---
name: original-research-reports
description: "Plan, run and publish original research that earns coverage and links: questions worth answering, surveys, proprietary and public data studies, indexes and expert panels, sampling and quotas, neutral questionnaires, data cleaning and analysis, story angles, a published method box with limits, report pages and distribution. Use whenever someone asks about original research, data studies, surveys for PR, industry reports, annual indexes, data-driven content for links or how to create research journalists cite."
license: CC-BY-4.0
metadata:
  author: Afeez Adebayo
  author_url: https://afeezadebayo.com
  author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
  author_x: https://x.com/za_icon
  source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/content-copy-pr/original-research-reports/
  category: marketing
  subcategory: content-copy-pr
  version: "1.0.0"
  created: "2026-10-10"
  updated: "2026-10-10"
---

# Original Research Reports

Original research is one of the most reliable ways to earn attention a company can't buy: journalists cite it, bloggers link to it, sales teams use it, AI answer engines quote it and audiences remember the brand behind the numbers. A good survey, data study or index can earn coverage and links for years if repeated annually. A weak one (leading questions, tiny samples, obvious findings) earns nothing and can damage credibility.

This skill plans, runs and publishes research reports for marketing and PR: choosing questions worth answering, methods, sampling, questionnaire design, analysis, honest reporting of limits, storytelling, design and distribution.

## Operating principles
1. **Answer a question people care about.** Journalists and audiences must want the answer.
2. **Method before headline.** Sound sampling and neutral questions make findings credible.
3. **Report openly.** Sample size, dates, method and limits published with the results.
4. **Find the story.** A few striking, useful findings beat a hundred charts.
5. **Plan distribution from the start.** Media, partners, sales and social plans before fieldwork.

## Research types
| Type | Example | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey | 1,000 finance leaders on month-end pain | Fresh opinions and behaviours | Sample bias, leading questions |
| Proprietary data study | Anonymised usage trends across customers | Unique, hard to copy | Privacy, consent, representativeness |
| Public data analysis | Government or open datasets analysed in a new way | Credible sources | Others can replicate |
| Index or benchmark | Annual ranking or scorecard | Recurring coverage | Method consistency over years |
| Expert panel or interviews | Qualitative insights from specialists | Depth | Small samples |

## When to use, and when not to
Use it to earn coverage and links, support thought leadership, give sales credible data, fill gaps in industry knowledge and build an annual content asset.

Don't use it to produce statistics that support a predetermined conclusion, or when you lack budget for a credible sample or method.

## Inputs to ask for, in one message
1. Goals (coverage, links, leads, sales enablement, thought leadership).
2. Audience and the questions they want answered.
3. Data available (customer data, panels, public datasets).
4. Budget for panels or fieldwork.
5. Experts to interpret results.
6. Legal and privacy constraints.

## Workflow

### Step 1. Find the question
List questions journalists and audiences ask; check what research already exists; pick a gap.

### Step 2. Choose the method
Survey, data study, public data, index or interviews, based on the question and resources.

### Step 3. Design the sample
Who, how many, where and how recruited; plan quotas for key segments.

### Step 4. Write neutral questions
Avoid leading wording, double questions and loaded options; pilot with a small group.

### Step 5. Collect and clean data
Remove speeders, duplicates and inconsistent responses; document what was removed.

### Step 6. Analyse
Top findings, segment differences, surprises; check significance where comparisons matter.

### Step 7. Find the story
Three to five headline findings with implications; expert commentary.

### Step 8. Publish
A report page with key findings, charts, method and downloadable data or PDF; press materials.

### Step 9. Distribute
Embargoed media outreach, partners, social cuts, sales one-pager, webinar.

## Questionnaire rules
| Rule | Poor | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Neutral wording | "How frustrating is manual reconciliation?" | "How would you describe manual reconciliation?" |
| One question at a time | "How fast and accurate is your close?" | Separate speed and accuracy questions |
| Balanced options | Mostly positive choices | Equal positive and negative options |
| Clear time frame | "Do you work late?" | "In the last month, how many evenings did you work late on month-end?" |
| Screening | None | Confirm role and company size first |

## Method box (publish with the report)
```
Method: Online survey of 1,012 finance leaders at companies with 50-1,000 employees in the UK and US, conducted 1-15 September 2026 by [panel provider].
Quotas: company size and country.
Margin of error: about plus or minus 3 percentage points at 95% confidence for the full sample.
Limitations: self-reported data; online panel.
```

## Report page structure
- Headline finding and a one-paragraph summary.
- Three to five key findings, each with a chart and a sentence of interpretation.
- Segment differences (size, sector, region).
- Expert commentary and implications.
- Method box and limitations.
- Downloadable PDF or data, with a citation line journalists can copy.
- Contact for media and interview requests.

