Method
Original study
Public or client datasets, surveys, interviews, or mixed methods, designed to answer one defined buyer question, with the method and limitations published alongside the findings.
/ Original Research and Authority Content
Create the evidence your market does not already have.
Develop credible studies, surveys, reports, and data assets that give buyers, publishers, and AI systems original information to examine and reference.
Scope, method, and price are agreed before work starts. Every request is reviewed manually by our team.
/ Is this you
Signs original research is the right next move.
Use this service to investigate a question buyers care about and turn the findings into a useful published asset.
- A question keeps returning in sales calls, and your team needs evidence to answer it.
- Useful client knowledge or data has not yet been turned into a documented case or study.
- You want the next publishing cycle to explore a specific question, not repeat existing commentary.
/ Why now
Unanswered questions don't wait for your publishing calendar.
Before commissioning another round of content, identify the question your market still needs answered. A scoped study gives your team a way to investigate it and publish findings with the evidence behind them.
/ Formats
Three research formats, each with a business use.
Choose the format around the question. For example: which onboarding steps delay implementation? The question and study design are agreed with your team.
Defined input
Buyer question
The question and study design are agreed with your team.
Case
Documented case
A real engagement with its scope, actions, observed results, and limitations. Read the published Mattress Advisory case.
Read the researchCategory sample
AI and category research
A defined sample of AI answers, with collection dates and measurement rules. Read our industry analysis of IRA providers: June 2026 observations, updated August 17, 2026. Independent research, not a client result.
Read the research/ Deliverables
What a research project delivers.
- 01 / Define
Research brief
The question, method, and data sources, with permissions confirmed for any client or customer data before collection starts.
- 02 / Evidence
Analysis and source record
Documented analysis with sample dates, denominators, and a source record, so every figure can be traced.
- 03 / Interpret
Narrative and visuals
A written narrative with a method and limitations statement, plus chart direction for your design team or ours.
- 04 / Publish
Publication-ready asset
A page built to host and explain the research, credited contributors, and a distribution plan. Publisher acceptance remains outside our control.
Illustrative research recordStructure only
Research brief
Question
Method
Sources
Publication record
Analysis
Limitations
Visual direction
Contributors
/ Research integrity
Published research has to survive being checked.
We document the method, sources, sample, and limitations; distinguish observations from interpretation; and label estimates where used. Agreement between AI models is not verification of facts.
Publication standard
A checkable research record
- Method
- Sources
- Sample
- Limitations
- Observations vs interpretation
- Estimates labelled where used
/ Process
How a project runs.
- Stage 01
Design together: your expertise and objectives, the data available, and the method. Surveys and interviews proposed where they genuinely fit.
- Stage 02
Collect and analyze: permissions and anonymization checked, data quality reviewed, and estimates clearly labelled.
- Stage 03
Review and publish: your team verifies facts and permissions, then we hand off for publication or implement by agreement.
/ Why now
Publish while the category is still being defined.
AI systems and buyers continue to encounter new pages, research, discussions, and videos. Useful, approved evidence published now can become part of the source environment future answers evaluate. Outcomes still depend on relevance, quality, access, platform behavior, and independent editorial decisions.
/ Pricing & scope
Configure this scope around your priorities.
Adjust the quantities to create a planning estimate. You can use a service on its own or combine it with the full five-step system. We review every configuration before work begins.
Monthly · $500 per study/report/data asset per month
One flagship question.
$500
1 study/report/data asset
Monthly · $50 per published item/implementation per month
Not included.
$0
0 published items/implementations
Pass-through at cost · At cost, shown separately from CiteWorks fees
Enter an approved planning allowance. Actual third-party spend requires approval and is passed through at cost.
Not included.
$0
Approved planning allowance in USD. Passed through at cost and never converted into a CiteWorks fee.
Research methods, sources, sample limitations, sponsorships, and material relationships must be disclosed where relevant. Original research creates evidence; it does not guarantee coverage or citations.
Estimate summary
- Original Research & Data Studies (1 study/report/data asset)
- $500
- Content Publishing & GEO Implementation (0 published items/implementations)
- $0
- Approved paid-distribution allowance
- $0
- Estimated monthly total
- $500
- Estimated one-time total
- $0
- Estimated approved pass-through
- $0
- Estimated first month
- $500
Estimated first month $500. Estimated monthly total $500.
Planning estimate only. Final scope, cadence, dependencies, third-party costs, and commercial terms are confirmed in a written statement of work. AI rankings, citations, traffic, revenue, and editorial outcomes are not guaranteed.
Measurement describes a defined sample of prompts, platforms, and locations on the dates observed, and results vary between runs. Client factual approval is required before anything is published, and publishers and platforms keep editorial and ranking control.
We review the configuration for dependencies, sequencing, feasibility, and third-party costs before proposing a final scope.
/ System fit
Available as a focused service or part of the five-step system.
Buy this workstream on its own when the deliverable and owner are clear. Connect it to the full system when measurement should determine the topic, evidence, priority, distribution, or remeasurement plan.
/ FAQ
Common questions.
What if we don't have proprietary data?
We can explore public datasets, surveys, interviews, or AI answer studies. The design starts with the question and the information available.
Who is credited as an author?
The real contributors, typically your subject-matter experts alongside our analysts, with editorial review credited where it actually happened. We never invent authors or expertise.
How does a commissioned study differ from your public research?
Public industry reports interpret a defined benchmark sample, including data from LLM Authority Index where credited. A commissioned study starts with your question, an agreed method, and the rights and permissions for the data used. Any reused source material is identified and attributed.
How long does a project take?
Method, fieldwork, and review time are agreed in the scope before work starts; we don't promise a fixed number of weeks before the design exists.
Will the research be cited by publishers or AI platforms?
We commit to careful study design, source checks, and clear reporting. Publishers and AI platforms decide which sources they include, so citations cannot be guaranteed.
/ Next step
Find the research question your next content cycle should answer.
Share the questions your buyers keep asking and the data you can work with. We'll scope the research before it starts. We review every request manually and respond within one business day.