Sourcing 101

By: Shannon Lewis, Expert Analyst

What does a Sourcer do?

Sourcers access jobs that have been interpreted and/or vetted. In addition, Sourcers use the Web to find high quality, publicly-available sources to fully answer the client’s request so that the Writer can produce a robust brief.

The Sourcing Interface

Title

The title is how Wonder refers to the job. It may or may not be entirely relevant to the actual assignment, so do not rely on it when determining what information to provide.

Wonder’s Job

Wonder’s job is the client’s question or request. It will be phrased in a question for standard Wonder briefs and will be a directive for spreadsheet requests.

Research Criteria

This section will provide the exact criteria that need to be addressed with sourcing. To fully respond to the request, be sure you can “check off” each bullet point under the criteria.

Additional Notes

This section may be blank, but it may also contain other important information you need to know to fully source the request. For example, it may contain additional context from the client; interpreter contact information; useful links or information from reviewers, admin, or other analysts.

The Client’s Request

Type of Request

There are eight main types of requests clients ask of Wonder. You can click on the links below to find more information on each type of request.

1. Case Studies/Best Practices
2. Competitive Landscape
   1. To find competitors for a competitive landscape, use reputable sites (i.e. Owler may be a good place to start, but shouldn’t be the only source you use unless there is absolutely no other information available). Be sure the competitors you select are based on a single metric (i.e. revenue, employee count, production, etc.). This may be defined in the research criteria. If it isn’t, you choose the metric, but it must be consistent for all competitors.
3. Lists
   1. Ensure list items are chosen based on the client’s criteria. If the client has not provided criteria, then you may choose, but be sure you are using a single metric for all items on the list (i.e. revenue, downloads, reviews, etc.)
4. Market Sizing
5. Slide Presentations
6. Spreadsheets
   1. Sourcers DO NOT complete spreadsheets. This is the writer’s job. Sourcers should be finding the information (i.e. sources) to successfully complete the spreadsheet, but the writer will input the information into the spreadsheet.
7. SWOT Analysis
8. Trends

Sourcer’s Responsibilities

A sourcer’s job is to find relevant, recent sources that fully answer the client’s request; provide a clear, direct answer to the client’s request (See “Anatomy of a Sourcing Summary”); provide a methodology that explains how and why sources were selected. (See “How to Write a Methodology”), thoroughly explain and illustrate any calculations or triangulations; and thoroughly explain how each source is used to answer the client’s question.

Client Update Determination

In the event that a direct, pre-compiled or pre-existing answer to the client’s question is not available AND there is not enough publicly available data to triangulate an answer, you may need to source for a client update. Note that client updates are typically rare. We can usually find enough data or make enough reasonable assumptions to at least partially answer the client’s question. Moreover, client updates typically require MORE sources than those that can be answered directly. This is because we must prove to the client that we have done our due diligence when searching for an answer.

Basic Searches

Common Websites

Through years of research, Wonder analysts have compiled a list of common websites that can assist you with your search. You can access that database here: Common Websites. There are some websites that should NEVER be used to source a client’s request because they can be updated and contributed to by anyone, so the data is not reliable. These websites include Wikipedia (or any “wiki” site) and Quora.

There are also some websites that should be used with caution because their reliability can be questionable. If you elect to use these sources, be aware your methodology must explain your decision. These sites include Owler (self-reported), Manta (may be under-reported), Statista (free information sometimes conflicts with paid information, some information can’t be accessed, so you have to include a screenshot if you use this), Medium (anyone can upload articles or blogs, so to use, you MUST establish author credibility), Reddit (user-created content, but can be helpful for reviews), and Blogs (can be used, but you will need to establish credibility of the author).

Common tools

Like the common websites database, Wonder has compiled an internal database that consists of all sources used for previous completed requests. By entering keywords into the box titled “Use the search box above to find relevant sources from past research,” you can access previously-used sources that may help you find just the source you need.

Google’s separate search engines, including:

• Google News (use for press searches)
• Google Scholar (use for academic papers)
• Google Images (use for images and screenshots) can help you narrow your search.

Likewise, Google Tools can further help you narrow your search. You can use Google’s “Time” filter to narrow your search scope to 24 months so that all results are within Wonder’s time frame. This filter will also allow you to expand the date parameters as necessary if you are having trouble finding results. Google’s Verbatim filters can help you narrow your search to websites or articles that only include your exact search phrase. Google defaults to all results from any time, so you will need to manually select these filters for your searches.

