Research & Development

6 criteria for success

Validity means how authentic, accurate and free of bias our R&D project is. The primary task of the researcher is to provide objective and valid information. This criterion is met if the study actually does what it claims and the data adequately and accurately represent actual conditions. To meet this criterion, the researcher must make every effort to eliminate bias, distortion, and unfounded assumptions and conclusions from all steps and aspects of the research. Such threats to validity may arise at any stage of a study, including sampling, question formulation, data collection and analysis, as well as the development of recommendations. An appropriate way to reduce validity risks is to set up a research team in which the researchers can represent different perspectives and can check each other’s assumptions.

Reliability refers to the repeatability of findings. To meet this criterion, at the end of our R&D project, we must be able to answer “yes” to the following question: “If someone else were to carry out this study, would they come to the same conclusion?”. This criterion is generally more applicable to basic research than to applied research. However, this criterion must be respected in applied research as well, an therefore, in general, we must eliminate any biases of researchers (at least as far as possible) and increase the sample of their data sources.

The Effectiveness criterion asks the following question: “To what extent has our R&D project achieved its objectives?”. This is particularly important in applied research. To meet this criterion, researchers need to make the raw information usable by developing practical recommendations based on them. The key to meeting this criterion is to ensure that the research has a clear focus – i.e. it articulates the purpose of the research, as well as its boundaries and definitions, and ensures that the client shares this understanding. If the purpose of the research is not clear, it is not possible to know whether the research is effective, whether it has an impact, and whether it reaches its goals. If the purpose is clear, it is easier to translate the findings into actionable recommendations.

Efficiency means that the least possible time, resources and effort should be used to achieve the research goals and objectives. Efficiency is often confused with Effectiveness, although the two are different. In applied research, both Efficiency and Effectiveness are important. For example, if researchers provide comprehensive and valuable recommendations two years after the client’s deadline – meaning they meet the Effectiveness criterion -, they may be completely useless because competing solutions could be way ahead by then.

Feasibility means that the research design must be feasible for the researchers. If the proposed research design is not feasible in terms of the time, skills, access to information and resources of the research team, it is doomed from the start. In such a case, it is not recommended to start the R&D project and the researchers will have to redesign the project.

In the context of the Relevance criterion, the following question is asked: “Is the information collected relevant to answering the key questions?” Meeting the Relevance criterion can make the research more effective. Novice researchers tend to collect information that has little value to the research objectives. Due to their nature, in all R&D projects, researchers collect way more information than what is actually used in the final report. However, it is still important to focus on the key questions and primary objectives of the project when collecting and analysing data.