Insights typically consist of facts that will help the client understand an industry, company, or other sector or area. These facts can be either qualitative or quantitative in nature.

For an industry, insights may consist of factors that are influencing industry players, the state of the industry, and/or its growth, among others.

For a company, insights may include the company’s innovations, evolution, or sustainability efforts, among others.

The Research Criteria will define the topic the client would like insights into, the types of insights needed, and the number of insights to include.

Minimum Requirements

• 2-3 per Insights per 3-hour request. If the topic is well-known and information is abundant, please provide additional information as time allows.
• Niche: Not easily understandable or recognizable by a layperson - a new / emerging, highly specialized topic/company/product/industry. Examples: Agricultural law, roofing tile, computer-assisted orthopedic surgery (CAOS), etc.
• Well-known/Popular: A viral, trending, recognizable, newsworthy topic/company/product/ industry with plenty of readily available precompiled information. Examples: Beauty, fashion, wearables, co-working spaces, sports, home design, self-driving cars, AI, furniture, etc.
• For each insight, provide:
  • A header for each insight
  • A minimum of 3 bullet points for each header supported by analysis, statistics, or examples.
  • Provide a minimum of one image per 3-hour request. If possible, add an image for each concept discussed.

Identifying Insights

• Always start with a direct search using keywords and search strings. If you cannot find information through a general search, use more specific search strings, Boolean, and X-ray searches, as well as filters to pull relevant results.

  <aside> 🧠 Note: Search strings and advanced search methods e.g., X-ray and Boolean search are tools, not strategies. Do not mention these in your research reports. Instead, mention the publishers of the resources, reports, and databases consulted (e.g., International Data Group (IDG)).

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• Use market research and business databases such as IBISWorld and ReportLinker to find market research reports on your topic. MIT Libraries and UBC Library provide a comprehensive list of industry-specific market research databases.

• Typically, most of the information for an insights project can be found in the preview of market research reports, even if these reports are paywalled. Use these reports as a starting point and then corroborate and enhance your findings using reputed news and media articles.

• Review publications such as annual reports, whitepapers, surveys, newsletters, and magazines from trade associations in the industry. For example, the American Dental Association publishes the Economic Outlook and Emerging Issues in Dentistry survey every month that can provide valuable information for the dental industry. The ADA also publishes the Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey Report which provides insight into the challenges faced by dentists.

  <aside> 🧠 Note: If a report is paywalled, look for press releases related to the report as they often carry valuable information from paywalled reports. For example, this press release summarizes key results from the Dentist Health and Well-Being Survey Report by ADA.

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• Look for industry reports from key players and consulting firms such as EY, Deloitte, PwC, and Accenture. These reports often provide an overview of the industry, the current state of the industry, the future outlook of the industry, and /or innovations in the industry.

• Use expert interviews and news and media articles to identify insights, and/or find quotes, examples, and statistics to back up your research.

Findings