Welcome to Marvist WebResearch Blog

The invention of the Internet has been one of the major events that touched the lives of almost every one of us either directly or indirectly. With the advent of the World Wide Web, information has just become another commodity unlike as early as just a decade ago. Web research enables to utilize this phenomenon of Information revolution to aid better business decision making.

Wondering whether World Wide Web has that information that you could use? The following are some of the interesting statistics on the Internet and the information available -

• According to Net Craft, there are 225,950,957 Websites online in August 2009.
• According to Google and Bing, the total number of web pages or addresses well exceeds 1 trillion, much more than the total population of the earth, which is just around 6.7 billion. According to Bing, if one were to read all the information stored on the web, it may take 600,000 decades of non-stop reading to finish the huge virtual stack.
• English is the most popular language online, according to IWS. More than 80% of home pages on the Web are in English, while the next greatest, German, has only 4.5% and Japanese 3.1%. (englishenglish.com), and 29.4% of the Internet users use English to communicate (IWS). This clearly means more information in English is available online than any other language.
• According to IDC research, the total bits of digital information created in 2008 –
  3,892,179,868,480,350,000,000 (Calculated to be 487 billion gigabytes). Looking forward, the information is expected to double in size every 18 months. The information created in 2012 will be five times to what is created in 2008.
• By 2012, 850 million people will buy and sell products and services on the Internet and Internet commerce will double to 2008.

Differences Between Web Browsing and Research

Today Internet is one of the major sources of information. You can find information on almost any topic you desire on Internet. It is a huge database of useful information. It is a major repository of scholarly journals, news, books, magazines and other general information.

Two common user approaches for information access on the Internet are browsing and research. Though both are used to get the information they are very different. Specifically, the purpose, quality, time taken, strategies involved, and skill required to get the required information are very different for browsing and research.

Purpose and focus
Browsing through Internet is usually more for the purposes of entertainment and general interest. Browsing is for time pass. You stop when you get bored. Browsers work without any intent to get credible information. Browsers have tendency to get off track by the information presented on the Internet. With browsing you start somewhere and end at a totally different place. Where as, research is more for professional uses. Researchers are intent-driven and will be looking for some specific information by setting objectives. They define their objectives clearly. The objectives will be like bulls eye, which help them to stay focused on their goal.

Strategy
Browsing is generally unstructured form of searching for information. It involves navigation through information collection. It does not have any specific task to get the required information. Where as, research uses a series of queries to retrieve credible information from the Internet. Research follows a series of instructions to search, find and obtain the data.

Skill
Web research is not easy and requires considerable skills such as active mindset, vigorous hard work and patience, which are not necessary for browsing. Apart from these, a good knowledge of how the search engine works, different kinds of search operators and using the right keywords are very much essential to find and capture the relevant, latest and credible information. Search operators act as commands to the search engine to gain more specific outputs. The most commonly used search operators are the Boolean operators such as ‘AND’ ‘OR’ and ‘-‘ functions.

Time taken
Browsing doesn’t have any time limits. Due to its unstructured form, browsing the web may take more time or sometimes may not provide the desired information, even if it is readily available. Where as research is time bounded, where timelines are set clearly. Researchers usually work heads down and focus on what they are looking for, where to find the credible information and how to find the information. They know what is found till now and what exactly is to be found. They regularly narrow down their choices to get the desired information quickly.

Documentation
One of the main differences between the two is unlike net surfers, researchers save the data they have collected for further analysis. Later, when they are offline they analyze the collected data, draw the conclusions and document or present the information in simple terms, which is easy to understand.

Casually surfing for information on the Internet is not efficient in finding useful information. Where as research is more thorough and involves a lot of hard work and skill, for the same reasons, information will be of good quality.

Types of Research and Information Documents – III

This final part of the article discusses about Summary documents that give the essence of the report that can be either Analytical document or Informational document. Unlike the previous types of documents, a Summary document is much shorter and quickly presents the essence or gist of the larger version in a simple and concise way.

Summary Documents

Summary documents give a quick overview of the main or original work that helps to understand the big picture. They are used in almost all the fields ranging from academia, science to business. Every research, concept, report or informational document has some form summary to facilitate understanding the gist. A brief description of each of them is as below-

Datasheet
A datasheet is usually used in technical aspects. It is a document summarizing the technical specifications of an electronic component, technology, a system or software as a list. Usually, a datasheet looks like a spreadsheet with little description.

Typically, a datasheet is created by the author or manufacturer of the component. A datasheet helps in understanding the component better to use it properly.

