ABSTRACT
The process of creating actionable intelligence follows a number of stages and borrows the intelligence cycle used by those operating in the military and political spheres. This chapter concerns the first two stages in the intelligence cycle: planning at both the competitive intelligence (CI) functional level in general and for individual projects; turning to data gathering some reflections are offered on how information is created and from them is derived a Golden Rule of Research'. It emphasizes the importance of preparing a framework within which research will be carried out before commencing the search for data and the value of hypotheses in directing the quest. The chapter reviews to help encourage a striving for excellence in research, common causes of failures in data collection. It discusses the qualities displayed by successful researchers and how these can be acquired and enhanced. The chapter concludes by turning from failures in research to considering the personal traits that characterize the best researchers.
