subject: Peer Review Articles in Marketing Research [print this page] The use of peer review articles in marketing research is a really good way to find information. There are a lot of articles out there that were created by marketing peers and the competition. Let us take a look at three ways you can use this information to your benefit.
1) Company Information When you begin to start looking up these articles you will almost always see an article or other informational page that is from the company you are researching. This is a great way to get the official story straight from the horse's mouth. They will promote themselves and put their best foot forward in this process, but it is a good base line to go by.
2) Information Comparison The other types of articles will allow you to compare the information you found on the company's page with the competitors. The market is full of different people vying for the same business and they are happy to point out how they are different from their competition. You will get a much wider understanding about the market if you take time to browse all of the competition.
3) The Untold Story Very near the original company and the competition you may find a page or two from someone who was unhappy with the company. They may be a disgruntled ex employee or a customer who feels they were slighted in some way. You will want to take this information with a grain of salt, but what better way to understand the downside of a business than to see what these people are saying. These types of articles might save you a lot of grief. If you see a lot of these, you know you are looking at a potentially bad situation.
Peer review articles can make all the difference in marketing research. The opportunity to look at a subject from all angles is invaluable. Do your research and make sure you have covered your bases before you get involved with a company. The mentoring and education just has to be there if you are going to succeed.
