What are the most common mistakes when using online research tools for Thought Leadership?

Here are some common mistakes when using online research tools for Thought Leadership: Lack of 3.0 Channels Innovation: When designing online qualitative research, it’s important to consider innovation. Thus, Innovation in LinkedIN has 38 million followers and Management 35 M Technological Challenges: Research plans should choose between online modalities and platforms based on a clear understanding of their particular affordances and the implications of these, therefore Twitter and Facebook should be largely ignored Quality over Quantity: It’s important to prioritize quality over quantity. Pulse is a 90 M dollar acquisition of LinkediN which brought the success of Richard Branson. Start there for quality

Here's what I learned from my mistakes:- It’s not just about gathering data; it’s about gathering the right data. This precision saves time and sharpens your thought leadership content, making it both insightful and grounded in solid research. Similar example: if you're exploring customer retention strategies, a broad query like "how to keep customers happy?" might lead you everywhere and nowhere. Instead, a precise question like "What are effective customer loyalty strategies and How to execute those strategies" directs you to specific, useful insights. So, I recommend this focused approach that keeps your research relevant and ensures that you're gathering information that directly addresses your topic.

Research Like a Pro, Lead with Confidence! ???? - I'd start with a crystal-clear research question ?? – it's your compass for navigating the sea of information. - Review trustworthy sources ??? – consider them your foundation for building credible arguments. - Always cite your sources ?? – it's like giving credit where it's due and avoiding the plagiarism pitfall. - Analyze and synthesize your findings ?? – blend them like a chef creating a gourmet dish. Pro tip: Use Google Scholar for credible academic sources and Mendeley for managing citations seamlessly! ??

Defining your research question helps you guide your search, filters irrelevant information, shapes your approach, avoids information overload, and enables meaningful insights. All research should start with a well-crafted question and a "why" and "what" behind it.

What’s the why? Before you begin anything, take a moment to define why you’re doing it in the first place. The answer to your why is going to be the staple ingredient in all your communications going forward.

Developing critical thinking skills is key. This means not just accepting information at face value but analyzing it for its logic, evidence, and arguments. This skill is essential in distinguishing between credible and unreliable sources. Always cross-check information with multiple sources. This practice helps to confirm the accuracy of the data and provides a more rounded perspective. If different credible sources corroborate the information, it's more likely to be reliable. Every source has its biases. Being aware of these biases and how they might color the information is crucial. It’s important to understand the perspective of the source and seek out diverse viewpoints to get a more balanced understanding.

This could severely skew the results and conclusions. Make sure the source is credible and the research can be generalised if this is too specific, this will mean that your conclusions are limited and not generalisable. Look at the source data and reputation, and conduct some fact-checking through alternative sources. Finally, I recommend using peer-reviewed publications and academic journals where the validity and credibility have already been checked through a reviewing panel.

The Internet is full of pithy, snackable research citations and it's easy to accept them at face value. However, now more than ever you need to validate those citations before you use them by tracking the research back to its original source. This is especially true if you are using public ChatGPT et al to find research because sometimes the machine will just make stuff up (hallucinate) if it can't find what you asked it for. You would be surprised (or maybe not) at how many times you can't find an original source, or the quote has been taken out of context so it actually does not fit at all. Practice safe research: always track a free floating citation back to its original source before you use it.

In my experience, using a mix of reliable sources (newsletters, market reports, news sites) already as part of your daily/weekly readings is crucial to always have a pool of information to draw from when you actually need them for posts, keynotes, presentations etc.

If I am developing new ideas I look to the most credible thought leaders in my field and research. Research can also be biased byt my experience is that this is where you find the most credible source of knowledge, analysis and conclusions that does not oversell anything. As a journalist I am naturally very critical towards reports from business’ as they often have a goal of promoting views that is alligned with their business goal.

A distinguishing characteristic between thought leaders and everyone else writing online is their ability to communicate how their original thoughts are well-supported by a body of existing evidence. Citing sources is a best practice in this regard and is essential to maintaining credibility when connecting 'what is' to 'what's possible.'

There is no excuse for not citing resources. Take the time to do the research to find out who actually shared that screenshot, that picture, that quote, that slide carousel that inspired you. Plagiarising that sentiment without appropriate citation will just dilute your credibility. If you really are unable to find the right citation of the source then reach out to your community or state it very clearly that you are unaware of the original citation. But be very clear it is not your body of work. Do not let laziness be the reason for plagiarism.

This is a significant one to follow every time. Apart from the obvious risk of plagiarism, this could adversely affect your credibility and trust quickly while demonstrating a lack of ethical responsibility and integrity.

As a thought leader the goal is not only to promote your own thoughts - it is to put ideas out there and analyse other peoples ideas in new ways. Using quotes from other is very important for your own credibility and a hood way of acknowliging the excellence of others.

It's not just about citing your sources. It's also about using good sources. - Don't use data more than 5 years old if you can help it. - Pull data from primary, reputable sources only. - Cite and link back to those primary sources if possible.

Don't mistake information for insight. True thought leadership starts with an original vision, not just a regurgitation of what's already out there. It's about challenging the status quo with fresh, critical perspectives that inspire and provoke thought, not merely echoing widely available information. While research tools are invaluable for staying informed, they should be the starting point, not the destination. The essence of thought leadership is not in what you've found, but in how you interpret, challenge, and build upon it to offer something genuinely novel. Thought leaders distinguish themselves by consistently delivering content that's not just informed, but also inventive and influential.

If everyone in the industry just shared data as is, they would say the exact same thing, and thought leaders wouldn’t exist. I've seen that many people have access to the same information, but only a few possess the expertise and past knowledge to analyze and synthesize it effectively. These are the people who then come up with fresh and compelling insights.

Apply critical thinking here, as you must analyse and devise a conclusion based on your interpretation of the findings. You should already have your research question or hypothesis at this point; therefore, revisit this to guide you on drawing up conclusions or critically analysing your findings to remove potential bias.

Have some proofread your work every time! This can be a colleague, friend, spouse, family member who you know has a good eye for details. These people will help you bring your content to the next level.

A good thought leader is also a thought follower, and this is proven to your audience by also engaging with what others in the community say, and answering their open questions. This is a good way to get other thought leaders and community members to ask you for thought leadership later. After all, the difference between an unsuccessful and a successful thought leader is that the leader gets asked for thought leadership instead of just offering it.

Engaging with the community and your audience through comments (under your posts or other people's posts) can be even more important for your thought leadership profile than your actual content. People care about real connections and engaging with your target audiences is key.

It's important to remain curious and avoid generalising the results and conclusions as definitive. Express the limitations of the research and how future studies could overcome these. Lastly, it helps collaborate here to add additional insights and bias-removers to the process.

AI is not yet a research tool. People have begun using AI-powered large language models as research tools. Warning: these AI chats are exactly what it says on the box - they are chat tools, linguistic simulacra created to 'sound' authentic. They are not research tools. Sure, use them to iron out your final work, check for grammar mistakes and stylistic flaws, but do not use them to provide research information. The sources are often fabricated, the quotes are made up, and the information is unreal.