General

What are ResearchWikis?

ResearchWikis is a web-based, free content market research project that is written collaboratively by our contributors from around world. ResearchWikis can be added to or edited. Wikis have become a popular way to collaborate over the Internet. Market research is a clear extension of how this collaboration can beneficially drive the free flow of information.

Who is sponsoring ResearchWikis?

ResearchWikis is a registered trademark of ResearchBuy, which operates a high value market research marketplace. The site is run by our contributors who themselves edit or add market research articles. On ResearchWikis, contributors are welcome to devote some of their knowledge and increase the worldwide free flow of information.

Can my ResearchWikis article be deleted?

ResearchWikis are written with the belief that general and baseline market research should be freely organized to benefit the reader. Anyone can add information to ResearchWikis as long as they do so under our editing policies and to an appropriate standard of quality. ResearchWikis are written to allow easy reversal of editorial mistakes and ResearchBuy (the company that sponsors ResearchWikis) reserves the right to disallow inappropriate or inaccurate contributions. Contributors are also active correcting obvious mistakes and inaccuracies.

How can I verify the quality of a ResearchWikis article?

Because ResearchWikis is a collaborate work in which anyone can contribute, it may not represent the editorial quality one would see in a for-sale paper solution. To be specific, older articles tend to be more evolved, while the newer entries may contain some errors, less-quality content or vandalism on rare occasions. However, the advantage MarketWikis delivers to the user is more updated information that could reflect recent changes in the market whereas a paper solution could represent older content.

Who writes ResearchWikis articles?

Our contributors are generally researchers, academics and business professionals. Contributors can edit articles that currently exist or can submit new market research articles. The goal is global collaboration to create a free, baseline set of market research on topics of global interest. These can range from healthcare to consumer products to minerals and metals. Global researchers with world-class expertise can post an article or series of articles in areas they possess deep knowledge. Publishers can add information they may have already compiled for less than current market research topics. Since many of our users need additional information on topics, we can refer inquiries to these contributors as appropriate. Our contributors can be business professionals, publishers, faculty members or industry experts.

It is easy to add an article. Refer to Editing on the Main Page to find step-by-step instructions on how to edit or add an article. Anyone is eligible to participate in this global market research effort.

How do I contribute a ResearchWikis article?

All contributors must register on the site if they want to edit or contribute. You will be provided an ID and password during the password process. This registration will enable you to keep track of the articles you have submitted and can increase your credibility as a ResearchWikis contributor. The clear benefit is to let a contributor in essence become their own publisher. You can share the quality of your work with your colleagues, employers, business associates and the world.

Do users have to register?

No, anyone is free to use the site, but only registered users can contribute a ResearchWikis article.

How can a user verify the accuracy of the article?

As with similar wiki based sites, the information posted to ResearchWikis may potentially be out of date or not completely correct. Our goal is for contributors to edit any information they find to be inaccurate. This relies entirely on the community of worldwide contributors, as this is a self-policing market research site. Our contributors are continually updating information and the data is constantly improved. We encourage you to edit the information if you feel it could be improved.

Who uses ResearchWikis information?

Anyone trying to find baseline, hard-to-find information on a research topic. Many of our users are business professionals looking at new markets or simply wanting updated information on a topic. Many others are in the education community. Students, faculty and researchers can quickly and easily access information posted to ResearchWikis. This is a single global resource of baseline market research information. Collaboration from our global contributors allows users from across the globe to get instant yet detailed information on almost any subject they need.

How does the educational community participate?

Both by gaining baseline research and providing new contributions. Faculty can post market research where they possess academic credentials. Undergraduate or graduate students working on specific, high-value research at a university are also encouraged to contribute market research they may be collaborating on or preparing in school.

How else do students benefit?

Students have instant access to a wide range of topics in ResearchWikis. At the same time, ResearchWikis are a simple way for students with high-value research to get published. Looking to build CVs and resumes, students can quickly reference the market research work they have now posted to a global research wiki.

How can I tell where information has been changed?

All changes to a page are registered in a page history, so any destruction or vandalism to the site can be replaced by an older version of the page we have stored. In addition, contributors can correct wrong information and vandalism themselves immediately as they encounter it in an article.

Operations and Usage

What kind of software does ResearchWikis use?

The site uses software from MediaWiki. If you are familiar with the software, you should find editing and contributing articles on ResearchWikis very easy. See our editing page for a quick reference guide on how ResearchWikis works. If you are not familiar with the software, you can also reference the MediaWiki web site for more detailed information: Mediawiki

How do I edit and format ResearchWikis articles?

Click on Editing on the main page for a full description of how to edit articles.

How can I upload images to a ResearchWikis article I am contributing to?

Click on Editing on the main page of ResearchWikis and you will find instructions on how to upload a file at the bottom of the section.

How can I search on ResearchWikis?

On the navigation bar on the left side of the page is a search box labeled Search. Enter the name of the topic you are searching for and then click Go. It will also search if you just type what you are looking for into the search box and press the Enter key.

How can I cite a ResearchWikis article in schoolwork or other papers?

You can cite an article similarly to how you currently cite any other web page in a publication. You should include the date on which you retrieved the article and the full name of the article.

Are there any standard formats to be used?

Not really. Many of our contributors’ articles have included at least the following sections for an industry or topic:

• Background
• Market Structure
• Industry Definitions
• Market Metrics
• Industry Players
• Trends and Recent Developments
• Sources

Other contributors have posted more information to the site including the following sections:

• Market Shares
• Forecasts
• Geographic Breakdowns
• Producers
• Architectural Models
• Market Forces Models
• Challenges
• Needs
• Consumer Requirements
• Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats
• Brands

Is there any restriction on length?

Not really. If the research article has valuable data, more may be better. In general, the user may not have much interest in absorbing more than 10,000 words of information which equates to an article with a length of approximately 50KB before images, charts or tables have been added.

Is there a restriction on languages?

At this time, however, we do not host foreign language sites. For this site, we are currently only accepting English language contributions to gain the broadest single audience.

What happens if I encounter a system crash on my computer part way through contributing an article?

In general, you will lose whatever information you have posted which has not yet been saved. You might want to consider using a text editor or having the document essentially prepared in an MS Word type document beforehand, allowing you essentially to be only working on formatting issues on the site.

Getting more research

How can I get more detailed information on a research subject?

Many researchers and market research publishers are experts in specific research topics. The ResearchWikis can provide baseline information on may topics, but some users may require more information to make better informed business decisions. In most cases, users want either totally current information on a subject or in much greater detail. Detail may come in the form of a particular area – for example, a survey needed for consumer requirements on a specific product or a thorough analysis of a particular geography or set of countries. ResearchBuy can provide references to thousands of experts globally, many of which may have provided ResearchWikis. User may refer to either ResearchBuild studies or submit an inquiry for a specific custom research study. Both of these can be accessed by clicking on Take me to ResearchBuy near the top of the Main Page or by simply clicking ResearchBuy.