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Blog General

Desk Research 101: Definition, Methods, and Examples

Parvathi vijayamohan.

2 March 2023

Table Of Contents

If you ever had to do a research study or a survey at some point, you would have started with desk research .

There’s another, more technical name for it – secondary research. To rewind a bit, there are two types of research: primary , where you go out and study things first-hand, and secondary , where you explore what others have done.

But what is desk research? How do you do it, and use it? This article will help you:

• Understand what is desk-based research
• Explore 3 examples of desk research
• Make note of 6 common desk research methods
• Uncover the advantages of desk research

What is desk research?

Desk research can be defined as a type of market/product research, where you collect data at your desk (metaphorically speaking) from existing sources to get initial ideas about your research topic.

Desk research or secondary research is an essential process from a business’s point of view. After all, secondary data sources are such an easy way to get information about their industry, trends, competitors, and customers.

Types of secondary data sources

#1. Internal secondary data: This consists of data from within the researcher’s company. Examples include:

• Company reports and presentations
• Case studies
• Podcasts, vlogs and blogs
• Press releases
• Websites and social media
• Company databases and data sets

#2. External secondary data: Researchers collect this from outside their respective firms. Examples include:

• Digital and print publications
• Domain-specific publications and periodicals
• Online research communities, like  ResearchGate
• Industry speeches and conference presentations
• Research papers

What are examples of desk research in action?

#1. testing product-audience match.

Let’s say you’re developing a fintech product. You want to do a concept testing study. To make sure you get it right, you’re interested in finding out your target audience’s attitudes about a topic in your domain. For e.g., Gen Z’s perceptions about money in the US.

With a quick Google search, you get news articles, reports, and research studies about Gen Z’s financial habits and attitudes. Also, infographics and videos provide plenty of quantitative data to draw on.

These steps are a solid starting point for framing your concept testing study. You can further reduce the time spent on survey design with a  Concept Testing Survey Template . Sign up to get free access to this and hundreds more templates.

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#2. Tracking the evolution of the Web

As we wade into the brave new world of  Web 5.0 , there are quite a few of us who still remember static websites, flash animations, and images sliced up into tables.

If you want to refresh your memory, you can hop on the  Wayback Machine . iI gives you access to over 20 years of web history, with over 635 billion web pages saved over time!

Curiosity aside, there are practical use cases for this web archive. SEO specialist Artur Bowsza explores this in his fantastic article  Internet Archeology with the Wayback Machine .

Imagine you’re investigating a recent drop in a website’s visibility. You know there were some recent changes in the website’s code, but couldn’t get any details. Or maybe you’re preparing a case study of your recent successful project, but the website has changed so much, and you never bothered to take a screenshot. Wouldn’t it be great to travel back in time and uncover the long-forgotten versions of the website – like an archaeologist, discovering secrets from the past but working in the digital world?

#3. Repairing a business reputation

As a brand, you hope that a crisis never happens. But if hell does break loose, having a crisis management strategy is essential.

If you want examples, just do a Google search. From Gamestop getting caught in a  Reddit stock trading frenzy  to Facebook being voted  The Worst Company of 2021 , we have seen plenty of brands come under fire in recent years.

Some in-depth desk research can help you nail your crisis communication. Reputation management expert Lida Citroen outlines this in her article 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis .

Conduct a thoughtful and thorough perception sweep of the reputation hit’s after-effects. This includes assessing digital impact such as social media, online relationships and Google search results. The evaluation gives you a baseline. How serious is the situation? Sometimes the way we believe the situation to be is not reflected in the business impact of the damage.

6 popular methods of desk research

#1. the internet.

No surprise there. When was the last time you checked a book to answer the burning question of “is pineapple on pizza illegal?” (it should be).

However, choosing authentic and credible sources from an information overload can be tricky. To help you out, the Lydia M. Olson Library has a 6-point checklist to filter out low-quality sources. You can read them in detail here .

#2. Libraries

You have earned some serious street cred if your preferred source is a library. But, jokes apart, finding the correct information for your research topic in a library can be time-consuming.

However, depending on which library you visit, you will find a wealth of verifiable, quotable information in the form of newspapers, magazines, research journals, books, documents, and more.

#3. Governmental and non-governmental organizations

NGOs, and governmental agencies like the US Census Bureau, have valuable demographic data that businesses can use during desk research. This data is collected using survey tools like SurveySparrow .

You may have to pay a certain fee to download or access the information from these agencies. However, the data obtained will be reliable and trustworthy.

#4. Educational institutions

Colleges and universities conduct plenty of primary research studies every year. This makes them a treasure trove for desk researchers.

However, getting access to this data requires legwork. The procedures vary according to the institution; among other things, you will need to submit an application to the relevant authority and abide by a data use agreement.

#5. Company databases

For businesses, customer and employee data are focus areas all on their own. But after the pandemic, companies are using even more applications and tools for the operations and service sides.

This gives businesses access to vast amounts of information useful for desk research and beyond. For example, one interesting  use case  is making employee onboarding more effective with just basic employee data, like their hobbies or skills.

#6. Commercial information media

These include radio, newspapers, podcasts, YouTube, and TV stations. They are decent sources of first-hand info on political and economic developments, market research, public opinion and other trending subjects.

However, this is also a source that blurs the lines between advertising, information and entertainment. So as far as credibility is concerned, you are better off supporting this data with additional sources.

Why is desk research helpful?

Desk research helps with the following:

• Better domain understanding.  Before doing market research, running a usability test, or starting any user-centric project, you want to see what companies have done in the past (in related areas if not the same domain). Then, instead of learning everything from scratch, you can review their research, success, and mistakes and learn from that. 
• Quicker opportunity spotting.  How do you know if you’ve found something new? By reviewing what has gone before. By doing this, you can spot gaps in the data that match up with the problem you’re trying to solve.
• More money saved . Thanks to the internet, most of the data you need is at your fingertips, and they are cheaper to compile than field data. With a few (search and mental) filters, you can quickly find credible sources with factual information.
• More time saved . You have less than 15 minutes with your research participant. Two minutes if you’re doing an online survey. Do you really want to waste that time asking questions that have already been answered elsewhere? Lack of preparation can also hurt your credibility.
• Better context.  Desk research helps to provide focus and a framework for primary research. By using desk research, companies can also get the insight to make better decisions about their customers and employees.
• More meaningful data.  Desk research is the yin to the yang of field research – they are both required for a meaningful study. That’s why desk research serves as a starting point for every kind of study.

This brings us to the last question.

How do you do desk research?

Good question! In her blog post , Lorène Fauvelle covers the desk research process in detail.

Y ou can also follow our 4-step guide below:

• First,  start with a general topic l ike “handmade organic soaps”. Read through existing literature about handmade soaps to see if there is a gap in the literature that your study can fill.
• Once you find that gap, it’s time to  specify your research topic . So in the example above, you can specify it like this: “What is the global market size for handmade organic soaps”?
• Identify the relevant secondary data for desk research. This only applies if there is past data that could be useful for your research.
• Review the secondary data  according to:
• The aim of the previous study
• The author/sponsors of the study
• The methodology of the study
• The time of the research

Note: One more thing about desk research…

Beware of dismissing research just because it was done a few years ago. People new to research often make the mistake of viewing research reports like so many yogurts in a fridge where the sell-by dates have expired. Just because it was done a couple of years ago, don’t think it’s no longer relevant. The best research tends to focus on human behaviour, and that tends to change very slowly.

• Dr David Travis, Desk Research: The What, Why and How

Wrapping up

That’s all folks! We hope this blog was helpful for you.

How have you used desk research for your work? Let us know in the comments below.

Growth Marketer at SurveySparrow

Fledgling growth marketer. Cloud watcher. Aunty to a naughty beagle.

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Home Market Research

Desk Research: What it is, Tips & Examples

What is desk research?

Desk research is a type of research that is based on the material published in reports and similar documents that are available in public libraries, websites, data obtained from surveys already carried out, etc. Some organizations also store data that can be used for research purposes.

