slideshare ppt on research

Wednesday 12 September 2012

Guidelines for Success for informal researcher


 

 Guidelines for Success
Implementing an informal research program is challenging —  you must be careful the information you use for decision making is based on "good" research.  We often tell our clients that no research  is better than flawed research. 

Some general guidelines for making informal research a success include:
  start small then build on past efforts — setting excessively ambitious goals or expectations is usually a recipe for failure;

  have a single point of contact — designate one  person as the informal research "manager."  This person should be fully aware of every research effort, and have the authority to drop or change any suggested program that may interfere with other efforts, is judged too vague, or does not support  strategic goals;

  monitor and adapt — it's usually impossible to know which informal research methods will produce good results.  Monitor techniques to see which best fit your specific goals and membership.  Drop techniques that fail, maximize those that succeed;

  consider using outside resources — outside professionals can objectively evaluate research objectives, assist with research methodologies that require extensive experience, and provide alternatives you may not have considered.

Perhaps the most important rule is to use the information collected.  Don't keep it on a shelf — circulate results to all staff.  And be sure to let the most important group — your members — know what you're learning from your research and what actions you plan to implement. 

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