The Researcher's Guide to Spotting Red Flags in Contracts

In this Conversations for Research Rockstars episode, host Kathryn Korostoff tackles one of the trickiest challenges in survey design—choosing the best possible answer options for the questions we’ve so carefully crafted. Using clear, real-world examples, she offers practical guidance on: When to use unipolar vs. bipolar scales How to choose between odd- and even-point scales—and explain your choice to stakeholders  When to consider less common options like rank order or constant sum Whether we’re designing a questionnaire for market research, CX research, or UX research, this episode delivers best practices that experienced survey researchers rely on to ensure every question is supported by the optimal answer options. #MarketResearch #QuantitativeResearch #CustomerInsights #ConsumerBehavior Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations. We believe it: Inside every market researcher is a Research Rockstar!  http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]

What happens when clients feel dissatisfied after the very first in-depth interview? Often, it’s not about objectives or discussion guides—it’s about mismatched expectations on style. In this conversation, Kathryn Korostoff unpacks the difference between highly structured and semi-structured IDIs and why alignment upfront is essential for success.  Learn more about Research Rockstar’s training and staffing resources for research professionals here: https://rarquote.paperform.co/ Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  **We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!** Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]

Contracts may not be the most exciting part of our work as researchers—but they can make or break a project.  In this Research Rockstar Conversation, Kathryn Korostoff talks with Benjamin de Seingalt, Esq., Corporate Counsel and Director of Privacy and Compliance at MarketVision Research, about the growing complexity of contracts in market research and insights work. Together, they explore: Why contracts are bigger and more detailed today How privacy regulations shape what goes into agreements Red flags researchers should watch for Four practical tips for navigating research contracts For anyone working in market research—whether agency-side, client-side, or an independent contractor, this episode will help you spot issues before they derail a project. 👉 Want to go deeper? Check out our course on Ethical and Legal Topics for Market Researchers at Research Rockstar. Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!  Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]

In this episode, we explore the Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework, a model embraced by many companies, including leading CPG brands, financial services, tech companies, and more. Your host, Kathryn Korostoff, gives you a brief overview of what JTBD is and how market researchers can use it to move beyond a superficial understanding of customer needs. Whether it's for physical products or services, understanding the real motivations behind purchases and brand choices is crucial. In professional market research, we know that customer decision-making is seldom rational and often more complex than it appears. While there are various frameworks we can use to gain deeper customer insights, JTBD is a useful framework for identifying innovation, differentiation, and segmentation opportunities. What is the customer's ultimate aspiration for using this product or service? What are they trying to accomplish? In this episode, examples illustrate the model's potential, using examples from cars, refrigerators, and coffee makers. Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar! Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars. HTTP://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 702 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]  

Join host Kathryn Korostoff and special guest Dan Braker, President of Breakthrough Research, for a deep dive into the power of authenticity in shaping consumer decisions and brand loyalty. This episode explores the critical role authenticity plays in building lasting connections between brands and their customers. Drawing on psychological research, learn how authenticity impacts consumer decision-making and brand loyalty, and how these factors vary across different demographics. Dan introduces Breakthrough Research's innovative approach to measuring brand authenticity, offering new perspectives on evaluating its impact. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the importance of genuine connections in the marketplace. For more on Breakthrough Research, visit their website. Brands (and people) need to be authentic in order to form long-lasting connections with their customers. Traditional market research approaches may measure brand appeal or purchase interest, but they may be missing out on the important aspect of authenticity. To learn more about Breakthrough Researcher's authenticity model, check out their LinkedIn page.  In the episode, Dan also mentioned the broader work of Breakthrough's Chief Innovation Officer, Abrahama M. Rutchick, Ph.D. We recommend learning more about Abe's work here. Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar! Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  https://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales

What is your team's position on the continuum from basic to bold of AI so far? Is the status on the basic end, with AI used for personal productivity but not much else? Or is your team looking to leapfrog conventional methods with new AI-driven customer insights-driving products and services? Hint: your team is more on the bold end if it is already piloting solutions that include components such as avatars/conversational AI, data-to-text, image analysis, or synthetic data.  Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning courses are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar! Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]  

Learn how to avoid analysis bias in global market research studies. Conducting global studies requires careful planning and data collection, but analyzing the results can be even more challenging. Human beings have inherent biases that can impact data analysis, compromising the quality and accuracy of research reports. In this video, we share three types of bias that can infiltrate our research reports. Enhance your market research skills and deliver an unbiased and reliable analysis of your quantitative and qualitative studies by being aware of these common analysis pitfalls. This episode includes an excerpt from the Research Rockstar training course, Conducting Global Market Research. For more details on this course, visit bit.ly/GlobalMRX Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning courses are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association IPC Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar! Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]     

As professional market researchers, one of our biggest challenges is access to quality sample. We have all had the experience of having to toss out 10% or even 20% or more of research respondents because they were likely bots, fakes, or otherwise low-quality responses. While online sample is problematic for both B2B and B2C studies, the "solutions" may be different. In this episode, our experts tackle the topic of B2B: how can we efficiently recruit authentic, qualified participants for B2B research? Join Kathryn Korostoff and Sharekh Shaikh, CEO of CleverX, as they discuss how to optimize B2B recruiting for both qualitative and survey research projects. Sharekh has a unique POV on this topic—one that will surely challenge current assumptions about how to get access to high-quality, authentic B2B respondents! At 05:10, Sharekh references ESOMAR research regarding the percentage of fraudulent online survey responses, so we wanted to share the source of that statistic: Technology’s role in preventing fraud. CleverX is an audience discovery platform for market and product research teams, specializing in B2B sample. To learn more about the company and the work Sharekh does, please see the links below! CleverX | CleverX on LinkedIn | Sharekh Shaikh on LinkedIn | [email protected] | 415-318-6857 Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are offered on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  **We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!** Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  http://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook  X (Twitter) LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 701 for Sales [email protected]

Newer researchers may not realize how much of the work in Market Research and Insights is in socializing the results. We don't just send a report out by email and nothing else... not unless we want the research to be ignored. Successful researchers help their clients/stakeholders socialize the research results to influence and persuade. In this episode, Kathryn Korostoff is joined by Kory Grushka, Founder and CEO of Stories Bureau. Kory's company is a creative agency with experience helping major CPG and Tech brands harness the power of visual storytelling capabilities for insights professionals, including highlights on client & researcher risk aversion and overcoming reporting challenges.  Kory Grushka is the Founder and Creative Director of Stories Bureau, a boutique creative agency focused on B2B content and internal creative for Fortune 500 companies. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or learn more at storiesbureau.com Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning classes are on-demand and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar! Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  HTTP://www.researchrockstar.com/ Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext. 703 for Support, 707 for Sales [email protected]

How will AI impact the work, and careers, of Market Research & Insights Professionals? Is it doom and gloom, a welcome revolutionary advancement, or does it lie somewhere in the middle? Enjoy this video of instructors Jim Newswanger and Kathryn Korostoff for a discussion about AI's current, and potentially future, impact on the entire cycle of market research projects.  Conversations for Research Rockstars is produced by Research Rockstar Training & Staffing. Our 25+ Market Research eLearning courses are offered on-demand, and include options to earn Insights Association Certificates. Our Rent-a-Researcher staffing service places qualified, fully-vetted market research experts, covering temporary needs due to project and resource fluctuations.  ***We believe it: Inside every market researcher, is a Research Rockstar!*** Hope you enjoy this episode of Conversations for Research Rockstars.  Research Rockstar  Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn 877-Rocks10 ext 703 for Support, 707 for Sales [email protected]