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Summary
The democratization of research practices has become almost ubiquitous, and an increasingly expanding part of many research teams. There has been a lot of discussion and sharing about the benefits of democratization programs, and case studies shared on how to make them effectively work. As the reach of this approach grows though, there are a number of emerging voices who are starting to question the way in which democratization programs are being used and rolled out. As well as asking difficult questions about the extent to which they should be deployed in the first place, and how they are able to work, rather than undermine, traditional research sciences.
Key Insights
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Democratization of research is often misunderstood and misleading as a term, likened to propaganda.
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Research is a specialized skill requiring training, education, and experience similar to professions like medicine.
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There are three key research phases: impartial evidence collection, partial insight generation, and advocating case presentation.
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Allowing untrained non-researchers to conduct foundational research risks contamination, bias, and poor business decisions.
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The Dunning-Kruger effect causes non-experts to overestimate their research competence, leading to bad outcomes.
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Usability testing by non-researchers can be acceptable but should be governed and clearly limited in scope.
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There is no established research governance or standardized certification akin to other professions.
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Research should focus on delivering points of view informed by evidence rather than just data or reports.
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Businesses often misuse democratization as a cost-cutting method instead of properly funding research capacity.
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A successful democratization program requires guardrails, governance, coaching, and clear boundaries.
Notable Quotes
"The very word democratization in research is misleading, it’s almost akin to propaganda."
"Research is a systematic investigation in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions."
"Good enough isn’t always good enough — especially in high stakes decisions."
"Who would you rather have conduct heart surgery? A part-time surgeon or a full-time surgeon? That’s specialization."
"The risk of contaminating the evidence at the start of research can ruin the whole case."
"The problem with democratization is that there are no guardrails."
"Your value as a researcher isn’t in your ability to use a method, it’s the point of view you develop from a body of evidence."
"If anybody could do research, why do businesses still hire specialized researchers?"
"Making insights ubiquitous across a business is different from democratizing research itself."
"Democratization without governance leads to a wild west of inquiry, which is dangerous for a business."
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