Secondary research.
WHAT SOURCES EXIST
Government statistics Regulator publications Industry association reports Company filings Academic research Published surveys
WHAT THEY PROVIDE
Context, scale and trends.
WHAT THEY DO NOT PROVIDE
Anything specific to your customers.
WHAT TO CHECK ABOUT ANY SOURCE
Who produced it When Who paid for it How the data was gathered Sample size
WHY WHO PAID MATTERS
Research commissioned by an interested party is shaped by that interest.
WHAT TO BE SCEPTICAL OF
Figures with no stated method Reports promoting a product Statistics repeated widely with no original source
WHY THAT LAST ONE
Figures circulate and become accepted without anyone checking them.
HOW TO CHECK
Follow citations back to the original.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU CANNOT FIND IT
Treat the figure as unverified.
WHAT LOCAL SOURCES EXIST
National statistics bodies Sector regulators Chambers of commerce Trade associations
WHAT TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT
Data for many local sectors is limited or dated.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT
Rely more heavily on direct research.
WHAT TO RECORD
The source and date of anything you use.
WHY
You will be asked, and figures go stale.