It is a research method that involves the use of existing data. These are collected and summarized to increase the overall effectiveness of the investigation.

Secondary research is much more cost-effective than primary research , as it uses existing data, unlike primary research, in which data is collected first-hand by organizations, companies, or may employ a third party to obtain the data in your name.

LEARN ABOUT: Data Management Framework

Desk research examples

Being a cost-effective method, desk research is a popular choice for businesses and organizations as not everyone can pay large sums of money to conduct research and collect data. That is why it’s also called “ documentary research “.

Here are some more common secondary research methods and examples:

1. Data available on the Internet: One of the most popular ways to collect data for desk research is through the Internet. The information is available and can be downloaded with just one click.

This data is practically free or you may have to pay a negligible amount for it. Websites have a lot of information that companies or organizations can use to meet their research needs. However, you need to consider a reliable website to collect information.

2. Government and non-government agencies: Data for secondary research can also be collected from some government and non-government agencies. There will always be valuable and relevant data that companies or organizations can use.

3. Public libraries: Public libraries are another good source to search for data by doing desk research. They have copies of important research that has been done before. They are a store of documents from which relevant information can be extracted.

The services offered at these public libraries vary. Most often, they have a huge collection of government publications with market statistics, a large collection of business directories, and newsletters.

4. Educational Institutions: The importance of collecting data from educational institutions for secondary research is often overlooked. However, more research is done in colleges and universities than in any other business sector.

The data collected by universities is mainly used for primary research. However, companies or organizations can go to educational institutions and request data.

5. Sources of business information: Newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations are a great source of data for desk research. These sources have first-hand information on economic developments, the political agenda, the market, demographic segmentation and similar topics.

Companies or organizations can request to obtain the most relevant data for their study. Not only do they have the opportunity to identify your potential customers, but they can also learn the ways to promote their products or services through these sources, as they have a broader scope.

Differences between primary research and Desk Research

How to do a desk research.

These are the steps to follow to conduct a desk investigation:

• Identify the research topic: Before you begin, identify the topic you need to research. Once done, make a list of the attributes of the research and its purpose.
• Identify research sources: Subsequently, explain the sources of information that will provide you with the most relevant data applicable to your research.
• Collect existing data: Once the sources of information collection have been narrowed, check to see if previous data is available that is closely related to the topic. They can be obtained from various sources, such as newspapers, public libraries, government and non-government agencies, etc.
• Combine and compare: Once the data is collected, combine and compare it so that the information is not duplicated and put it together in an accessible format. Make sure to collect data from authentic sources so you don’t get in the way of your investigation.
• Analyze data: Analyze the data that is collected and identify if all the questions have been answered. If not, repeat the process to dig deeper into practical ideas.
• Most of the information is secondary research and readily available. There are many sources from which the data you need can be collected and used, as opposed to primary research, where data must be collected from scratch.
• It is a less expensive and time-consuming process, as the required data is readily available and does not cost much if it is extracted from authentic sources.
• The data that is collected through secondary or desktop research gives organizations or companies an idea about the effectiveness of primary research. Thus, a hypothesis can be formed and the cost of conducting the primary research can be evaluated.
• Doing desk research is faster due to the availability of data. It can be completed in a few weeks, depending on the objective of the companies or the scale of the data required.

Disadvantages

• Although the data is readily available, the credibility and authenticity of the available information must be assessed.
• Not all secondary data resources offer the latest reports and statistics. Even when they are accurate, they may not be up to date.

Desk research is a very popular research method, because it uses existing and reliable data that can be easily obtained. This is a great benefit for businesses and organizations as it increases the effectiveness of the investigation.

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What is Desk Research? A Guide + Examples

Desk research can help you make data-driven decisions, define or adapt strategies, and uncover untapped market potential to drive growth – when it’s done right!

Nowadays, we have all the information we need at our fingertips; but knowing where to find the right data quickly is key.

So, what is desk research? What does it involve, and how can Similarweb Research Intelligence help?

Let’s find out.

What is desk research?

Desk research is a type of market research that uses existing data to support or validate outcomes and conclusions. Also known as secondary research , it’s a cost-effective way to obtain relevant data from a broad range of channels.

How is desk research used?

From small start-ups to established businesses, doing desk research provides you with crucial insights into trends, competitors, and market size . Whatever you do, desk research can help with product positioning and guide data-driven business decisions that help you become the ultimate competitor and find new ways to grow.

According to the latest data on the Internet of Things , around 130 new devices connect to the web every second. Stats on the state of data show we create and consume data at an exponential rate–data interactions will only continue to rise.

Primary vs. secondary research – what’s the difference?

Most market research methods fall into either primary or secondary research. When we talk about desk research, we tend to focus only on secondary methods. However, most primary research can also be done remotely, from a desk.

Primary research is self-conducted research that gathers data to answer questions. It usually involves going directly to a source, such as a customer or a prospect. Compared to secondary research, it takes longer, costs more, and demands more resources. Primary research methods include interviews, market research surveys , questionnaires, competitor reviews, market mapping , focus groups, etc.

Secondary research is the synthesis or summary of existing research using previously gained information from various sources. Most market research starts with secondary research: It aims to provide a researcher or analyst with a basis of knowledge formed from existing data. Secondary research methods include collecting data from the internet, government databases, reports, and academic journals, to name just a few.

Pros and cons of desk research

As with any type of market research, you need to choose the right method to deliver the best outcome for your research goal. Desk research is advantageous for several reasons, but it won’t always suit every market research project. Market research best practice tells us that we should use desk-based research before primary research – as this helps to reduce or refine the scope of the work before the second, more costly phase.

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of desk research.

Advantages of desk-based research

Doing secondary market research is highly beneficial; here’s why.

• Low cost – most secondary research sources are low-to-no cost.
• Speed – as the data already exists, data collection is quick.
• Clarity – desk research drives & add-value to primary research actions.
• Scalability – due to the large datasets used in secondary research.
• Availability – pre-collected data is readily available to analyze.
• Insightful – get valuable insights and help resolve some initial research questions.

Disadvantages of desk-based research

As any good researcher will attest, it’s always good to look at a topic from every angle. Here are a few things to consider before starting any secondary research process.

• Out of-date data – consider if the coverage dates of the research are relevant. In a fast-moving market, having access to up-to-date information could be critical.
• Lack of perceived control over the data – secondary research is undertaken by a third party; as such, methodology controls need to be reviewed with caution.
• No exclusivity – desk research data is widely available and can be used by other researchers.
• Verification & interpretation – particularly when working with large data sets, it can take time to analyze and review to ensure the information is suitable for your research.

Types of desk-based research

Nowadays, you can do most market research from a desk. Here, I’ll focus solely on secondary research methods: Where finding and using the right resources is key. The data you use needs to be up-to-date and should always come from a trusted source.

Desk research methods – internal data resources

Before stepping into external research, look for any relevant internal sources. This data can often prove invaluable, and it’s a great place to start gathering insights that only you can see. The information is already yours, so aside from the fact it won’t cost a dime, it’s data your rivals won’t have access to.

Sources of internal information that can help you do desk research include:

• Historical campaign and sales analysis: Everything from website traffic and conversions through to sales. Accessible through your own analytics platform(s).
• Website and mobile application data: Your own platforms can also tell you where users are – such as the device split between mobile and desktop.
• Existing customer information: audience demographics , product use, and efficiency of service.
• Previous research conducted by other analysts: Even if the research seems unrelated, there could be indicative information within.

Desk research methods – external data resources

Using external data sources for desk research is an ideal way to get information about market trends, and explore a new topic.

