Bethan Blakeley Columnist I A problem shared competitive and true to their companies and clients, and I think often think one of the hardest things about being an adult the market research industry could benefit from similar thinking. is answering the question, So, what do you do?. If there is detail on the internet about how to run a certain Sometimes, I work in market research. Other times, its model, conduct a type of analysis, or use a specific methodology, analytics or data science, or research analytics. I consider its important to recognise thats all it is. Most often, it isnt the myself lucky to be cross-discipline; it keeps my life interesting. methodology your client is paying for its you. You are the one Another thing that keeps my life interesting are the tools I use who knows the client, their objectives and their needs; you across these disciplines. For the data science part of my role, I understand the nuances in the market and in the data; you get mainly use open-source computer programs. Open source is a bit how their consumers feel, and what the board wants to see. like Wikipedia written by the general public, accessible to Using someone elses code or research design cant help with that everyone, and anyone can edit the pages if they want to. critical contextual expertise. To quote Matt Squire, chief Unlike Wikipedia, however, this doesnt call the programs technology officer at Fuzzy Labs: The general approach is open reputation into question you wont find university lecturers source; the application is secret sauce. slapping students wrists if they use open-source programs such Innovation breeds innovation. If we share our ideas, our as R or Python, in the same way you would if they listed techniques, our innovation, we will collectively innovate better, Wikipedia as a reference. In this case, it means there is a wealth faster, and more efficiently. Its that hive-mind approach, the of advice on the internet written by those who use and edit the give and take Ill give you this idea and take that one that code behind these programs. Youll often find me copying and enables us to improve on what we pasting error messages into Google, have. If you are not part of this or asking how do I in R? and I sharing and innovating cycle, you risk know Im not the only one. Even being left behind. Hadley Wickham, a huge name in the If we share our ideas, our Most clients are, understandably, a industry, who is responsible for techniques, our innovation, overhauling the building blocks of the we will collectively innovate better, bit nervy about paying what can be thousands of pounds for something coding language used in R, has said faster, and more efficiently unproven, untested, brand new and hes the same. out of the box. So, sharing, testing, Websites such as Stack Overflow improving and making these are full of helpful troubleshooting techniques fail-safe before spending clients money on them is tips, Q&As and code from other people you can copy and paste another win-win situation. You can iron out kinks in the details into your own work. The data science world is filled with people before its too late. New techniques are only helpful and who want to help you, and the community is set up to enable that meaningful if we can use them in a real-world setting. A new type of hive-mind problem-solving. whizzy methodology that nobody trusts is worthless. This got me thinking what makes the data science industry Im not saying the market research industry doesnt do any of different from the others I work across? I might be wrong and these things. Conferences are held all over the world where please let me know if you disagree but the market research people share details of the projects they are running. There are industry just doesnt seem as forthcoming in sharing the nuts and small pockets of individuals keen to share thoughts and ideas to bolts of the techniques and methodologies we use. I know, from keep that innovation turning the Advanced Data Analytics helping organise various events in the research analytics world, Network from the Market Research Society, the Association for that there is often a nervousness about giving away state secrets Survey Computing, and the Sawtooth community are just a few. to the competition. So, how do data scientists overcome this? What I am saying is that I believe we could get better at this. I asked the supportive network of those in that space for their After all, why wouldnt we want to improve our work and our opinions. A few key points were raised to explain how data networks, and learn a thing or two along the way? scientists excel at helping each other, while also staying 41 Impact ISSUE 38 2022_pp41_Bethan Blakeley.indd 41 22/06/2022 16:02