Research Sources

---
name: competitive-analysis-research-sources
description: 'Sub-skill of competitive-analysis: Research Sources (+2).'
version: 1.0.0
category: business
type: reference
scripts_exempt: true
---

# Research Sources (+2)

## Research Sources


#### Primary Sources (Direct from Competitor)
- **Website**: homepage, product pages, pricing, about page, careers
- **Blog and resource center**: content themes, publishing frequency, depth
- **Social media profiles**: messaging, engagement, content strategy
- **Product demos and free trials**: UX, features, onboarding experience
- **Webinars and events**: topics, speakers, audience engagement
- **Press releases and newsroom**: announcements, partnerships, milestones
- **Job postings**: hiring signals that reveal strategic priorities

#### Secondary Sources (Third-Party)

*See sub-skills for full details.*

## Research Process


1. **Set scope**: define which competitors and what aspects to analyze
2. **Gather data**: systematically collect information from sources above
3. **Organize findings**: structure by competitor, then by dimension
4. **Analyze patterns**: identify themes, strengths, weaknesses, and trends
5. **Compare to your position**: map findings against your own positioning
6. **Synthesize insights**: extract actionable takeaways and opportunities
7. **Date-stamp everything**: competitive intelligence has a short shelf life

## Research Cadence


- **Deep competitive analysis**: quarterly
- **Competitive monitoring**: monthly
- **Real-time alerts**: ongoing