Due Diligence

Sands Research Inc. has joined other vendors in the industry in subscribing to the guidelines below for thorough due diligence within the neurological market research industry. We are among a group of vendors that promote better education and understanding of neuroscience principles so buyers can be confident in the neurological research they engage in.  

We suggest that you ask all potential vendors of neuromarketing services the following questions:

1. How much experience do your primary researchers have in the neuroscience, research, and marketing fields?  Request CVs or resumes of all principals. Ask specifically about direct neuroscience experience.

2. How directly involved are your senior neuroscientists in developing and delivering my research projects? Experienced neuroscientists need to be active participants in research projects, not just figureheads. Question the vendor closely about how scientists are involved in your projects.

3. Will I be able to speak to your leading scientists directly and regularly? It is always useful to request direct phone calls with members of the scientific team. Ask them how and when they will be available to participate in your project, and how they will be involved in the oversight and production of your deliverables.

4. Can you show me how your techniques are related to established neuroscience research? There is a vast literature in neuroscience with direct relevance to the needs of product developers and marketers. Your vendor should not only be intimately familiar with this literature, they should also be able to show you precisely how and where the techniques they employ are derived from established research models.

5. Are your experimental techniques approved by an Independent Review Board (IRB) for proper treatment of Human Subjects? IRB approval is a very important due diligence factor in evaluating a neuro-research vendor. Be aware that IRB approval is more than just getting "informed consent" from research subjects. Verify that your vendor's research is fully covered by an IRB approval asking for the name and phone number of the vendor's IRB and contacting them directly.

6. Can we speak directly with any reference customers for whom your company has provided services? It is true that some customers prefer to remain anonymous, but early-stage companies like most neuro-research vendors cultivate and rely on reference accounts to convince later customers to give them a try. Request direct phone calls with at least one reference customer who can vouch for the vendor and the quality of their work. Ask to call the reference yourself, rather than have them call you.