Data-driven decisions and recommendation reports come from documented research on a topic. Secondary research involves gathering and analyzing existing data, studies and reports to support your own recommendations. Primary research involves collecting and analyzing new, firsthand data to address the specific problem your report seeks to solve. This help page offers tips and steps for the research and how to cite your work.

What to Do

Identify Appropriate Sources

Think tank work requires credible information. Consider these types of sources:

• • Scholarly Journals: Look for peer-reviewed articles on relevant databases (e.g., Google Scholar, JSTOR).
  • Government Reports: Agencies like the Department of Energy or Department of Transportation often have relevant data and analyses.
  • Think Tank Publications: Research from other reputable think tanks can provide valuable insight and data points.
  • Expert Interviews: Consider reaching out to experts in your field, with permission from your supervisor.

Don’t aimlessly search about on Google. Act with intention in the process:

1. Target your Search: Use well-defined keywords, Advanced Search, databases, and networks to narrow the results

2. Assess Reliability: Always critically evaluate your sources, considering their authorship, potential biases, and publication date. These qualities don’t inherently make something “bad,” but they are key to your overall understanding and the weight you give them.

3. Connect to your Purpose: Align your secondary research with the problems and goals outlined in your recommendation report. The research should advance your knowledge on the problem, need, and criteria from the report. The data is used to compare the options based on your criteria framework.

4. Avoid Overreliance: While secondary research is valuable, balance it with other forms of data collection (surveys, interviews, etc.), when possible. You are required to generate some new data and information related to your topic for this report.

5. Organize Effectively: Create tables, summaries, or a dedicated section in your report to synthesize major findings from secondary sources.

6. Give Credit: Always cite your sources properly! This demonstrates your rigor as a researcher and avoids accusations of plagiarism. Add your sources to the reference manager as you find them.

Generating New Data

Primary research is a process of gathering new information directly from the source. It involves various methods that can be used to collect data, such as interviews, surveys, experiments, and case studies. Select one of the criteria in your plan and decide which form of primary research would give you data to inform the recommendation.

Interviews

Interviews, on the other hand, are used to gather in-depth information from a smaller group of people. They can be conducted one-on-one or in a group setting. Interviews are useful when trying to understand the opinions, attitudes, and behaviors of the people being interviewed.

• Purpose: To gain in-depth insights, opinions, and qualitative data directly from experts or stakeholders.
• When to Use:
  • To explore complex issues where in-depth understanding is needed.
  • To understand the perspectives of those affected by the problem.
  • To obtain anecdotal evidence or illustrate challenges.
• Tips:
  • Prepare open-ended, non-leading questions such as:
    • What are the biggest barriers (technical, financial, policy-related) hindering a faster transition to sustainable technologies?
    • What are some successful examples of cities that have effectively addressed [traffic congestion/ affordable housing/etc.]? What lessons can we learn from them?
    • How do you balance the need for robust security with the need for user-friendly systems?
  • Consider a mix of structured and semi-structured interviews.
    • A semi-structured interview is more like a conversation. You will go in with a few big questions but allow the chat to evolve. A structured interview is more like a straight Q&A.
  • Record interviews (with permission) or take meticulous notes.

Simple Surveys

Surveys are a common primary research method used to gather data from a large group of people. It involves asking a set of questions to a sample of the population. Surveys are usually conducted through online surveys, phone calls, or face-to-face interviews.

• Purpose: To gather quantitative data from a larger number of individuals.
• When to Use:
  • To gauge public opinion or customer preferences.
  • To identify common trends or pain points.
  • To collect statistical data to support your recommendations.
• Tips:
  • Keep surveys short and focused (ideally under 10 questions).
  • Use a mix of question types (multiple choice, ratings, open-ended).
  • Consider online survey tools for convenient distribution.
    • Microsoft or Google Forms work great for this. You can send them to your classmates, post them in a related Reddit or Discord, or post a flyer around campus with the QR code.

Experiments

Experiments are used to test a hypothesis and determine the cause-and-effect relationship between different variables. Experiments involve manipulating one or more variables and observing the effect on the outcome. This method is useful when trying to establish a causal relationship between two or more variables.

• Purpose: To test the effectiveness of a solution under controlled conditions.
• When to Use:
  • If your report involves developing or comparing new technologies or interventions.
  • When a high degree of accuracy is needed to prove the potential impact of a recommendation.
• Tips:
  • Carefully design your experiment, including control groups and variables you’ll measure.
  • Consider limitations like sample size and generalizability.

Case Studies

Case studies are a type of primary research that is commonly used to investigate a particular phenomenon. They involve an in-depth analysis of a specific case, such as an individual, organization, event, or situation, to gain a better understanding of the underlying factors and dynamics that contribute to it.

• Purpose: To analyze a specific project, program, or situation in real-world detail.
• When to Use:
  • To understand the implementation challenges and successes of a potential solution.
  • To illuminate potential benefits and drawbacks that aren’t captured in general statistics.
• Tips:
  • Select case studies relevant to your topic.
  • Use a mix of data sources and run your own calculations. The value of a case study as primary research is in combining and analyzing a situation in a way that hasn’t been published or done before.

Additional Considerations:

• Ethics: Always get the necessary approvals and informed consent when conducting primary research involving people.
• Data Analysis: Plan how you’ll analyze the data you collect. Consider basic statistical methods or qualitative coding for themes.
• Triangulation: Strengthen your findings by combining multiple primary research methods or balancing primary and secondary research.

AI Disclosure: Some base content was generated with Google Gemini and edited by the author. Prompt: Create a summary of primary research for a recommendation report. Focus on interviews, simple surveys, experiments, and case studies. Include examples. 3/14/2024