Go From "I Think" to "I Know"
Make strategic decisions with accurate quantitative and qualitative research, all custom-tailored to your needs.
Our Philosophy
Gain knowledge and insight with custom-tailored research that meets your specific needs.
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No research plan or strategy is alike. That’s why Beck Research combines innovative tools with proven techniques to deliver accurate, custom research, and actionable guidance to help you achieve your goals.
Services
How do you go from “I think” to “I know,” especially as polling has become more complicated?
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Beck Research is your trusted partner in navigating the constantly changing world of research and determining the best method to meet your goals. Beck Research will give you straight and honest advice about what polling can and cannot do for your organization, and help you devise a research program that delivers accurate and nuanced results.
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Our innovative tools and proven quantitative and qualitative research techniques ensure a strategic research plan tailored to your specific needs. An on-target strategy requires reliable data and an actionable plan. We’ll accurately perform your research and interpret, synthesize, and extend the data into a strategy.
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research allows respondents to discuss a topic using their own words through a structured, but more flexible and interactive discussions. We can learn more about participants' experiences, opinions, and feelings through in-depth studies. Because qualitative research allows for open-ended discussions, this type of research is an ideal tool for developing language and fine-tuning your messages. In-person focus groups enable us to observe, record, and interpret non-verbal communication, such as body language. We often engage with qualitative research, including focus groups, before quantitative research to learn more about a topic and probe unresolved issues. We are especially adept at gaining insight from hard-to-reach populations, such as specific types of students, doctors, or business decision-makers.
Qualitative research services include: focus groups (in-person and online), in-depth one-on-one interviews, and online discussion boards.
Quantitative Research
Quantitative research focuses on objective measurements and allows you to look at relationships, establish cause and effect, or test strategic theories. Our experience conducting national, statewide, and local surveys to gauge public opinion and develop strategic recommendations has helped candidates, organizations, and corporations. Depending on the population and the geographic target, we utilize landline, cell phone, or text-to-online samples to yield accurate and timely research.
Quantitative research services include: benchmark and tracking surveys, brand testing and corporate reputation studies, ad testing, membership studies, and website intercepts.
Areas of Expertise
Much of Debbie's work focuses on a series of interconnected issues facing Americans today. Debbie’s roots are in Democratic politics, but her current work centers on improving housing affordability, the environment and climate change, education, and health care. States and local communities across the country face these challenges each day as communities struggle to create strong and vibrant neighborhoods where families thrive. These topics might seem different on the surface, but all are linked in 21st-century America. New subjects are always welcome, but the lessons of past research help inform future work.
Environment
Debbie works with national environmental groups and charitable foundations to communicate about the changing climate and extreme weather. She has probed how climate change impacts Americans now and how to best prepare for the future. Recently, she has worked with Evergreen Action to investigate support for the Infrastructure Reduction Act’s climate provisions and helped a coalition of national environmental groups understand how to communicate about the role of the Mississippi River.
Housing Affordability
Debbie provides ongoing research and strategy guidance to the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) on affordable housing solutions. For over a decade, she has conducted focus groups, bulletin board discussions, and surveys on how to best increase the amount and variety of housing options nationwide. Other housing projects include exploring rent control, understanding barriers to homeownership, and, more broadly, steps to building resilient communities.
Education
Debbie has worked for a wide range of education advocacy organizations to explore almost every major education debate in recent years, including support for school choice and charter schools, approaches to reading instruction, exploring the Common Core Curriculum and No Child Left Behind, and teacher recruitment.
Health Care
America’s health care system is complex and, at many times, frustrating. Debbie’s work with advocacy organizations, such as the AARP and Feeding America (food is health care too) helps her understand how Americans see their health care and understand how our system could be improved. She also has conducted work on reproductive health, Title X, and abortion rights. In the past, Debbie also has worked with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and health insurance companies to market health care plans, develop communications strategy, and launch a long-term health company.
Political Campaigns
Since 1996 with Clinton-Gore, Debbie has been a political consultant working with Democratic candidates. She has helped elect federal, state, and local candidates nationwide and has polled in all 50 states. Calling races is more difficult than ever, so Debbie prides herself on being trustworthy, straightforward, and accurate.
Why Beck Research?
From issue advocacy research to political campaigns, Debbie has helped organizations large and small navigate their reputations, evaluate messaging, and develop their communications strategies
Your "In-House" Research Director"
Many organizations lack a dedicated research staff. Debbie acts as an “in-house” research director, working with organizations to craft research from conception and planning stages to publication stages, providing guidance along the way. Debbie is personally invested in every project and oversees all aspects of the research. Beck Research is a small, boutique firm by choice. Debbie provides a high level of individual service to each client and only takes on a small number of races and organizations annually.
Custom Tailored to Meet Your Objectives
The public’s trust in polling becomes more tenuous each year, and the research choices are evolving. Debbie helps you determine the best approach for your organization and research goals. Every project is “custom” research, so you receive surveys explicitly designed for you and your particular situation, not “off the shelf” research. Every project starts by learning about your goals and developing a research program to obtain the most accurate results. Research methods constantly change, so each research plan is devised specifically for your needs and objectives.
Strategic Thought Partner
Debbie’s deep roots in communications and politics mean that the best work is done when she is an active strategic partner. Debbie does not merely draft the questionnaire, field it, and deliver the data. Instead, she works with you from start to finish, from brainstorming to actionable recommendations. Most projects start with an “internal focus group” to understand the situation, the players, and the challenge ahead. After completing the project, Debbie partners with her clients to apply the research results to the ever-changing political landscape.
Independent-Minded Firm
Debbie doesn’t shy away from the hard races, the tough projects, or the challenging places to research. Beck Research is an independent-minded firm working to advance issues and tackle complicated subjects. When it is time to present the results and develop the strategy, Debbie provides a frank and accurate assessment of the situation and the path forward.
Cost-Effective & Superior Solutions
Pinpoint accuracy, academic training, and real-world know-how come together through quantitative and qualitative research. No matter the form or size of the research, our unique approach means you get smart, flexible, high-quality information and actionable results. Debbie also invests more of the research budget in interviews and data collection than other firms.