Advanced Search Techniques

Boolean

This is a search that involves operators that will help you narrow your search engine results.

• You can find more information on the Boolean Searches page.

X-ray

This is a search that allows you to “crawl” websites for specific information. It is useful when attempting to find information that may be buried on a site or for pulling profiles from a database like LinkedIn.

• Learn more about this technique on the X-ray Searches page.

Adding Sources

Adding “Normal” Sources

1. Copy the URL from the source and paste it in the box.
2. Click add source.

Adding PDFs

1. Copy the URL from the source and paste in the box.
2. Type in name of source.
3. Click add source.

Adding Downloaded Sources

1. Right click on the link to the source in Google. Click “copy link address.”
2. Paste link address in box.
3. Click add source.

Anatomy of a Sourcing Note

It is critical to format your source notes properly so they can be reviewed correctly and so writers can find the information quickly. To understand how a sourcing note should be formatted, see “Anatomy of a Sourcing Note” page.

Background:

Source notes are important because good sourcing isn't just dependent on the information provided. Good sourcing should be explained in detail, leaving little to the writer's imagination. At the end of the day, the sourcer will be far more familiar with the research than the writer.

When writing source notes:

There are several pieces of information to point out in your note that will help prove the credibility of the source, aid the writer in the next step, and show that you’re answering at least part of the client’s question.

Information:

1. Title: Automatically populates but up to you if you want to tweak it to be more helpful
2. Date of Source: All sources used should be no older than 2 years, unless the interpreter has specifically noted that the client is OK with older sources. If you can’t find recent sources but believe an older source still provides great information, it’s important to explain why you believe it’s still valuable to the client.
3. Part of request source addresses: Looking at the request and what the client needs, what does this source help answer? It could be one part of the client’s question, some parts, or everything. For spreadsheet requests, indicate the row and column this information addresses.
4. Where in source it can be found: clearly state where in the source this is so the writer can quickly and easily find it themselves.
5. Relevant parts of source: This is the meat of the note! Here, you’ll identify the key pieces of information from the source that answers the client’s question that the writer should use. Anything directly copy and pasted from the source should be in quotation marks!
6. Calculation or part used in calculation (if necessary): If you need to do triangulations [insert link on what a triangulation is] or other calculations like CAGR [link], be sure to explain them so the reviewer and writer can follow your logic.
7. Credibility of source (if necessary): The internet is a big place! If you found a source from a lesser known site, help the reviewer and writer understand why we can trust this source location or why we can trust the person who wrote it.
8. Other useful information (if necessary)

Submitting a Sourcing Job

When you have added all necessary sources and provided adequate source notes according to the “Anatomy of a Sourcing Note,” you are ready to move on to the Sourcing Summary. Click on the green “Next” button to be taken to the Sourcing Summary page.

Moving on to the Sourcing Summary

When you have added all necessary sources and provided adequate source notes according to the “Anatomy of a Sourcing Note,” you are ready to move on to the Sourcing Summary. Click on the green “Next” button to be taken to the Sourcing Summary page.

Anatomy of a Sourcing Summary

These are the questions that you'll see on the second page of your sourcing jobs. These questions serve as Summary Notes, so you'll need to thoroughly answer all of them.

In 1-2 sentences, please directly answer the client’s question. (1-2 sentences)

Make sure to answer the client's question concisely and cover all sections of the request in your answer - all in 1 to 2 sentences.

Please clearly explain the logic you used to come to your conclusion.

This should include, but is not limited to: criteria used to determine “top”, reasoning for selecting cases for case studies, all calculations, assumptions, etc. (longer answer)

This should be the longest answer in your summary notes so you can clearly outline the exact research strategy you used to come to your conclusion and find your answers.

This section shouldn't be "I searched these terms on Google..." but more "To determine [section] of the client's request, I first searched out databases and case studies pertaining to [request topic]. Next, I sourced for articles talking about [secondary request topic] to make sure I covered that section of the client's request." This should be a step-by-step walkthrough overview of where you searched, and why you searched there.

Any calculations or assumptions you make also need to be outlined clearly here.

Use the labeled source numbers to clearly explain how they tie together to fully answer the client’s question. (shorter answer)

Here, you will provide a summary of how all of the individual sources you included tie together to answer the client's request, referring to the sources by the number in which you included them (aka Source 1, Source 2, etc.)