• The internet: A virtual aggregator of all secondary research sources – always validate findings with credible sources.
• Commercial resources: Research associations and company reports usually cost money but give you data that’s specific to your industry/aim.
• Trade association reports: To see if there’s a trade association of interest, do a quick search online or use the Encyclopedia of Associations , the Directory of Associations , or the National Trade and Professional Associations Directory
• Industry Experts: Expert consultancy is an efficient way of getting information from someone who has ‘been there, done that.’ Also, consider ‘influencers.’
• Research associations & journals: Most research associations are independent and offer bespoke, specialized reports.
• Media coverage: TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines can often help uncover facts and relevant media stories related to your topic.
• Market research intelligence software: Platforms like Similarweb give you actionable insights into industry and competitors’ trends. With access to mobile app intelligence, you get a complete picture of the digital landscape.
• Government & non-government agencies: In the US, the biggest generator of data is the federal government. US Census Bureau , Congressional Research Service , US Government Publishing Office , US Small Business Administration , and the Department of Education . Most information from these sources is free.
• Local government sites: A reliable source to find data on population density or employment trends.
• Public library records: Access data via the Digital Public Library of America in the US or the National Archives in the UK.
• Competitor information: Sign-up for mailing lists, view comparison reports, and read online reviews.
• Educational institutions: Academic research papers and journals are well-researched. If you can find a relevant one, you’ll likely get solid data from credible sources.

How to choose the best type of desk research

With so many freely-available sources online for desk-based research; it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The best guidance I can offer is to keep a list of key questions you are trying to answer with this research, and consider:

• What are you hoping to learn from your research?
• Why is this data relevant?
• Is there an action you can take from this information?
• How up-to-date is the data you are using?

Always keep the questions you’re trying to answer front of mind. It’ll help you stay focused and keep your desk research on the right track. Time and money will usually determine the right type of desk research to use, but, even then, it’s important to stay focussed on where you spend your time vs. the return on that investment.

Inspiration: This article outlines some of the best market research questions to ask.

How to do desk research in five steps

Follow these steps to guide you through doing desktop research:

1. Clearly define your research topic Identify your topic and its purpose, then list any relevant research attributes.

2. Select appropriate resources Make a list of sources that’ll provide relevant information for your research topic.

3. Look for existing data Once you’ve collated your research sources, look for internal and external data relevant to your research topic. Remember to only use data from authentic sources.

4. Collate, compare & assemble Next, you’ll need to collate all the data you’ve obtained, remove any duplication, and bring it together into a usable format.

5. Data analysis The final step of doing desk research is to analyze the data. At this point, you should be able to see if your research questions have been answered. If any questions remain unanswered, go back to step 2, and look for alternative resources that will help you get clearer insights.

Desk-based research tools

Online resources are by far your most valuable asset for doing secondary research. However, software like Similarweb Digital Intelligence , Google Analytics (GA), and Google Search Console (GSC) can save you time and give you a more visually-appealing view of relevant data.

My list of go-to tools for desk research includes:

• Google Analytics & Search Console – your own site’s performance and visitor stats.
• Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence – uncover market, industry & competitor trends across web, mobile, and apps.
• Tableau – data visualization for presenting your findings.
• Competitor data – on rival’s websites, newsletters, and social media accounts.

Read: The best market research tools of 2023

Note that GA and GSC are free to use but limited in terms of what you can see outside your own site. With Similarweb, you can access virtually limitless industry-wide data.

Stop Guessing, Start Analyzing

Get actionable insights for desk research here

How Similarweb helps with desk research

Here are just a few examples of how Similarweb Digital Research Intelligence can help you with secondary research.

• Benchmarking yourself against your industry – Benchmarking suite
• Understand how competitor websites and apps perform – Company research module
• Get a full picture of your industry – Market research & industry analysis tools
• Understand how apps are impacting your market – App Intelligence
• Analyze consumer behavior – Audience analysis tool
• Understand the complete customer journey – Consumer journey tracker

Using research intelligence tools will save you time and money while removing bias from the data – ultimately giving you clarity and a complete view of the digital world relevant to your research topic.

Success Story: See how Airbnb uses Similarweb to reveal growth opportunities in new markets .

Desk research examples with Similarweb

A good example of desk research in action is looking into an industry to uncover market leaders, trends, relevant search trends, and an overview of a complete industry. Using the market analysis module in Similarweb, you can find out exactly what’s happening in your market, and make data-driven decisions that’ll help you increase market share , and drive faster, more sustainable business growth.

For this particular desk research example, I chose the airline industry.

Let’s dive in.

Industry Overview

See a snapshot of industry traffic and engagement metrics . This data is typically based on Similarweb’s index of the top 100 websites in a chosen vertical. You can easily create a custom industry , allowing you to do competitive benchmarking against specific companies in your market.

Industry Leaders

Quickly see who is winning in an industry using the Market quadrant analysis graph and industry leaders table. Analyze top-performing websites in your vertical, and dive into their traffic and engagement performance to view bounce rates, visit duration, monthly visits, month-on-month changes, unique visitors, pages/visits, and traffic share .

Industry Trends

Analyze trends in near real-time so you can take action when it matters most–not a quarter later. Create a personalized view of your industry for in-depth analysis and make informed decisions that will help you grow your market share.

Marketing Channels

Access valuable traffic metrics and insights for each marketing channel. See data for direct, social, display ads, paid search, referrals, emails, and organic traffic channels and evaluate performance for each. Uncover opportunities to grow your own traffic share, evaluate engagement and quality of traffic, and identify trends over time.

Search Trends (within an industry)

Discover trending topics and emerging search terms in any industry. View what’s trending, search volume, % change, volume trend, and traffic leaders for both branded and non-branded search in your sector. Use these insights to get an understanding of market demand, search intent, and audience interests within a specific category, brand, or product.

Demographics

Gain crucial insights into the audiences visiting your website, your competitors’ websites, and your industry as a whole. See gender and age distribution across web, mobile, or combined traffic channels, and compare your demographics with that of your rivals.

The market analysis element of Similarweb will help you answer some of your most important research questions, such as:

• How a specific industry grew over time
• Who the top and emerging players are in your industry
• Which products or services are trending and/or what are consumers searching for
• What demographics are relevant to you, and your competitors

The app intelligence module completes the picture and gives you a broad view of the digital landscape across your market. You can quickly see how apps are impacting your industry, and look at download, engagement, installs, ranking, and more.

Here, I’m sticking with the airline industry to establish whether or not android or iOS is the best fit for a new app. Immediately, I can see there are between 1-1.5M monthly active users on iOS vs. an equivalent of around 350,000k on Android.

Like what you see? Take a tour of Similarweb for yourself.

Discover industry insights for desk research here

Wrapping up

Good desk research helps you quickly uncover key information that can shape and steer successful market research projects. When done right, you’ll be able to answer questions and discover crucial data about your industry, competitors, and key trends to consider while building a strategy for growth.

Asking the right research questions from the onset and keeping these at the forefront of your mind throughout will save time and help direct your market analysis in the right direction.

Is desk-based research free?

Depending on the method used, desktop research can be done for free. If you require industry or government agency reports, these often carry a charge but are more likely to be free from bias when compared to commercially produced reports that (sometimes) receive sponsorship. 

Which businesses can utilize secondary desk research?

Desk-based research can uncover crucial insights into market trends, market sizing, and competitors. The information can be used by any size business to help guide strategic decision-making and help refine a product’s positioning.

Should you do secondary research before primary research?

Absolutely, yes. Secondary research should always come before primary or field research. The formative research phase helps pinpoint where more in-depth primary research is required. Desk research can also verify and support findings from field research but should not replace primary research–as they are each utilized under different circumstances.

Who does desk-based research?

Desk research can ‘technically’ be done by anyone, but it’s typically performed by a researcher, an analyst, or a marketing professional. Good market research has solid foundational data to drive critical business decisions. Experienced researchers and analysts are best-placed to spot opportunities, trends, and patterns when the stakes are this high.

So, while anybody can access secondary data free of charge, investing the necessary resources to do things right to get the most out of the process is essential.

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• Desk Research: Definition, Types, Application, Pros & Cons

If you are looking for a way to conduct a research study while optimizing your resources, desk research is a great option. Desk research uses existing data from various sources, such as books, articles, websites, and databases, to answer your research questions. 

Let’s explore desk research methods and tips to help you select the one for your research.

What Is Desk Research?

