A business research letter

A research assignment begins with the decision that the evidence must support.

Formulate decision question, scope, target group, geography, period, definitions and evidence threshold. Split unknowns into sub-questions and determine suitable primary, official and secondary sources.

Note in advance what the research cannot prove and who checks interpretations. Deep research and web research help, but do not replace source evaluation.

Decision
Scope
Definitions
Source plan
Evidence threshold
Limitation

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A market study first defines what 'SME' and 'potential customer' mean in Belgium.

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Write a research brief for [decision] with scope, definitions, sub-questions, source hierarchy, exclusions, evidence threshold, and decision note.

Your practical assignment

Have the decision-maker approve scope and evidence threshold before research.

4.2

Building a market map

Separate market definition, segments, size estimation, dynamics, and assumptions.

Create inclusion and exclusion rules and map customer segments, problems, providers, channels, substitutes, and rules. Use multiple estimates when hard data is lacking.

Label top-down, bottom-up, and proxy calculations with date, geography, and source quality. An exact number without a robust source is false precision.

Market boundary
Segments
Substitutes
Estimate
Source quality
Sensitivity

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A Belgian service market is estimated bottom-up from numbers of enterprises and plausible annual expenditure.

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Create a market map for [market] in [region]. Define boundaries, segments, substitutes, drivers, and three estimates. Label source, year, and uncertainty.

Your practical assignment

Calculate one segment top-down and bottom-up and explain the difference.

4.3

Competition research with evidence

Compare claims only on the same definition, period, and source basis.

Separate direct competitors, alternatives, and doing nothing. Gather offer, target audience, price logic, channel, evidence, positioning, and visible limitations. Marketing language is not an independent performance measurement.

Save URL, publication, and observation date. Indicate unknown when price or capacity is not public; do not fill it in silently.

Comparison set
Definitions
Source evidence
Date
Unknown
Alternatives

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A matrix separates public price, derived price, and non-available price.

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Build a competitive matrix for [category]. Use the same criteria. Provide source, date, and status confirmed, derived, or unknown for each cell. Add do-nothing.

Your practical assignment

Check five competitor claims in the original source.

4.4

Structuring customer research

AI helps find patterns, but sampling and questioning determine what you learn.

Define target audience, recruitment, research question, and exclusions. Use interviews for depth, surveys for broader patterns, and behavioral data for actual actions. Do not ask leading questions.

Pseudonymize where appropriate, limit access and link themes to evidence fragments. A small qualitative sample is not representative.

Sample
Non-directive
Method
Evidence quote
Privacy
Limitation

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Ask 'how did you solve this last time?' instead of 'would our AI solution be useful?'.

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Design customer research for [hypothesis] with target audience, recruitment, ten questions, privacy agreement, analysis method, and confirmation criteria.

Your practical assignment

Conduct three interviews and code statements with source fragment and counter-evidence.

4.5

Triangulating sources

More sources only help when origin and method really differ.

Compare source type, original publication, method, population, period, and interests. Ten websites repeating the same press release form one source chain.

In case of conflict, first look for differences in definition, period, or method. Make unresolved conflicts visible and state which additional evidence changes the decision.

Origin
Method
Period
Interest
Conflict
Additional evidence

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Two growth figures appear to use different regions and base terms.

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Triangulate [claims]. Create a source network for each claim with origin, method, period, and importance. Explain conflicts and missing evidence.

Your practical assignment

Draw the source chains for three major claims.

4.6

From research to policy note

Separate evidence, interpretation, options, risk, and recommendation.

Start with the decision question and core answer. Show facts with sources, assumptions, alternatives, and what would change the conclusion. The recommendation follows from predetermined criteria.

Add counter-evidence, minority interpretation, and missing information. An authorized person makes the decision and archives source versions.

Decision question
Facts
Assumptions
Options
Counter-evidence
Recommendation

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A market entry note advises a limited pilot and identifies which supporting evidence is still too weak.

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Write a decision note from [research] with the core decision, evidence, assumptions, options, criteria, counter-evidence, risks, and reversible next step.

Your practical assignment

Have a critic point out one decisive assumption and one missing alternative.

Market, Competition, and Customer Research

A business research letter

Building a market map

Competition research with evidence

Structuring customer research

Triangulating sources

From research to policy note

Bring everything together