Versta Research Post

How Data Can Highlight Mistakes

We are often surprised by the number of senior researchers in the market research industry who never touch raw data.  Often they don’t even have the tools, since “data processing” is outsourced to lower levels or other countries.  It is surprising because we almost always engage in work where getting into the data and puzzling…

Versta Research Post

Simple Steps to Actionable Insights

A pet-peeve of mine is that many (way too many) market research professionals talk about “actionable insights” and I almost never know what they are talking about.  I suspect most of them don’t either.  The more our clients complain that research reports are sitting on shelves collecting dust, the louder every research firm starts proclaiming…

Versta Research Post

Bad Decisions with Better Graphics

Does data displayed in charts and graphs, rather than tables, lead to better decisions?  Not according to the latest research reported in this month’s Journal of Marketing Research. The authors looked at various types of biases that creep into business managers’ decisions when based on data presented to them.  They did this by conducting experiments…

Versta Research Post

How to Select the Type of Chart to Use

Data visualization will likely be one the biggest areas of innovation and development over the next several years.  This is a good.  A chart that clearly and succinctly displays detailed data in a way that captures the viewer’s attention and helps interpret the data can be incredibly powerful.  Edward Tufte, a pioneer in this area,…

Versta Research Post

Top Trends of the Decade: Looking Back

As an industry driven by data and information, market research and public opinion polling has seen dramatic changes in the last ten years and will no doubt change quickly and in big ways during the next ten. Looking back, here are what we consider to be the five biggest changes that shaped current challenges faced…