Desk research, also known as secondary research or documentary research, is a type of research that relies on data that has already been collected and published by others. Its data sources include public libraries, websites, reports, surveys, journals, newspapers, magazines, books, podcasts, videos, and other sources. 

When performing desk research, you are not gathering new information from primary sources such as interviews, observations, experiments, or surveys. The information gathered will then be used to make informed decisions.

The most common use cases for desk research are market research , consumer behavior , industry trends , and competitor analysis .

How Is Desk Research Used?

Here are the most common use cases for desk research:

• Exploring a new topic or problem
• Identifying existing knowledge gaps
• Reviewing the literature on a specific subject
• Finding relevant data and statistics
• Analyzing trends and patterns
• Evaluating competitors and market trends
• Supporting or challenging hypotheses
• Validating or complementing primary research

Types of Desk Research Methods

There are two main types of desk research methods: qualitative and quantitative. 

• Qualitative Desk Research 

Analyzing non-numerical data, such as texts, images, audio, or video. Here are some examples of qualitative desk research methods:

Content analysis – Examining the content and meaning of texts, such as articles, books, reports, or social media posts. It uses data to help you identify themes, patterns, opinions, attitudes, emotions, or biases.

Discourse analysis – Studying the use of language and communication in texts, such as speeches, interviews, conversations, or documents. It helps you understand how language shapes reality, influences behavior, constructs identities, creates power relations, and more.

Narrative analysis – Analyzing the stories and narratives that people tell in texts, such as biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, or testimonials. This allows you to explore how people make sense of their experiences, express their emotions, construct their identities, or cope with challenges.

• Quantitative Desk Research

Analyzing numerical data, such as statistics, graphs, charts, or tables. 

Here are common examples of quantitative desk research methods:

Statistical analysis : This method involves applying mathematical techniques and tools to numerical data, such as percentages ratios, averages, correlations, or regressions.

You can use statistical analysis to measure, describe, compare, or test relationships in the data.

Meta-analysis : Combining and synthesizing the results of multiple studies on a similar topic or question. Meta-analysis can help you increase the sample size, reduce the margin of error, or identify common findings or discrepancies in data.

Trend analysis : This method involves examining the changes and developments in numerical data over time, such as sales, profits, prices, or market share. It helps you identify patterns, cycles, fluctuations, or anomalies. 

Examples of Desk Research

Here are some real-life examples of desk research questions:

• What are the current trends and challenges in the fintech industry?
• How do Gen Z consumers perceive money and financial services?
• What are the best practices for conducting concept testing for a new fintech product?
• Documentary on World War II and its effect on Austria as a country

You can use the secondary data sources listed below to answer these questions:

Industry reports and publications

• Market research surveys and studies
• Academic journals and papers
• News articles and blogs
• Podcasts and videos
• Social media posts and reviews
• Government and non-government agencies

How to Choose the Best Type of Desk Research

The main factors for selecting a desk research method are:

• Research objective and question
• Budget and deadlines
• Data sources availability and accessibility.
• Quality and reliability of data sources
• Your data analysis skills

Let’s say your research question requires an in-depth analysis of a particular topic, a literature review may be the best method. But if the research question requires analysis of large data sets, you can use trend analysis.

Differences Between Primary Research and Desk Research

The main difference between primary research and desk research is the source of data. Primary research uses data that is collected directly from the respondents or participants of the study. Desk research uses data that is collected by someone else for a different purpose.

Another key difference is the cost and time involved. Primary research is usually more expensive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive than desk research. However, it can also provide you with more specific, accurate, and actionable data that is tailored to your research goal and question.

The best practice is to use desk-based research before primary research; it refines the scope of the work and helps you optimize resources.

Read Also – Primary vs Secondary Research Methods: 15 Key Differences

How to Conduct a Desk Research

Here are the four main steps to conduct desk research:

• Define Research Goal and Question

What do you want to achieve with your desk research? What problem do you want to solve or what opportunity do you want to explore? What specific question do you want to answer with your desk research?

• Identify and Evaluate Data Sources

Where can you find relevant data for your desk research? How relevant and current are the data sources for your research? How consistent and comparable are they with each other? 

You can evaluate your data sources based on factors such as- 

– Authority: Who is the author or publisher of the data source? What are their credentials and reputation? Are they experts or credible sources on the topic?

– Accuracy: How accurate and precise is the data source? Does it contain any errors or mistakes? Is it supported by evidence or references?

– Objectivity: How objective and unbiased is the data source? Does it present facts or opinions? Does it have any hidden agenda or motive?

– Coverage: How comprehensive and complete is the data source? Does it cover all aspects of your topic? Does it provide enough depth and detail?

– Currency: How current and up-to-date is the data source? When was it published or updated? Is it still relevant to your topic?

• Collect and Analyze Your Data

How can you collect your data efficiently and effectively? What tools or techniques can you use to organize and analyze your data? How can you interpret your data with your research goal and question?

• Present and Report Your Findings

How can you communicate your findings clearly and convincingly? What format or medium can you use to accurately record your findings?

You can use spreadsheets, presentation slides, charts, infographics, and more.

Advantages of Desk Research

• Cost Effective

It is cheaper and faster than primary research, you don’t have to collect new data or report them. You can simply analyze and leverage your findings to make deductions.

• Prevents Effort Duplication

Desk research provides you with a broad and thorough overview of the research topic and related issues. This helps to avoid duplication of efforts and resources by using existing data.

• Improves Data Validity

Using desk research, you can compare and contrast various perspectives and opinions on the same topic. This enhances the credibility and validity of your research by referencing authoritative sources.

• Identify Data Trends and Patterns

 It helps you to identify new trends and patterns in the data that may not be obvious from primary research. This can help you see knowledge and research gaps to offer more effective solutions.

Disadvantages of Desk Research

• Outdated Information

One of the main challenges of desk research is that the data may not be relevant, accurate, or up-to-date for the specific research question or purpose. Desk research relies on data that was collected for a different reason or context, which may not match the current needs or goals of the researcher.

• Limited Scope

Another limitation of desk research is that it may not provide enough depth or insight into qualitative aspects of the market, such as consumer behavior, preferences, motivations, or opinions. 

Data obtained from existing sources may be biased or incomplete due to the agenda or perspective of the source.

Read More – Research Bias: Definition, Types + Examples

• Data Inconsistencies

It may also be inconsistent or incompatible with other data sources due to different definitions or methodologies.

• Legal and Technical Issues

Desk research data may also be difficult to access or analyze due to legal, ethical, or technical issues.

How to Use Desk Research Effectively

Here are some tips on how to use desk research effectively:

• Define the research problem and objectives clearly and precisely.
• Identify and evaluate the sources of secondary data carefully and critically.
• Compare and contrast different sources of data to check for consistency and reliability.
• Use multiple sources of data to triangulate and validate the findings.
• Supplement desk research with primary research when exploring deeper issues.
• Cite and reference the sources of data properly and ethically.

Desk research should not be used as a substitute for primary research, but rather as a complement or supplement. Combine it with primary research methods, such as surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, and others to obtain a more complete and accurate picture of your research topic.

Desk research is a cost-effective tool for gaining insights into your research topic. Although it has limitations, if you choose the right method and carry out your desk research effectively, you will save a lot of time, money, and effort that primary research would require.

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Desk research: the what, why and how

The “where” (at your desk) and the “when” (at the beginning of your project) are easy questions to answer. But what is it, why do you need to to do it, and how should you go about doing desk research to make sure it adds value to your project? —  David Travis , Jan 4, 2016

By David Travis Jan 4, 2016 / strategy

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What is desk research?

Desk research is another name for secondary research. Broadly speaking, there are two types of research activity: primary research (where you go out and discover stuff yourself); and secondary research (where you review what other people have done). Desk research is not about collecting data. Instead, your role as a user researcher carrying out desk research is to review previous research findings to gain a broad understanding of the field.

Why do desk research?

