New beginning for Research Live

The Research team spends most of its time writing about radical change within the market research business. We felt that it was about time that we implemented some change of our own. We’re proud to unveil the new-look, high-functionality, multimedia-enabled Research Live website.

We had only one aim in overhauling our website and that was to provide the global market research community with a vastly improved news, analysis and jobs service. This website is our most active channel of communication with the international market research community. We wanted to provide that ever-growing readership with a website offering the ultimate in flexibility, timeliness and ease of use.

Here’s a quick guide to what’s new and what’s still to come.

News
In our news section we’ve made it easier for you find the stories most relevant to you. You can view all of the day’s top stories on the news homepage or search by region. Our news team, led by news editor Brian Tarran, will be posting news stories throughout the day. If you want to be first with the news you’ll want to keep an eye on the website, or to make things even easier you can subscribe to one of our numerous RSS feeds. Amid all the change it’s worth pointing out that one thing won’t change and that’s the quality and scope of our reporting. News reporting has always led our editorial service to readers and that will continue. You can still trust us to give you the inside track on the biggest stories in the insight business.

Features
Our features section takes that reporting to a deeper level. Our features team, led by features editor Robert Bain, will be looking at the wider implications of industry developments and bringing a wide range of voices in on the debate. It’s in this section that you’ll find web exclusive features that you won’t find in the magazine – written by both our in-house team and by some of the research business’s expert analysts and practitioners.

Multimedia
Video and audio make their debut on the site. We will be presenting you with video interviews produced at our own office and on the road, as well as our pick of the best research-related videos from the web. We’re also carrying audio interviews with international research players. We kick things off with the first of our fast and furious Spotlight videos where research practitioners answer a series of questions designed to lay bare their professional and personal lives. At launch, we are also carrying just two highlights from this year’s Research conference. More of these will appear over the next couple of weeks. Our regular series of podcast interviews begin with Tom Ewing confessing to a passion for PowerPoint and MRIA chief David Stark on the state of the Canadian MR business. We have a number of exciting multimedia formats that we’ll be premiering over the next few months, so stay tuned.

Feedback
When designing the site we wanted to make sure that you had plenty of opportunity to have your say. You can comment on any story that we run and those comments will appear beside the story. If you’re not trying to sell something or writing something that tests the libel laws, then your comment will always appear. We’re always delighted when you take the time to question something we write or to add another perspective. You can also cast your vote in a range of strictly unscientific polls that we run on the site.

24 hour publishing
News stories, features, analysis or multimedia content can appear at any time throughout the day and overnight. We’ve moved away from the idea of updating the site only once a day. Our international readership demands that and we’re happy to provide that service. Wherever you are in the world you can count on us for fresh content at any time of the day.

Jobs
One of the biggest changes on our site is a complete revamp of our jobs board. In launching Research Jobfinder, we’ve created the most powerful jobs board for research and insight professionals. You can use intuitive search criteria to filter vacancies, register for jobs by email, search companies, and create a profile where you can upload your CV – so that the right job can find you. You can also manage your job applications, shortlists and email alerts within your personal profile area. It has never been easier for you to search for a new job. And it’s never been easier for advertisers to reach candidates.

Directory
In the new Directory section, we’ve improved on the search functionality making it even easier for you to find agencies, viewing facilities and a wide range of companies providing support services to the MR industry. This is also where you’ll find tender notices, in which clients can put out a call for agencies to work on current projects.

Conferences
Research has a full diary of conference events that have been designed to educate and inspire. In our new, easy to navigate conference section of the website we provide details on the annual conference as well as the numerous one-day events that cater to individual sectors and disciplines.

Coming soon
This is just the beginning. We have many new services on the blocks ready to debut over the next couple of months. The first of these will launch in early July. We’re not making you an empty promise when we say it will be a major addition to the website and a major departure for the way in which we interact with readers. We’re very excited about this new service which will, we hope, be of great value to you.

It’s early days for our new site. It’ll continue to develop every day and your feedback will help us do that. It’s never been easier to comment on our stories or contact the team. We want to know what you think of the work so far. It’s your website and your views on what we are doing is vital and always welcomed.

So in a nutshell, that’s the new website. We’ve big plans for it over the coming year and that major launch is still on course for next month. But for now, enjoy using Research Live and let us know what you think.