Sourcing Review

Process

Once you submit your job, it will go to the “Review” queue, where it will be assigned to a Reviewer. The Reviewer will read your Sourcing Summary and Sourcing Notes, verify the dates and credibility of your sources, and compare your response to the Research Criteria.

Scoring

The Reviewer will score your response on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. If you receive 5 stars, your sourcing will be sent to the Write queue and your account will be credited $16 plus any bonuses that may be active.

If you receive 3-4 stars, your sourcing will be returned to you with actionable feedback for revision.

If you receive 1-2 stars, your sourcing will be rejected and the request will be returned to the dashboard to be worked on from scratch. You will not receive pay for this job.

See the Sourcing Rubric for details on how Reviewers “grade” sourcing.

Sourcing Revision

Picking up a revision

If your sourcing receives a 3- or 4-star review, you will have the opportunity to revise your response. You will receive an email with a link to pick your sourcing job back up.

The initial reviewer will have left actionable feedback for you so that you can revise your notes or sources to receive a higher rating. Be sure to follow the feedback carefully to ensure all of the Reviewer’s concerns are addressed.

Resubmitting

When you have addressed all Reviewer concerns, you will resubmit the job in the exact same way you submitted it the first time. The steps to follow are

1. Complete the Sourcing Summary
2. Complete the checklist
3. Click on the green “Send” button

The second Reviewer will examine your sourcing from the beginning and take into account the initial Reviewer’s feedback. If you receive 5 stars, your sourcing will be sent to the Write queue and your account will be credited $16 plus any bonuses that may be active. If you receive fewer than 5 stars, your sourcing will be rejected and returned to the dashboard to be worked on from scratch. You will not receive pay for this job.

Arbitration

If your job is rejected and you feel the Review was inaccurate, you may arbitrate your rating. To do this, click on the link in the rejection email to access Wonder’s Arbitration Form OR use this link to go directly to Wonder’s Arbitration Form.

Once you submit the form the rating will be removed from your quality score within one business day. A second Reviewer will look at your work and determine if the initial review was in line with Wonder’s review guidelines.

• If the second Reviewer believes the first review was not within Wonder’s review guidelines, the rating will remain excluded from your quality score and you will receive full compensation.
• If the second Reviewer agrees with the initial review, the score will be added back into your quality score and no additional compensation will be added. Arbitrations are currently taking up to two weeks to complete. You will receive an email with the details of the arbitration once the process is complete.

Other Useful Information

View Asker’s Previous Requests

This link (only available once you're activated to the profile) will allow you to see other requests the client has submitted, which may provide you with additional context for the current request. However, you should NOT rely on previous requests to answer the current request. For some requests, you will need to access a client’s previous request to see information provided by the previous analyst. This happens when a request is dependent upon information found in a previous request. For example, list requests need to be coordinated so that duplicates can be avoided.

Other Requests in this Project

Projects are groups of related requests. On the platform, you'll be able to see the titles of the other requests in the project. Depending on where in the process those requests are, you may have access to their sourcing or their final brief.

View This Project’s Chat Transcript

The project’s chat transcript should be used only for context/clarity. This is because chats provide a context for the entire project, so some of it may not be relevant to your request. For instance, requests may have been broken up, amended, rescoped, or even entirely re-interpreted after the chat has ended. For this reason, it is critical you only use the chat transcript for clarification of terms or context and not to define your research criteria.

“I’m having trouble finding or triangulating the answer”

Triangulation is the process of using two (sometimes more) valid data points to pinpoint or estimate a third data point. For Sourcers, this means finding the first two (or more) valid data points from reputable sources so that the third data point can be triangulated or calculated. In the event that data cannot be triangulated, you may need to source for a client update.

Join Slack Channel

Clicking on this link (once you're activated to the platform) will take you to the project’s Slack channel, where you can collaborate with or seek advice from other Analysts working on the same project. When you add your first source, you will be automatically added to the Slack project channel, so you do not necessarily have to click on this link to join.

Wonder Sourcing Method Checklist

This link will take you to the Wonder Sourcing Method Checklist in the Wonder Resource Center. This is a good document to use to ensure you have completed all the steps required for successful sourcing.

Brainstorm Suggestions

On occasion (will likely increase in frequency), you will see suggestions from community experts that may help jumpstart your research. You are under no obligation to use these suggestions, but they may give you a place to begin.