Researchers
Quick Start Guide for Researchers
Welcome Research Professionals!
This guide helps researchers and analysts use Sila TrueTrends for comprehensive market research, consumer insights, and trend analysis with AI-powered conversation and semantic search.
Your Research Objectives in Sila TrueTrends
- Conduct systematic trend analysis through AI chat
- Generate data-driven insights from social conversations
- Validate hypotheses using semantic intelligence
- Understand consumer behavior patterns
- Create evidence-based reports
Getting Started with TrueTrends (5 min)
Step 1: Understanding the Platform (2 min)
- Access Sila TrueTrends
- Familiarize yourself with key features:
- Chat Interface: Your primary research tool
- Search: Find specific trends and topics
- Trend Browser: Explore current trends
- Visual Analysis: Pattern recognition
Step 2: Research Approach (3 min)
- Plan your research questions
- Identify key topics to explore
- Prepare structured prompts for the AI
- Set up a note-taking system for insights
Your First Research Session (15 min)
Minute 1-3: Define Research Parameters
Start with the Chat interface:
Initial Prompts:
"What are the current trends in [your research area] over the past 3 months?"
"Show me demographic breakdowns for [specific trend]"
Document:
- Research question
- Key variables of interest
- Initial hypotheses
Minute 4-8: Data Exploration
Continue in Chat with deeper queries:
"What patterns do you see in [trend] adoption across different age groups?"
"How does sentiment vary for [topic] between regions?"
Gather:
- Trend patterns
- Demographic distributions
- Sentiment indicators
- Temporal changes
Minute 9-12: Pattern Analysis
Ask analytical questions:
"What correlations exist between [trend A] and [trend B]?"
"What factors are driving negative sentiment in [topic]?"
Record:
- Key patterns
- Unexpected findings
- Data limitations
- Follow-up questions
Minute 13-15: Synthesis
Request summary insights:
"Summarize the key findings about [research topic]"
"What are the statistical significance of these patterns?"
Output:
- Key findings
- Research implications
- Next steps
Research Methodologies with TrueTrends
1. Longitudinal Trend Analysis
Time: 1-2 hours
Methodology:
-
Baseline Establishment (20 min)
Prompts for Baseline: > "Show me the historical progression of [trend] over the past year" > "What was the baseline level of interest in [topic] 6 months ago?" > "How has engagement changed month by month?" -
Pattern Identification (30 min)
Prompts for Patterns: > "Identify cyclical patterns in [trend] discussions" > "What events triggered spikes in [topic] interest?" > "Are there seasonal variations in [trend] adoption?" -
Projection Analysis (30 min)
Prompts for Projections: > "Based on current patterns, how might [trend] evolve?" > "What leading indicators suggest future changes?" > "What factors could accelerate or slow [trend] growth?"
2. Consumer Behavior Study
Time: 1.5 hours
Methodology:
-
Audience Segmentation (20 min)
Segmentation Prompts: > "Break down [trend] interest by demographic segments" > "What are the psychographic profiles of [trend] adopters?" > "How do behaviors differ between early and late adopters?" -
Motivation Analysis (30 min)
Motivation Prompts: > "What emotional drivers motivate interest in [topic]?" > "What problems are people trying to solve with [trend]?" > "What language do enthusiasts use vs skeptics?" -
Journey Mapping (30 min)
Journey Prompts: > "Describe the typical discovery path for [trend]" > "What triggers conversion from awareness to adoption?" > "What causes people to abandon interest in [topic]?"
3. Comparative Market Analysis
Time: 2 hours
Methodology:
-
Market Mapping (30 min)
Market Prompts: > "Compare adoption rates between [trend A] and [trend B]" > "What is the relative market size of [category] segments?" > "How do growth rates compare across [list of trends]?" -
Competitive Dynamics (45 min)
Competition Prompts: > "What competitive dynamics exist in [market]?" > "How are different players positioned in [category]?" > "What gaps exist in current [market] offerings?" -
Opportunity Assessment (45 min)
Opportunity Prompts: > "What underserved needs exist in [market]?" > "Where are the white spaces in [category]?" > "What emerging trends could disrupt [market]?"
Advanced Research Prompting Techniques
Statistical Analysis Prompts
For Quantitative Insights:
"What percentage of discussions about [topic] are positive vs negative?"
"How has the volume of [trend] mentions changed over time? Give me specific growth rates"
"What is the statistical distribution of [trend] interest across age groups?"
For Correlation Analysis:
"Is there a correlation between [variable A] and [variable B] in the data?"
"What factors show the strongest association with [outcome]?"
"How do these relationships vary by demographic segment?"
