Syndicated research is research a firm produces on its own agenda and sells to all subscribers, as distinct from work commissioned by a single client.
The firm chooses the topic, sets the scope, conducts the analysis and publishes to its whole client base. Magic Quadrants, Waves, MarketScapes and the great majority of published analyst research are syndicated.
Syndicated vs. commissioned research
Syndicated research is not paid for by the companies it covers. Commissioned research is paid for by one company and produced under contract for it.
Both carry the firm's name. Only one carries the firm's independent judgment about the market.
Why it matters
The independence of syndicated research is what gives it standing with buyers, and it is also why vendors cannot buy their way into it.
That constraint is the whole basis of the discipline. If placement were purchasable, the research would be worthless to the buyers who subscribe, and the firms would have nothing left to sell. Every frustrating rule in analyst relations descends from this one.
Related: Commissioned research · Reprint rights · Industry analyst
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