Before carrying out a field visit, developing a prototype, running a usability test, or embarking on any project that you want to be user centred, it makes sense to see what people have done in the past that relates to the product’s domain. Although it’s unlikely that anyone has carried out the exact research activity you’re planning, someone has almost certainly tried to answer related questions. Reviewing this research is the quickest and cheapest way to understand the domain.

Carrying out desk research is a critical first step, for at least three reasons:

• If you don’t know what has gone before, you won’t know when you’ve discovered something new.
• You’ll sound credible when you get face-to-face with users and stakeholders. If you’ve not done this “due diligence”, you’ll ask dumb or irrelevant questions and may find your participants cut your sessions short.
• Failing to do preparatory research is disrespectful of your participants’ time. You may get less than an hour with a user of your system. Do you really want to waste half that time understanding the domain issues that you could have covered elsewhere?

How do you approach desk research?

At this point, I’ve had many user researchers tell me that they’re working on a bleeding edge design project so there isn’t any desk research to do. There’s a common misconception that no research exists.

In my experience, there is almost always something you can build upon. Here’s an approach I take to go about finding it. It helps me stay focussed but also makes sure that I remember to check all the possible nooks and crannies where relevant research findings may be hiding.

A Venn diagram showing users, goals and environments. Where these three overlap is the sweet spot for user research.

The Venn diagram describes the context of use: your users, their goals and the environments where the action occurs. The best kind of research is where all three of these dimensions overlap: field visits that focus on your users trying to achieve their goals in context. This kind of research is so specific and relevant to your project that it may be hard to find, so don’t get discouraged if you can’t turn anything up in this area.

This set of Venn diagrams shows that research into the overlap between users and goals, environments and goals and users and envrionments can also yield useful insights.

But there is potentially useful research in the other areas of overlap on our Venn diagram. This falls into three broad areas:

• Research about your users and their goals, but that was not carried out in context. This kind of research will take the form of surveys, customer interviews and focus groups.
• Research that addresses the goals your system will support and the environment it will be used in, but doesn’t tell us much about users. Examples include call centre or web analytics.
• Research that uncovers information about your users in their environment, but that may not address the goals that your system will support. This will take the form of field research by teams who are designing a product for the same kinds of user but to meet different needs.

The most likely place you’ll find this kind of research is within your own organisation. But you need to be prepared to dig. This is because research findings, especially on agile projects, are often treated as throw-away by-products that apply to a specific project. The findings aren’t shared outside the design team but typically make a fleeting appearance on a research wall or end up buried in someone’s email inbox. Even when research findings are written down, and even when the report is archived somewhere, people typically don’t know how to go about finding it. Organisations are generally poor at creating a shared repository of knowledge and rarely teach staff how to use the intranet or where past reports might be located. The result of these obstacles is that companies waste time and money either doing research that already exists or asking the wrong research questions.

So within your organisation, you should:

• Talk to your stakeholders. Get to know the product owner and understand their goals, vision and concerns.
• Examine call centre analytics or web analytics (if there is an existing service).
• Talk to front line, customer facing people who currently interact with users.

In almost every project, you'll find some research that exists into users, goals and environments. This may not be directly relevant to your specific research questions but it will help you become knowledgeable about the domain.

Once you’ve covered the areas of overlap, your next step is to look for more generic information about your users, the environment in which they’ll use the system, and the kinds of goals your system will support.

• What research has been done with your users, even if it’s not directly relevant to their goals when using your system?
• What research has been done on the kind of goals your system will support, even if the research has been done with a different user group?
• What research exists on the kinds of environment where you expect your system to be used (environment means hardware, software and the physical and social environments in which your system will be used).

In this step, you’ll find it useful to:

• Review existing research done by Government organisations.'In the UK, the Office for National Statistics has a wealth of information about citizens that may be useful to understand your users, such as demographics about Internet users , consumer trends and facts about online retail sales in the UK
• Review research carried out by relevant charities. For example, if you’re developing a new kind of tool to help diabetics measure their sugar levels, you should bookmark the research done by Diabetes UK . Web sites like Charity Choice allow you to browse through and locate hundreds of different charitable organisations so you’re bound to find at least one that’s relevant.
• Search Google Scholar to find relevant research carried out by universities. Although you may struggle to appreciate the nuances of certain academic arguments, you could always use this route to find the researcher’s contact details and give them a call.
• If your system will be used in a work context, study interviews at careers web sites. For example, The Guardian's careers section has interviews with people working as tattoo artists , forensic scientists , and as a royal footman so the chances are that you'll be able to get some context for whatever job title your system is aimed at. You should also check the Guardian's " What I'm Really Thinking " series.

Judging the quality of the research you find

Judging the quality of research is a whole article in itself. Fortunately, Philip Hodgson’s guidelines for reviewing consumer research reports has it covered.

There’s just one thing I’d add to Philip’s guidelines. Beware of dismissing research just because it was done a few years ago. People new to research often make the mistake of viewing research reports like so many yogurts in a fridge where the sell-by dates have expired. Just because it was done a couple of years ago, don’t think it’s no longer relevant. The best research tends to focus on human behaviour, and that tends to change very slowly.

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Find out more on our 3-day, user experience immersion seminar .

About the author

Dr. David Travis ( @userfocus ) has been carrying out ethnographic field research and running product usability tests since 1989. He has published three books on user experience including Think Like a UX Researcher . If you like his articles, you might enjoy his free online user experience course .

If you liked this, try…

• Guidelines for reviewing consumer research reports
• Is Consumer Research Losing Its Focus?
• What user researchers can learn from Sherlock Holmes
• You have 19 days to define your research problem
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What Is Desk Research And How To Do It?

When it comes to pushing out a product to market, research and usability testing raises your chances of success. We have already covered a lot of different research and testing topics , but this time we wanted to focus on one of the easiest research methods – desk research. What is it and how you can do it?

What Is Desk Research?

There’s two types of research – primary and secondary. Primary research is when you actually go out and get first-hand data and gather information “in the wild”. Secondary research, which includes desk research, is when you look at secondary data or data that’s already available . So, instead of interviewing users or doing A/B testing (primary research) you just search for and sort through everything others published that is relevant to the issue at hand. The resources you find may vary greatly from simple articles, through industry reports to complex studies done by research institutes. All those things can be done from your desk or desktop (which is why some call desk research desktop research). That’s why this particular method of research is so popular.

Why Should You Do Desk Research?

There’s a common misconception that desk research will not be of any value to you, because the project is so cutting-edge and really innovative. And while that may be true, that doesn’t mean you should just rely on primary research. The data available online may not be 100% accurate but it doesn’t mean it’s not relevant to your project. You should search for any information that can be found about the specific market your business operates on. Doing this will save you time when planning your primary research and will help you ask your users more relevant questions. That’s the number one reason people do desk research – trying to find out information that somebody already researched and published is just a waste of time.

Besides that, desk research is completely free. Sitting at your desk, looking at market research, analyzing data and making conclusions is definitely cheaper than organizing primary research activities like focus groups or 1:1 interviews. It’s kind of like preparing for a job interview – you need to first get yourself familiar with the company you’re interviewing for, their market, process, competition etc. Otherwise you will seem unprofessional. To sum up, desk research is free, can be done right at your desk anytime and anywhere and will get you the information necessary to be more prepared for your other research activities.

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How to carry out desk research.

Because desk research is focused on searching for existing information, people tend to get lost in the available resources. If you just search for your question in Google you will get thousands and thousands of results. And you may find that quite overwhelming. Which sources should you trust? How to use available statistics? Which research is relevant to your specific business? How to sort through this information ? Your desk-based research should fall into one of these categories: users, their goals, their environment or an overlap of two or more of those. Here’s a Venn diagram we use to help us identify which pieces of information we found will be useful:

As you can see, the diagram has three circles which overlap. Each represents something that is a contact for how the users use your product. The spot where all three (users, goals and environments) overlap is the best kind of market research. And that’s because it contains information about who uses your product in a very specific context.

