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Section 2: FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON TO DO THE JOB
Step Seven: Where do I look for researchers who can do the work?
This is the second stage of the process where you are required to do some research yourself and, again, it is worth putting some time into it to identify a good field of candidates for the work.
The first place to ask, however, will be your colleagues, partners and stakeholders, those who may have undertaken research projects before. They are likely to know appropriate researchers to approach in the region.
However, it is always worth looking further afield. Check Culture South West’s Directory of Researchers, the regional cultural agencies and the region’s Higher Education Institutes.
Consider what type of researcher will be most appropriate to your project. Liz Hill identifies four types of research supplier in her publication, Commissioning Market Research, A Guide for Arts Marketers, namely:
| > Academics
| – from Universities and higher education
- quality of research is generally high as academic staff are generally highly qualified researchers but are usually lecturers and busy with students. |
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| > Research Institutions
| – independent institutions like the New Economic Foundation or Policy Studies Institute
- staff tend to be well qualified and tend to specialise in 'cross-sector' work |
| > Research Consultancy Firms
| – offering expertise across a wide range of research methodologies
- tend to have a focused approach and an ability to deliver results on time in a professional way |
| > Freelance Consultants
| – often sole practitioners
- usually conduct the least expensive research but are unlikely to be skilled across the full range of research methodologies |
Do not be afraid to consider approaching a research supplier from a different domain, sector or region, someone who could bring a different perspective to your project.
Also consider how you might encourage new entrants into the system, exploring mentoring schemes between consultants or, depending on the scale of the project, taking a risk on someone new to consultancy work.
Top tip: Once you have your list of researchers create your own database. Even if you are not going to invite them to tender on this occasion, it is always useful to have this list of names and contacts for future reference.
Health warning: if you are creating a new database or planning to save personal details or data do make sure you comply with the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.
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