Hypothesis Testing Prompts
For Validation:
"Does the data support the hypothesis that [statement]?"
"What evidence contradicts the assumption that [belief]?"
"How confident can we be in the conclusion that [finding]?"
For Exploration:
"What unexpected patterns emerge in [dataset]?"
"What alternative explanations exist for [phenomenon]?"
"What confounding factors might influence [relationship]?"
Qualitative Analysis Prompts
For Thematic Analysis:
"What are the main themes in discussions about [topic]?"
"How do narratives about [trend] differ between groups?"
"What metaphors and language patterns appear in [topic] discussions?"
For Sentiment Deep Dives:
"What specific aspects of [product/trend] drive negative sentiment?"
"How has sentiment evolved over time and why?"
"What emotional journey do people experience with [trend]?"
Research Output Templates
Executive Summary Prompts
"Create an executive summary of findings about [topic] including key statistics, main insights, and implications"
"Summarize this research in three key bullets with supporting data"
Report Generation Prompts
"Structure a research report on [topic] with sections for methodology, findings, analysis, and recommendations"
"Generate a SWOT analysis based on the [trend] data we've discussed"
Data Visualization Requests
"Describe how to visualize the relationship between [variables]"
"What would be the best way to present these findings to stakeholders?"
Research Best Practices
Data Quality Checks
Always ask about:
- Sample sizes and representativeness
- Time periods covered
- Geographic coverage
- Potential biases
- Data limitations
Quality Check Prompts:
"What is the sample size for this analysis?"
"Are there any data quality issues I should be aware of?"
"What biases might affect these findings?"
Triangulation Methods
Cross-validate findings by:
- Asking the same question differently
- Comparing across time periods
- Checking across demographics
- Validating against known benchmarks
Triangulation Prompts:
"Let me verify this finding - show me [same data] from a different angle"
"How does this compare to broader market trends?"
"Are these patterns consistent across all segments?"
Common Research Workflows
Daily Monitoring (15 min)
Morning Research Routine:
1. "What significant changes occurred in [research area] since yesterday?"
2. "Are there any anomalies or unusual patterns to investigate?"
3. "What emerging topics require attention?"
Weekly Analysis (1 hour)
Weekly Deep Dive:
1. "Provide a weekly summary of [trend] with key metrics"
2. "What were the most significant developments this week?"
3. "How do this week's patterns compare to last week?"
4. "What predictions can we make for next week?"
Monthly Reporting (2 hours)
Monthly Comprehensive Analysis:
1. "Generate a monthly analysis of [market/trend] with growth rates, sentiment analysis, and demographic breakdowns"
2. "What were the key drivers of change this month?"
3. "How do monthly trends compare to quarterly projections?"
4. "What strategic insights emerge from this month's data?"
Specialized Research Prompts by Method
For Ethnographic Research
"Describe the cultural context around [trend] adoption"
"What social meanings do people attach to [behavior]?"
"How do communities form around [interest]?"
For Predictive Research
"Based on current trajectories, when might [trend] reach mainstream adoption?"
"What early signals indicate future changes in [market]?"
"What scenarios could unfold for [trend] over the next 6 months?"
For Causal Research
"What factors appear to cause increased interest in [topic]?"
"Is there evidence of causation or just correlation between [A and B]?"
"What natural experiments exist in the data that show causal relationships?"
Research Limitations & Considerations
Understanding AI Responses
- AI provides insights based on pattern recognition
- Always verify critical findings
- Consider multiple interpretations
- Document uncertainty levels
Ethical Research Practices
- Respect privacy in aggregate data
- Avoid making individual-level inferences
- Consider cultural sensitivity
- Acknowledge limitations
Quick Reference: Power Prompts for Researchers
Data Extraction
"Extract all relevant data about [topic] including volumes, demographics, sentiment, and trends"
Statistical Summary
"Provide statistical summary of [trend]: mean, median, range, growth rate, and confidence levels"
Comparative Analysis
"Compare and contrast [A, B, C] across dimensions of adoption, sentiment, demographics, and growth"
Hypothesis Generation
"Based on the data, what hypotheses would you generate about [phenomenon]?"
Literature Connection
"How do these findings relate to established theories about [topic]?"
Research Support & Resources
Getting Help
- Review FAQs for common research questions
- Check guides for specific methodologies
- Contact support for technical issues
Continuous Learning
- Experiment with different prompt structures
- Build a library of effective prompts
- Share insights with research community
- Iterate on methodology
Pro Research Tip: Develop a systematic prompt library organized by research method, question type, and analysis level. Start each session with broad exploratory prompts, then narrow down to specific hypotheses. Always ask follow-up questions to validate and deepen insights.