## Embargo and outreach timeline
| When | Action |
|---|---|
| 2 weeks before | Shortlist journalists and publications; prepare press kit |
| 1 week before | Embargoed pitches with headline findings and expert availability |
| Launch day | Publish page, lift embargo, social cuts, newsletter, partners |
| Week after | Follow up with regional and trade angles; sales one-pager |
| Months after | Reuse findings in talks, articles and annual update |

## Finding the story
Look for findings that are surprising, useful or emotional: a gap between what people believe and what they do, a big difference between segments, a trend that reversed or a cost nobody had measured. Write each as a headline a journalist could use, then check it is supported by the data without stretching.

## Analysis checks
- Report base sizes for every chart and segment.
- Avoid comparing small subgroups as if differences were meaningful.
- Round sensibly and keep wording faithful to the question asked.
- Show distributions, not only averages, when they tell a different story.
- Have someone outside the team review findings before publishing.

## Annual indexes
Repeating a study each year with stable core questions creates trend stories journalists return to, and makes the report the reference source for the topic. Add a few new questions each year to keep it fresh, and keep past editions online with clear dates.

## Edge cases and judgement calls
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Small budget | Use proprietary data or public datasets instead of large surveys |
| Findings contradict your messaging | Publish anyway; credibility is the asset |
| Customer data | Anonymise and aggregate; check contracts and privacy rules |
| Annual repeats | Keep core questions stable for trends |
| Weak or obvious results | Find segment differences or don't publish |

## Handoffs to related skills
- Media outreach: `digital-pr`
- Thought leadership: `thought-leadership`
- Repurposing: `content-repurposing`
- Measurement: `content-pr-measurement`
- AI citations: the AEO & GEO `ai-citation-earning` skill
- Survey research for products: the Product Marketing `customer-research-interviews` skill

## Worked example
A UK accounting software company surveyed 500 small business owners about late payments, with quotas by sector and region and neutral questions piloted first. The headline finding (owners spent an average of several hours a week chasing unpaid invoices, with notable differences by sector) was published with a method box, sector charts and expert commentary. Embargoed pitches to business media and trade publications earned national coverage and dozens of links; the report became an annual index cited by journalists and in AI answers on late payments.

## Output format
```
# Research plan: <topic>, <date>
## Question and why it matters
## Method and sample
## Questionnaire (or data plan)
## Analysis plan
## Story angles
## Publishing and distribution plan
## Method box
```

## Common mistakes
- Leading questions designed to produce a headline.
- Samples too small or unrepresentative.
- No published method.
- Reports with dozens of findings and no story.
- No distribution plan.

## Questions to ask before you start
- What question will journalists and audiences want answered?
- Can we reach a credible sample within budget?
- How will we distribute the findings?

## Self-check before you answer
- Is the question relevant and unanswered?
- Are sampling and questions sound and neutral?
- Is the method published with limits?
- Is there a story and distribution plan?

## Further reading
- Market Research Society Code of Conduct: https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/code-of-conduct
- Pew Research Center on questionnaire design: https://www.pewresearch.org/our-methods/u-s-surveys/writing-survey-questions/

---
Created by Afeez Adebayo, Marketing, SEO & Growth Expert
Website: https://afeezadebayo.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afeez-adebayo/
X: https://x.com/za_icon
Source: https://afeezadebayo.com/skills-md/marketing/content-copy-pr/original-research-reports/

Licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). You may copy, share and adapt this skill, including for commercial use, as long as you credit Afeez Adebayo and link to the source URL above. Keep this notice in any copy or adapted version.