Informal research essentially means taking advantage of every valid opportunity to collect information and market intelligence. These types of research usually trade statistical and sampling precision for costeffective methods. As such, they can't be relied upon for major decisions, but are quite effective as a "first warning" mechanism to alert you of member and industry trends, issues, and impressions. Data collected informally is also an excellent starting point for more comprehensive efforts, or to quickly test an idea prior to a more rigorous study.