However, this kind of information is very hard to obtain, especially from secondary data. You will usually need to gather primary data from field visits to get such specific information. But that doesn’t make other data not relevant. You may not find market research that lies within all those categories. But there’s definitely some research published that will get you an overview of your users and their environments or the users and their goals. Just remember, desk research is not here to replace any research activities. It’s here to help you refine your studies.

Which Kinds Of Research To Look For?

Based on the diagram above, you can see that you can search for research that falls into three areas: users and goals, users and environments as well as environments and goals. When in doubt, you can always check the diagram to see which category does a specific research piece fall into. Here’s what to look for during your desk research:

• Research that covers your users and their goals but not in the context of their environment. This type of information can be found in the form of surveys, focus groups or customer interviews. All those will get you data about the target audience and their needs. But you will not get any information about how they might use the product in their natural environment.
• Research that provides information about what goals users want to achieve and their use environment but doesn’t cover the actual users themselves. This type of information may be published as a call centre analysis or a web analysis.
• Research that has information about the users in their environment but doesn’t contain any data on their goals. This can be found in the form of market research for the same target group but different functionalities.

Resource Types To Look For

These three types of data will help you find missing spots that you can fill in later with your field research. It may be hard to find articles and studies that cover those topics, so don’t forget to look inside your company. Chances are, there’s a lot of data from previous projects that can be used to aid your efforts. Another great resource are government websites and research institutes. They often publish a lot of different research papers, so finding the one most useful for you may take some time. But the quality of market research from those sources is top-notch! Also, when you search for data, opt for using Google Scholar. It’s a specific section of Google that you can use to find scientific, data-based research and academic papers. If you narrow your search it will be much easier to find relevant information.

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16 Useful Desk Research Sources and how to use them

The content page to our handy list of reliable desk research resources and how to use them. plus a few tips to look out for when you find your own secondary market research sources..

Not every question needs original, primary research to answer it, the answer may already be out there. There is no point in reinventing the wheel, so desk research (or secondary market research) can be a useful tool in our armoury, particularly when you need to quickly get up to speed with a new topic. However, in this era of ‘post truth’ and fake news it’s not easy to work out which information is reliable, or even relevant.

In this blog series we’re putting a list of reliable data sources together and a ‘how to guide’ to facilitate your interrogation of the often vast data sets. Each post starts off with an introduction to the database’s purpose and who its aimed at.

Our suggestions for reliable secondary market research sources

We are starting with BBC Media Action as it’s a great example of an initiative for social good. Come back and check out when we post the following.

• Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
• Google Trends
• Health and Safety Executive
• International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC)
• Office of National Statistics (ONS)
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• Science Daily
• United Nations (UN)
• United States Census Bureau
• World Trade Origination (WTO)

Things to look out for

You’ll probably want to look for other sources yourself, so we’ve created a list of things you might want to do to give you confidence in what you find.

• Who is the website run by? Websites run by scientific, governmental, or intergovernmental institutions are likely to be the most reliable, although often a little dry.
• What is the expertise of contributing authors? Expert authors are usually affiliated with an academic institution, extensively published, and frequently cited by others.
• Rankings such as the Journal Quality List will help you determine what these journals are.
• Are the introduction and conclusions relevant enough to warrant a read of the full article?
• For tests or research results are the methods, sample size and audience characteristics (e.g. company size, geography etc.) clearly described in sufficient detail to determine relevance?
• Are assumptions stated for any conclusions or recommendations given?
• Are supporting data sources referenced?
• When was the data collected or statement made, has the situation changed a lot since then?
• Check the bibliography as they can often point you to other useful sources.

We’d like to thank Andy Thomas for his great work in compiling this list with us and giving us insight to the workings of a marvellous the academic mind.

If your desk research doesn’t provide you with the answers you are looking for, give us a call and we help you work out how to fill those information gaps.

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A comprehensive guide to desk-based research: unlocking secondary data sources.

Introduction

What is Desk-based research?

Desk research is a type of study based on material published in reports and similar materials available in public libraries, websites, data acquired from previously conducted surveys, and so on. Some businesses also keep data that can be utilized for the study. It is a research approach that uses already secondary data collection methods . These are gathered and summarized to improve the investigation’s overall efficacy.

Desk-based research, also known as secondary research, involves utilizing existing sources of information to gather data for your PhD thesis . This type of research can be a valuable complement to primary research, as it allows you to explore existing knowledge, gain insights, and support or refute existing theories.

Desk-based research examples:

Desk research is a popular alternative for businesses and organizations since it is a low-cost approach. Not everyone can afford to pay significant amounts of money to research design and gather data. That is why it is also known as “documentary research.”

Here’s a comprehensive guide to conducting desk-based research and unlocking secondary data sources for your PhD thesis:

• Refine your research questions : Clearly define your research questions or objectives. This will help you focus your desk-based research efforts and identify the specific types of data you need to collect.
• Identify relevant sources : Determine the types of sources that are most suitable for your research. These can include academic journals, books, conference proceedings, government reports, industry publications, statistical databases, websites, and other scholarly resources. Consider both online and offline sources.
• Develop search strategies : Plan your search strategies to locate relevant information effectively. Start by creating a list of keywords and synonyms related to your research topic. Use these keywords to search databases, library catalogues, and search engines. Consider using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to effectively refine your searches and combine keywords.
• Utilize academic databases : Academic databases such as JSTOR, PubMed , Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar are excellent resources for finding scholarly articles and papers. These databases allow you to search across various disciplines and access a wide range of academic publications.
• Explore institutional libraries : Visit your university or other institutions to access books, thesis, dissertations , and other relevant materials. Librarians can guide you on using the library catalog effectively and help you navigate available resources.
• Access government and organizational reports : Government agencies, research institutes, and organizations often publish reports, white papers, and studies that can provide valuable data and insights. To access these reports, visit relevant websites and explore their research or publications sections.

• Evaluate source credibility : Assess the credibility and reliability of the sources you find. Consider factors such as the author’s expertise, the publication’s reputation, the presence of peer review, and the recency of the information. Use academic judgment to determine the trustworthiness of the sources.
• Extract and organize data : Extract relevant data from the sources you collect. This can include quantitative data, qualitative findings, theories, arguments, or conceptual frameworks. Create a system to organize and store your extracted secondary data collection, such as a spreadsheet or a reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley.
• Check out our Sample data collection for the Project to see how the secondary data collection is constructed.
• Analyze and synthesize the data : Analyze the secondary data in the research methodology you have gathered and synthesize the information to support your research questions. Identify patterns, themes, and gaps in the existing literature . Compare and contrast different viewpoints and theories, and critically evaluate the strength of the evidence.
• Integrate secondary data with primary research: If you are conducting primary research alongside your desk-based research, integrate the types of secondary data collection into your analysis. Use the secondary data to provide context, compare findings, or support your arguments.
• Cite and reference your sources : Properly cite and reference all the sources you have used in your desk-based research methodology dissertation. Follow the appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) as per your institution’s guidelines. Maintain accurate records of your references to avoid plagiarism and facilitate the writing of your thesis.

Desk-based research provides a foundation of knowledge and can significantly enhance the quality and depth of your PhD thesis. However, it is important to balance secondary research with primary research to contribute original insights and perspectives to your field of study.

• Check out our study guide to learn more about Secondary data collection. How to collect data for your PhD Thesis?

Qualitative desk-based research leverages existing data sources to access diverse information without primary data collection . Researchers gain insights into historical trends, longitudinal studies, and cross-comparisons by analyzing academic journals, government reports, industry publications, and online databases. However, caution must be exercised to ensure data credibility and relevance. Skilled researchers can make well-founded, evidence-based conclusions in any field.

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• Guerin, Benoit, Barbara Janta, and Anke van Gorp. “Desk-based research and literature review.”  Evaluating interventions that prevent or counter violent extremism 63 (2018).
• Bassot, Barbara.  Doing qualitative desk-based research: a practical guide to writing an excellent dissertation . Policy Press, 2022.
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PlateUp: How to Use The Research Desk

Many of the items you use in PlateUp are extremely straightforward and easy to comprehend. One of the more confusing items every player will be using often is the Research Desk, and it’s one of the critical items you have to use in the PlateUp kitchen.

