RESEARCH ARCHITECTURE
Research Models
Structured approaches for sector analysis, thematic investigation and research across connected domains.
Explore Research Models
DESIGNING THE INQUIRY
The question determines the research model
A research model gives an inquiry its scope, analytical structure and evidence requirements. At Noreste, the choice of model follows the question being examined: an industry's economics, an emerging transition or a relationship between systems that are usually studied separately.
RESEARCH FORMATS
Three ways to organise an investigation
| Model | Purpose and focus |
|---|---|
| Sector deep dive | Understand how a particular industry functions.Map participants, production economics, demand, capacity and the constraints that influence competitive behaviour. |
| Thematic study | Examine a transition over a defined horizon.Follow its drivers, adoption conditions and the points at which its effects become meaningful for institutions or industries. |
| Cross-domain synthesis | Connect developments across related systems.Study how a change in resources, technology, policy or finance can affect conditions elsewhere. |
THE RESEARCH BRIEF
Define what the study must resolve
The brief establishes a common frame for the inquiry and helps keep the analysis relevant as the evidence develops.
- Question
- The specific issue the research is intended to clarify.
- Boundaries
- The markets, institutions, geographies and period included.
- Relationships
- The dependencies and mechanisms that require examination.
- Evidence
- The records, data and practitioner context needed to support the analysis.
- Use
- The decision or strategic discussion the findings should inform.
EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE MODEL
Bring the operating reality into view
Industry practitioners and domain specialists contribute context about implementation, institutional behaviour and constraints that may be difficult to interpret from published information alone.
Their perspective helps identify where further investigation is needed and whether an explanation fits the conditions in which a system operates.
A study's findings should be read within its stated scope. The model organises the inquiry; its conclusions remain dependent on the evidence available.
How We WorkDiscuss a research requirement
For institutions, domain experts and research collaborators.