Government Digital and Data’s Post

Researchers are outnumbered. We are usually invited to the party quite late and join teams where the ratio to researchers is 5 to 1 or even 10 to 1. Let alone when you're the first UXR around. So, how do you have an impact as a researcher when you're outnumbered? Stop thinking of impact in linear terms. It's not just about gathering data and delivering insights for one project for one specific team. You need to increase the surface of that impact. How can you help people across the org learn more and better and therefore make better decisions? How can you make use of all your research expertise, other than just gathering data? Think of places where you can leverage your expertise and make a huge difference. Maybe help one team with their surveys and help them get better data, maybe help another team make sense of feedback from customer support tickets. The more you do this, the more good quality data is appreciated and the more decisions will be influenced. And there's where the impact lies: in decisions.

🌟 "Curiosity is crucial for innovation. We are all born curious, but only a small number of people remain curious for a lifetime." In surveys and data collection, curiosity drives us to ask the right questions, delve deeper into understanding behaviors, and uncover the insights that lead to groundbreaking solutions. This innate curiosity transforms data into meaningful narratives and fosters continuous improvement and innovation. At Curious Insights, we embody this spirit of lifelong curiosity in every project we undertake. Our team is dedicated to exploring beyond the surface, constantly seeking to understand the '𝐰𝐡𝐲' behind the data. We don’t just collect information; we interpret and analyze it to provide actionable insights that help our clients stay ahead of the curve. By maintaining our curiosity, we differentiate ourselves through our commitment to thorough, insightful, and forward-thinking research. Join us in embracing curiosity as the cornerstone of innovation and discover the difference it can make in understanding your market and driving success. #CuriousInsights #Innovation #MarketResearch #Curiosity #QuantitativeResearch #QualitativeResearch Manish Bahl

𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲: 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 🧩 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗧 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 One of the joys (and headaches) of building the 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝗗𝗼𝗧) 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 is navigating the obstacles that pop up when theory meets practice. My latest challenge? Deciding between Global Normalization and User-Specific Normalization for measuring topic and source variety. I was on a roll creating the analytics and models, and now I find myself stepping back to research the best approach to this unexpected challenge. While I don’t have an issue with Cold Start (see my previous post), normalization has thrown me for a loop. I did not see this one coming... Let me explain the dilemma: For source variety, if I score users against their own content consumption history, as long as they’ve engaged with more than one outlet, their entropy will be high. After all, they’re consuming content from multiple outlets—even if it’s just two. But common sense says that relying on only two sources isn’t very diverse. This brings me to global normalization (benchmarking against the total number of unique outlets in the entire dataset). It sounds like a solid alternative but feels like chasing a moving target. With new outlets constantly emerging, the benchmark would keep shifting, making it unnecessarily hard for users to level up their score. Would it make more sense to calculate the median number of outlets per user and benchmark against that instead? This way, the metric reflects a user’s diversity relative to the behavior of others rather than an ever-expanding database of sources. Now, for topic variety, global normalization might actually work. Unlike sources, topics are finite and can be classified into a manageable number of categories (e.g., politics, science, entertainment). Since the “universe” of topics is relatively stable, global benchmarks here seem more practical and reliable. Building the 𝗗𝗼𝗧 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 has taught me that diversity is as much about nuance as it is about variety. I’d love to hear your perspectives on this issue—whether you’re a data scientist, a strategist, or just someone who loves exploring new ideas. #DoTScore #DiversityofThought #ThoughtLeadership #RecommenderSystems #MastersJourney

✨ State of User Research 2024 ✨ Behind the Data: A Research ~Vibe Check~ What's the current outlook on research careers? In our most recent report, we found that people are less optimistic about the future of the User Research industry itself than they were last year 😢 “The field of User Research offers expansive opportunities, but staying ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape is daunting. Continuous learning and adaptability are essential, and I feel that more resources could be dedicated to training and development," according to one respondent.

𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐘𝐞𝐭 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐬 📍 The Role of Empathy -In qualitative data analysis, we interpret the experiences, perceptions, and stories of others. It would be best if you put yourself in other people's shoes to do this accurately. -As a qualitative researcher, I often find myself deeply immersed in the lives of my participants. - I experience their joys, sorrows, hopes, and fears alongside them. - This emotional connection is vital because it drives the desire to ensure every participant's voice is heard and valued. - Empathy is the cornerstone of our work, ensuring that the voices we study are not just analyzed but genuinely understood and represented. - If you aspire to be a qualitative data analyst and lack empathy, I urge you to cultivate it to understand research participants deeply. - As a qualitative market researcher, you need empathy to advocate for customers. - If you are a qualitative user researcher, you need empathy to advocate for the user. - If you are a qualitative academic researcher, you need empathy to advocate for your research participants. - How has empathy played a role in your research experience? Share your thoughts below! 👇

THE #1 work trend for social scientists in 2024 is... 💥 Data-driven insights 💥 ➡️ The need for professionals who can interpret complex data sets through a social lens has skyrocketed . The ability to translate raw data into meaningful narratives about human behavior and societal dynamics is in high demand. Social scientists now play a critical role in shaping policies, business strategies, and societal interventions. Interdisciplinary collaboration is IN right now with social scientists increasingly partnering with tech, healthcare, and environmental sectors to tackle real-world problems like... ✅️ Inequality and DEI initiatives ✅️ Climate change challenges ✅️ Mental health crises ✅️ Dynamic change management Embracing this shift positions social scientists at the forefront of critical decision-making in today's data-centric world. #SocialScience #DataAnalytics #WorkTrends #Interdisciplinary

🚀 Embracing Curiosity: The Heartbeat of Market Research In the ever-evolving business landscape, the power of curiosity cannot be overstated. It’s the driving force that pushes us to delve deeper, ask better questions, and uncover insights that fuel innovation and growth. Curiosity isn’t just about seeking answers; it’s about understanding the ‘why’ behind those answers, about seeing the world through a lens of perpetual inquiry. At Curious Insights, we live by this philosophy: ➡️ By humanizing our approach, we connect with respondents on a deeper level, ensuring that their voices are truly heard and understood. ➡️ We don’t just gather data; we uncover stories, trends, and nuances that help our clients make informed, strategic decisions. ➡️ Our commitment to curiosity means we’re constantly evolving, adapting our methodologies, and staying ahead of the curve to deliver insights that matter. Let's continue to ask questions, explore new avenues, and push the boundaries of what's possible! #CuriosityDriven #MarketResearch #Innovation #CuriousInsights #QuantitativeResearch #Qualitativeresearch Manish Bahl

Well done to Behaviorally's Gisella Emiliani Lazerson (Director, Behavioral Qualitative), Kevin Garcia, MBA (Insights Analyst, Behavioral Qualitative), and Rob Frain (Project Manager, Consumer Insights), for their amazing work recently conducting qualitative fieldwork with clients! Contact your local team today, to learn more about Behaviorally's full suite of behavioral qualitative products: https://hubs.ly/Q02y79Tv0 #insights #insightsindustry #marketresearch #qual #qualitative #qualitativeresearch #wearebehaviorally #behaviorallyinc

Market Research: The Unsung Hero of Decision-Making Working in the market research industry, I’ve come to realize how vital our role is in shaping strategies, driving innovations, and ultimately, solving business puzzles. Yet, it’s often an industry that operates behind the scenes, quietly influencing decisions that create big impacts. What fascinates me most is how market research bridges the gap between numbers and narratives. It’s not just about data collection; it’s about finding the story hidden within the insights and helping businesses align with their audience. As the industry continues to evolve, we’re seeing a shift towards more agile methodologies, AI-powered analytics, and a deeper focus on consumer psychology. It's an exciting time to be part of this space! To my fellow researchers: What’s one trend or challenge in market research that’s catching your attention lately? Let’s share and learn together! #MarketResearch #Insights #DataToDecisions

Day 2 If you think your research experience only matters in academia, think again. Corporate tech companies thrive on data-driven decisions. The ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data effectively is invaluable in roles like Product Manager, Data Scientist, or UX Researcher. Practice translating your research experience into industry-relevant terms. For example, if you worked on statistical analysis, frame it as "applied quantitative analysis to deliver actionable insights," and relate it to solving a business problem. #RAACoaching #PhDStudents #studentlife