Fact Sheet
It is a summary of data about an event, an organization, an issue, a product or a service. They are more popular online as they give quick basic information that can be printed out instantly.

A fact sheet contains a list of basic facts or key attributes about the subject. It is a simpler presentation of data on a subject as key points with a simple structure in less space. They may contain lists, statistics, points in FAQ form, and in how-to style.

‘Onepage’ is a type of Fact sheet.

Abstract
Abstract is a brief summary or abridgement of a larger complex work, such as a research article, book, and thesis. Abstracts are mainly used in academic research to let the readers know the essence of the work quickly avoiding them to go through the entire work to understand the subject matter. Abstract is the research work in a nutshell that is usually in a single page.

Executive Summary
Executive summary is usually used in business for a summary of a longer report or a proposal. Executive summary is written for an executive who will not have enough time to read the original or entire report. It is prepared in such a way that readers can rapidly become aware of the larger version without reading it. It is intended to aid decision making by business managers.

An executive summary differs from an abstract in the structure and purpose. An abstract is short and provides a neutral overview or orientation rather than being a condensed version of the full document like an executive summary. Unlike an abstract, it can be more than a single page based on the original report and contains conclusions and recommendations.

Types of Research and Information Documents – II

The second part of the article discusses about informational documents. As the documents confine themselves only to present information, they are aptly named as Informational documents. Unlike Analytical papers, they will not discuss about an issue or a research problem. They cover many areas in the process of gaining comprehensiveness of the subject.

Informational Documents

These documents involve lot of research and documentation about a subject or many subjects of broader scope that is useful to a fairly large section of the people. They are primarily published to give information to public. These documents are mostly used in politics and industry. These documents are often updated in the process to be contemporary and relevant to the current times. Blue Book and Living document come under this category. A brief description of each of them is as below-

Blue Book

Blue book or Bluebook is a term often referring to an almanac or other compilation of statistics and information. A prominent example is the Blue Book published annually by the Office for National Statistics of UK that contains the estimates of the domestic and national product, income and expenditure for the United Kingdom. In industry, the industry bodies release Blue Book that contains information related to the companies in that industry.

A Blue Book acts as an authoritative reference to the information related to the field. Primarily, it is a compilation of statistics and information updated on a yearly basis.

Living Document

A living document is a document, which is continually edited and updated by either a limited or an unrestricted group, for example- an article in Wikipedia. A living document may or may not have a proper framework for updates, changes, or adjustments. The United States Constitution is sometimes considered a living document as it can be reinterpreted and updated endlessly by judges without actual amendment.

The main purpose of the constant updates is to make the document achieve comprehensiveness over the subject in the course of time.

In business, a living document is more structured and exists as a shared document among the employees. It may be a draft work initially, which transforms into a more acceptable document over a series of modifications that finally standardizes with the consent of the employees involved. However, it is open to modifications even at this stage.

The common aspect of the information documents is they just present data in a structured manner, facilitating different kinds of applications by different users for diverse purposes. In the next and final part of the article, we will discuss about summary documents.

Types of Research and Information Documents – I

Research and information documents give useful insights on a specific point or data to understand the bigger picture of the subject. These documents are broadly categorized into three types as mentioned below based on their basic purpose –

1. Analytical documents
2. Informational documents
3. Summary documents

This is the first part of the article that talks about the analytical documents.

Analytical Documents or Papers

These documents involve lot of research and analysis about an issue or a subject that will have a considerable impact on a fairly large section of people. These documents are used in various fields such as politics, business, and science. Green Paper, White Paper, Purpose Paper, and After Action Report come under this category. A brief description of each of the type is as below-

Green Paper

The Green Paper is usually used by the Government. It is strictly aimed at stimulating discussion on an issue among the public or the interested parties to get the consensus. Once the consensus is reached, a green paper may result in a White paper, which is a basis of a bill. It is only a first-draft document and does not represent the final policy. It will accept modifications in the process of consultation and debate.

The purpose of the Green paper is to have a robust debate over the issue in order to throw light on all the aspects of the issue that may finally results in a flawless policy. It prepares the ideal ground for a fruitful discussion.

A green paper usually presents a range of ideas (usually listed) that are unbiased and objective as it is meant to invite all the interested individuals or organizations to contribute views and information.

White Paper

A white paper is an authoritative work that addresses a problem(s) and recommends a solution. In some cases, White Paper follows Green Paper. Unlike Green Paper, a White Paper is also often used in business and technical subjects apart from politics. A White Paper provides an in-depth analysis of a subject, technology, trend, product or a process. White papers are predominantly informational rather than promotional material. A White paper educates and guides readers and helps to understand the issue clearly and completely.