There are several details about this item that are difficult to master when you’re first playing the game. This guide will go over how the research desk works, and every item you can upgrade using while playing PlateUp.

What is a research desk?

While you’re playing PlateUp, the Research Desk is one of the best early items the game drops . It’s better to look at the Research desk as something that will have more payoffs in the future, rather than anything immediate while you’re in the kitchen. There are far more investments in this item than in the other items you use in PlateUp.

Sometime during the round, you can use it to upgrade certain items and make them into more helpful appliances, like turning a washing basin into a dishwasher. PlateUp’s Research Sesk is a helpful way to get around the RNG of the game’s random drops, especially if you’re trying to go after certain things in the game.

How does the research desk work?

This is easily the hardest part about using the Research Desk in PlateUp. How the Research Deck is not entirely clear. Rather than walking up to the Research Desk to use you, you need to place the Blueprint Cabinet in your restaurant and place the upgradeable appliance next to the Blueprints Cabinet . After you have those two details sorted out, you can actually use the Research Desk.

When you start your in-game day in PlateUp, save a little bit of time to walk over to the research desk and use your interaction button to upgrade the appliance. Once you’re done, a new item should have appeared in your blueprints cabinet. After the round, you can remove this appliance and buy it.

What items can be upgraded?

Given how many items and appliances are in PlateUp, there’s a wide variety of options to upgrade throughout the game. There are 2 main types of upgrade: Linear and Cyclic .

Linear upgrades are ones that either have a single upgrade path or if they have multiple ones, you can not cycle between them. Once you’ve made the upgrade, you are committed to it.

Cyclic upgrades are ones that can be repeatedly upgraded and cycled between all options in a fixed sequence.

So, here’s a list of all the items and all their upgrades in PlateUp.

Linear upgrades:

• Oven -> Microwave
• Counter -> Workstation or Freezer
• Prep Station -> Frozen prep Station
• Plates -> Auto Plater
• Dinging Table -> Bar Table or Metal Table or Table-Simple Cloth or Table – Fancy Cloth
• Mop -> Lasting Mop or Fast Mop -> Robot Mop
• Floor Buffer -> Robot Buffer
• Dumbwaiter -> Teleporter
• Ordering Terminal -> Specials Terminal

Cyclic upgrades:

• Research Desk -> Blueprint Desk or Discount Desk or Copying Desk -> Blueprint Desk or Discount Desk or Copying Desk
• Hob -> Safety Hob or Danger Hob -> Danger Hob or Safety Hob
• Bin -> Compact Bin or Composter Bin or Expanded Bin -> Composter Bin or Expanded Bin or Compactor Bin
• Sink -> Power Sink or Wash Basin or Dish Washer or Soaking Sink -> Power Sink or Wash Basin or Dish Washer or Soaking Sink
• Conveyor -> Grabber -> Smart Grabber or Grabber – Rotating -> Grabber- Rotating or Smart Grabber
• Mixer -> Rapid Mixer or Heated Mixer or Conveyor Mixer -> Heated Mixer or Conveyor Mixer or Rapid Mixer

Every upgrade is basically just a faster/ automized version of the base appliance, besides one. The Research Desk. As you see in the cyclic upgrades, the Research Desk is indeed upgradable and it’s upgrades do the following:

• Blueprint Desk -Cycles through blueprints to be available the next day
• Discount Desk – Reduces the cost of blueprints in a surrounding Blueprint Cabinet by 50%
• Copying Desk – Upgrades blueprints in a surrounding Blueprint Cabinet

Whatever upgrades you end up with, they can be some of the best additions to your restaurant, and can even save a dying run of a game.

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• v.7(2); 2017 Jul

Adverse Effects of Prolonged Sitting Behavior on the General Health of Office Workers

Hadi daneshmandi.

1 Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Alireza Choobineh

Haleh ghaem.

2 Department of Epidemiology, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Mehran Karimi

3 Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Excessive sitting behavior is a risk factor for many adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to survey the prevalence of sitting behavior and its adverse effects among Iranian office workers.

This cross-sectional study included 447 Iranian office workers. A two-part questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. The first part surveyed the demographic characteristics and general health of the respondents, while the second part contained the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to assess symptoms. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software using Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analysis.

The respondents spent an average of 6.29 hours of an 8-hour working shift in a sitting position. The results showed that 48.8% of the participants did not feel comfortable with their workstations and 73.6% felt exhausted during the workday. Additionally, 6.3% suffered from hypertension, and 11.2% of them reported hyperlipidemia. The results of the NMQ showed that neck (53.5%), lower back (53.2%) and shoulder (51.6%) symptoms were the most prevalent problem among office workers. Based upon a multiple logistic regression, only sex had a significant association with prolonged sitting behavior (odds ratio = 3.084). Our results indicated that long sitting times were associated with exhaustion during the working day, decreased job satisfaction, hypertension, and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms in the shoulders, lower back, thighs, and knees of office workers.

Sitting behavior had adverse effects on office workers. Active workstations are therefore recommended to improve working conditions.

INTRODUCTION

Modern workplaces have shifted the nature of occupations from active to sedentary and promote lengthy sitting behavior. One cause of this change is the transition from paper-based work to computerized and paperless work [ 1 ].

Office workers are part of a large group of occupations that generally work in a sitting position for much of the day [ 2 ]. These people remain in a sitting posture for about two-thirds of their working hours, and their bouts of sitting periods typically last at least 30 minutes [ 3 , 4 ].

In 2008, about 25% of all United States jobs had a sedentary nature, while this percentage was only 15% in 1960 [ 1 ]. An Australian study revealed that 42% of men and 47% of women spend an average of 6.3 of their 8-hour shifts in sedentary and sitting jobs [ 5 ]. Also, in the Netherlands, about 50% of working adults report that they maintain a sitting posture for four or more hours each working day [ 6 ].

Sedentary behavior has been defined as “any behavior characterized by an energy expenditure of ≤1.5 METs while in a sitting or reclining posture” [ 7 ]. Sedentary and sitting behavior in office workplaces is a risk factor for cardio-metabolic disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, musculoskeletal disorders [ 8 ], some types of cancer, and premature death [ 9 , 10 ].

The results of Church et al.′s (2011) study revealed that the average energy expenditure of individuals while at work declined from 1960–2010. This shift in occupational energy expenditure has been associated with a decrease of 100 calories per day, which in turn account for as much as 80% of the average increase in body weight among the working population during this same period [ 1 ]. Based on Atkin and Wannameth′s study (2015), overweight and obesity are major public health problems with an increasing prevalence worldwide, and are also risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in an adult population [ 11 ].

The findings of some studies indicated that for each two-hour increment in sitting time, the risk of obesity and diabetes increases by 5% and 7%, respectively [ 12 ]. In contrast, prolonged sitting behavior raises the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain [ 13 ]. Additionally, the findings of Gianoudis et al.′s study revealed that a greater overall sitting time is associated with an increased risk of sarcopenia, which climbs by 33% for each one-hour increment of sitting [ 14 ]. Other studies have shown that sedentary occupations are associated with a higher risk of developing some types of cancers, such as colorectal, ovarian, prostate, and endometrial cancer [ 15 – 17 ].

Another outcome of a sedentary lifestyle is premature death. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2013) estimates that 3.2 million people worldwide die prematurely each year due to a sedentary lifestyle [ 18 ]. Studies have shown that people who spend almost all of their working time in a sitting position have a 1.4-times greater chance of premature death after 12 years than their counterparts who sit for less time at work [ 19 ].

In contrast, an active lifestyle improves one′s general health and decreases the risk of chronic diseases [ 20 ]. It has been reported that active rest bouts between prolonged sitting periods are associated with beneficial metabolic profiles in adults and also decreased waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), triglyceride levels, and two-hour plasma glucose levels [ 21 ].

