The Art and Science of Interpreting Market Research Evidence [Hardcover]

UK researchers Smith & Fletcher write clearly with a fine knack of turning the art and science of research analysis into a logical, well-explained process that incorporates not just hard quantitative evidence, but also qualitative research as well as - and this is what takes the book ahead of the field - the experience and judgment of the researcher as well. In essence they advocate a more holistic approach to incisive market research analysis: don't rely on one source, weigh up the broad spectrum of evidence, allow for imperfect data, apply some of your own knowledge filters (in my company and others these are simply known as BS Detectors)and don't forget to try reframing the data: looking at it from different contexts.

The techniques are all well explained, (including the mathematical techniques, not just the conceptual) and the authors do an admirable job of summarising their main points and making this a user-friendly "how-to" guide. Well done.

You can even go on-line and share with your colleagues an on-line tutorial based on this volume: so this text makes a really effective platform for training new staff and providing a refresher for more experienced researchers who may intuitively do a good job but may be assisted with a spritzer of more holistic thinking as well as with a re-establishment of first principles.

I do have criticisms of this book, and for these I've deducted one star.

My main criticism: the authors quite openly hold back some of their more progressive thinking, so what we get is a great roadmap that takes us to the goldfield, but doesn't quite help us hit paydirt. I found this particularly with their frequent reference to Bayesian thinking - an idea they raise but don't really explore. As such, I feel the book is somewhat "5 years ago" and could easily withstand an updating in the near future.

Having said that; any book that gives analysts and market researchers the state of the art, even of 5 years ago, is still way ahead of most of the volumes on the market. Market researchers are not brilliantly served by the publishing marketplace, and most texts are either too statistically focused (they seem to forget that survey data is pretty lumpy, categorical stuff based on questions that ask humans to somehow quantify their complex feelings)or too far based in marketing without giving us the crunch we need to turn data into hard-core insights. Most are simply too shallow - Research 101 written for marketers but not research practitioners.

Not here. This volume strikes a fine pragmatic, realistic balance in showing us how to use not just the mathematical tools we have available, but also our brains as experienced researchers confronting an array of soft and hard evidence. Art and science.

The authors successfully structure the big picture in a way that helps researchers navigate more clearly through research and analysis challenges.

I've recommended this volume to many colleagues senior and not so senior. If you're in market research you'll find this very useful both for you and your team.