Our strengths and experience
· Financial services research, sensory research, research into the arts
· Communications research, including linguistic analysis, semiotics and readability testing.
The way we work
As researchers, it is our job to find insight. Insight does not just arrive pre-packaged on a researcher's metaphorical doorstep.
To see these insights, we need to straddle two worlds: the everyday world of our ‘respondents’ and the world of our clients. Our role is to develop techniques which help ordinary people tell our clients - via the research - what they think, feel and need.
To understand the everyday world, we design our research so that people tell us their stories. Ultimately, it is about remembering that the people who use and buy products and services are people, not 'consumers' or ‘respondents’.
To understand the choices that people make about products, brands or services, we recognise that we need to design research based on two key assumptions:
- Individuals live in a social world shaped by cultural forces.
- None of us has introspective access to our own thought-processes and motivations
The way we work with our clients
As researchers, the more we understand our client’s world - such as what matters to you in your organisation, how you will implement what we find out, and what impediments you may face – the more we can help you. So, we place a lot of value on engaging with our clients so that we see your research problem from your perspective. We need you to tell us your stories too!
We are strategic thinkers too - and this shows in how we present and report.
We conduct
· Qualitative research
· Quantitative research
· Semiotic analysis
· Linguistic analysis (e.g. website language).
The technical stuff
We believe that insight comes to researchers who use - as we do:
· Psychological models about how thinking affects behaviour - and how behaviour affects thinking - much of this below conscious awareness.
· Linguistic models about how people express their thoughts and explain their behaviour; and
· Semiotic models to explain how culture affects both psychology and language.
Quality
At Susan bell Research, we have developed high quality processes - including a commitment to models of qualitative analysis. We are ISO certified – which is rare for a boutique agency.
We use plain language