Recently, health guidelines in Australia [ 22 ] and Britain [ 23 ] have been published that recommend adults from 18–64 years old decrease their daily amount of sitting time. However, in Iran, there are not yet proper recommendations for reducing sedentary and sitting behaviors in office workers. Therefore, this study aimed to survey the prevalence of sitting behavior and its adverse effect among office workers of the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and recommend solutions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Office workers with at least one year of job tenure (n = 447) participated in this study, which was conducted at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Employees with a history of any diseases or accidents (such as occupational and road accidents) that could affect the musculoskeletal system were excluded from the study.

1. Data-gathering tools and study procedure

An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the required data from each participant. The questionnaire contained two parts:

• Personal details (including age, weight, height, job tenure, daily working time, sex, marital status, education, smoking status, daily exercise, and so on).
• The general Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to assess symptoms and examine reported cases of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in different body regions among the study population [ 24 ]. Reported musculoskeletal symptoms were limited to the past 12 months.

Each participant received the questionnaire to complete in person at his or her workplace.

2. Statistics

Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 16. Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests were used to examine the univariate associations between different variables. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for each outcome while also retaining the variables in the models to adjust for potential confounders. In the regression analysis, if the p-value of the Chi-square test for the association between the variables and the sitting time in a working day was ≤0.25, the variable was included in the regression model (inclusion criteria) [ 25 ].

Table 1 summarizes the personal details of the participants. Table 2 presents the possible adverse effects related to prolonged sitting times. The prevalence rates of musculoskeletal symptoms in different parts of the body in the past 12 months among the participants are shown in Table 3 . The results of the NMQ revealed that neck (53.5%), lower back (53.2%), and shoulder (51.6%) symptoms were the most prevalent problems reported by office workers in the past 12 months.

Demographic information about the participants in the study (N = 447)

BMI: Body mass index.

Possible adverse effects related to prolonged sitting times in the studied office workers (N = 447)

Frequency of reported musculoskeletal symptoms in different body regions during the past 12 months in the studied office workers (N = 447)

1. Factors associated with sitting time during a working day

In general, the statistical analyses showed that the sitting time during a working day was significantly associated with demographic and occupational variables (age, BMI, job tenure, sex, marital status, educational level, and workstation comfort). The included factors for sitting time during a work day are the result of multiple logistic regression analysis performed to adjust for potential confounding.

Our analysis revealed that sex was the only main variable retained in the regression model, with an odds ratio of 3.084 (1.785–5.331). This finding indicated that among all variables included in the regression, sex had a significant association with sitting time during a workday.

2. Adverse effects of prolonged sitting times on office workers

The results of the Mann Whitney U test showed that prolonged sitting times among office workers could have effects on exhaustion during a working day, job satisfaction, hypertension (blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg), and MSD symptoms in the shoulders, lower back, thighs, and knees of office workers (p < 0.05) ( Table 4 ).

Adverse effects of prolonged sitting times among the studied office workers (n = 447)

As shown in Table 1 , the participants worked in a sitting position for an average of 6.29 hours during an 8-hour working shift. It was found that women sat longer than men (6.47 vs. 6.07 hours/day, respectively). Our study also revealed that the participants had an average exercise time of 2.16 hours per week. The results showed that 48.8% of office workers did not feel comfortable with their workstations and 73.6% were exhausted during their working day. In addition, 6.3% of the studied workers suffered from hypertension and 11.2% reported hyperlipidemia.

The NMQ revealed that neck (53.5%), lower back (53.2%) and shoulder (51.6%) symptoms were the most prevalent problem among the office workers in the past 12 months.

Sex was the only main variable retained in the regression model, and it had a significant association with the amount of sitting time during a working day. This finding indicated that the chance of sitting behavior among female workers was 3.084 times higher than that of their male colleagues. In contrast, Wallmann-Sperlich et al. conducted a study in Germany (2013) that showed that men sat longer than female office workers [ 26 ]. This discrepancy can be attributed to differences between the nature of jobs in these two studied populations.

The results of our statistical analysis indicated that prolonged sitting times among office workers could have an effect on exhaustion during the working day, job satisfaction, hypertension (blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg), and MSD symptoms in the shoulders, lower back, thighs, and knees of office workers.

The findings of Picavet et al. revealed that hypertension in their participants was related to occupational sitting behavior. In addition, the results of this same study (Picavet et al.) indicated that about one-third of the surveyed individuals had hypertension [ 27 ].

Other studies have shown that reducing one′s energy expenditure and the lack of localized excitation-contraction of muscles that results from a prolonged sitting position can cause suppression of lipoprotein lipase activity. The activity of lipoprotein lipase is critical for the attraction of trigly-cerides and the production of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Prolonged sitting additionally reduces insulin secretion, interferes with the uptake of blood glucose by skeletal muscles [ 28 ] and may also increase proinflammatory cytokines, which are associated with the development and progression of many cardiovascular disorders [ 29 ].

The findings of previous studies have demonstrated that musculoskeletal problems in different body regions, especially in the upper limbs, neck, shoulders, and low back, of office workers are common [ 30 ]. Generally, the prevalence of MSDs has been reported to range from 40–80% among office workers [ 31 ]. This high rate of MSDs in different regions of the body of office workers can be attributed to awkward and static postures as well as repetitive movements.

Although our results indicated that there was no significant association between sitting time and BMI, the mean amount of sitting time among overweight and obese participants was higher than that of underweight and normal weight respondents. In this context, Chu et al.′s study showed that sitting behavior was associated with adverse effects on abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridemia [ 32 ]. An increase in weight among office workers can also be linked to a reduction in energy expenditure.

According to the findings of the present study, the use of active workstations for decreasing sitting time and its adverse effects would be beneficial for the office worker population. Based on Pronk, walking workstations, cycling workstations, portable stepping devices, portable pedal exercise machines, elliptical machines, physical activity breaks, prompting software, skip-stop elevators, and sit-stand workstations all have a positive effect on the general health of users because they increase their active behaviors. These workstations cause decreased sitting times, increased energy expenditure, positive effects on health markers, positive effects on work performance, no acute effect on cognitive function, and no straightforward findings concerning computer task performance [ 33 ].

Based on our surveys, sit-stand workstations are an appropriate and practical selection for Iranian office work. In the United States, Europe and Australia, sit-stand workstations are used to reduce sitting time by up to 143 minutes in a workday [ 34 ]. However, some factors, including organizational structure, physical environment, interpersonal communication, and intrapersonal factors (such as attitude) may also be involved in reducing the sitting time [ 35 , 36 ]. In addition, the use of height-adjustable workstations has caused office workers to sit less (40–66 fewer minutes per day); symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs among users was reduced, while their precision of duty, productivity, mood, and moral sense improved [ 37 ].

Modification of workplaces using sit-stand workstations is a useful way to decrease the sitting time of office workers. Some studies have shown that these workstations decrease the risk of death related to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, increasing the number of working posture variations while using adjustable sit-standing workstations decreases the symptoms of MSDs caused by prolonged sitting and repetitive motion, reduces swelling in the legs, decreases exhaustion, and increases energy expenditure among office workers [ 38 ].

However, it should be pointed out that an appropriate schedule for changing from a sitting to a standing position must be followed because sitting and standing postures may cause pain in the lower limbs [ 39 ]. In a sitting position, the spine deviates from a normal shape to an S-shape, causing extra pressure on the spine but less pressure on the lower extremities. In contrast, in a standing position, the spine retains its normal shape and bears less pressure, but the lower extremities receive more biomechanical pressure due to the body′s weight [ 40 ]. As long as these considerations are kept in mind, sit-stand workstations can reduce the harm of both positions.

Since the data used in this study were obtained using a self-report methodology, the findings should be cautiously interpreted. In addition, because this study was carried out among office workers at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, its results may not be generalized to other workplaces and working groups. This study was the first survey in this field among Iranian office workers. The results of this study can be used in future investigations to provide proper guidelines for developing appropriate sit-stand schedules.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article is a part of the thesis written by Mr. Hadi Daneshmandi, PhD candidate of Ergonomics at SUMS, and was financially supported by SUMS Grant No. 95-01-104-11387.