We can divide white paper into three types based on their purpose in the fields they are circulated.

Government White Paper – Usually follows a Green Paper. White paper represents the policy and future course of action by the Government on an issue. It precedes a bill in the house to make a law.

Marketing White Paper – A white paper has become a standard marketing tool today. Here White Paper is used to inform and bring awareness on how a particular product or service can solve a problem benefiting the customer. It analyses a gap (need) in the market, what should be done, discusses several alternatives, technology/process underlying the alternatives, and guides towards the best alternative to serve the need of the customer.

A marketing White Paper answers why a particular product or service is better than competitors’ substitute products.

Technical White Paper – Discusses about a particular technology in all the dimensions. It is an informational instrument offering an overview of standards, feasibility, how a technology works, intricacies, results, issues, solutions – its importance, use and implementation, and benefits.

After Action Report (AAR)

An After Action Report (AAR) is a process of retrospective analysis of the execution of a project and its success generally done by the person behind the project. The AAR is done as part of performance evaluation and improvement. Earlier, AARs were usually used by Defense and Science communities. Modern-day examples of AARs include project evaluations in business, and retellings of large gaming sessions in computer games.

AAR focuses on lessons learned from an incident. It is complete only when it gives recommendations for improvements, as it is important for decision makers to plug the holes.

The structure of a general AAR is as follows-

1. Project Overview
2. Goals and objectives
3. Events synopsis
4. Analysis of outcomes
5. Analysis of critical tasks performance
6. Conclusions
7. Recommendations

Position Paper

A position paper presents an opinion or stance about an issue. Position papers are used in many fields such as politics, academics, science, business, law, and social organizations to give out their opinion or policy towards and issue. Position papers are often biased as it presents only one side of the issue like in a debate. It tries to convince or influence the audience to agree with the argument.

The position paper is published to generate support on an issue. It describes a position on an issue and the rational for that position.

A position paper should have-

• Evidence to support the argument, such as statistical facts
• Authoritative and highly reliable references

The common aspect of analytical papers is in depth research, detailed analysis and clear presentation. Analytical paper helps us to understand a problem and its backdrop comprehensively and guides through several alternatives towards a more optimum solution to the problem.

In the second part of the article, we will discuss about the Informational documents.

Role of Web Research in Recession

Recession hit consumers are buying less, looking for better deals, and switching to different brands or stores. There is a drastic change in their attitude towards consumption. As the degree of uncertainty in businesses has raised, it is very important for business owners to consider the current economic condition while planning their marketing strategies.

In these tough times, a good insight into current state of market and consumer behaviors is invaluable for business owners. Web research plays an important role in recession to help the businesses make right choices. It not only provides valuable information on the industry, product and competitors, but also helps to find a solution to evolve and survive.

Monitors current state of industry or product
In order to survive and succeed in tough times, a good knowledge on the current state of the industry or product is very important for a business. For some brands, detailed information on the market provides a good chance to grab the market share in recession.

Web research helps them to know about their brand’s position in the current market. It also provides vital information such as the market size, share and structure for the businesses. It monitors the current state of the product and helps in pricing, positioning and branding.

Insight into consumers’ behavior
Studying consumers’ behavior is very essential in recession. Consumers don’t stop spending, but they spend in different ways than earlier. Focusing and communicating with the potential, existing, and loyal customers of brand are helpful during the critical period to survive. Web research helps you to identify them in a quick and effective manner. It also provides insights into customers’ new expectations.

Explores potential markets
Despite the recession, consumption levels and brand preferences in some markets are good. Web research plays a critical role in identifying the markets that are growing. It also helps to set up and cement the brand in new markets by providing vital information on market trends, opportunities and key success factors in recession.

Monitors competitors
Monitoring the competitors is as important as monitoring your own business in recession. Awareness on how your competitors are working, branding and particularly pricing is the key to success.

Web research provides many useful insights into your competitors such as their promotional strategies, news and developments. This level of awareness on competitors will be helpful in making right tactical choices.

Inexpensive
One of the main reasons why web research is preferred over other methods in recession is due to its cost effectiveness. Web research is inexpensive, fast, and very useful for small, medium and even for big businesses during recession. A professional web research firm provides solid direction and insights at a relatively low cost compared to other methods of market research.

People have different assumptions of the market’s condition and consumer behaviors during recession. Don’t get carried away by old paradigms. Act smartly in recession. Invest in inexpensive and effective web research to get correct and analyzed report of the market.