies. Methods for implementing desk research include various ways to collect and ...
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.
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.
Desk Research is a method that explores data from existing documents and previous research — secondary data — to gather information over a particular topic.
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.
Figure 1 illustrates the systematic approach. The details on the left hand side are the minimum approach that could be undertaken in an essay or piece of desk-top research. For more in-depth undergraduate projects, and certainly for full systematic reviews, the details on the right hand side would need to be fully understood and reported.
DESK RESEARCH definition: 1. market research (= finding out what customers want) that can be done from a desk, for example…. Learn more.
A desktop study is generally considered to be a preliminary review of readily available and accessible information about a project site to help determine what additional data may be needed. A desktop study is generally conducted during the conceptual design phase and prior to actual on-site investigations needed for final design.
Purpose. To identify specific or useful qualitative or quantitative data relevant to project needs. To develop an understanding of current policy and business needs. To identify gaps in existing data requiring further research. To understand how a project may contribute back to a larger body of knowledge.
DESK RESEARCH meaning: 1. market research (= finding out what customers want) that can be done from a desk, for example…. Learn more.