Research provides the roadmap NOT the directions

This post is in response to the common misconception that research will provide the definitive answer to business  problems. The truth is, research is only a guide and needs to be combined with solid thinking before any decisions are made.

Think of research as a map to aid decision making - a map won't give you the exact direction, but gives information you need in order to navigate to your destination. If we continue with this analogy, two people using the same 'map' could take different routes to the same destination - this is the impact of judgement. The more research you do the more populated with information the 'map' becomes and arguably you are able to make a better decisions on what route to take. But regardless of the quality of this 'map', the decision on what route to take is a decision for the driver (e.g. users of the information), not the research.

Don't get me wrong, researchers are in a position to recommend a route, but we can't become overly reliant on the data we collect to make these recommendations - we need to apply common sense and intellect.