What type of research finding gets cited most?
38%
38% of content professionals are most likely to reference a surprising finding that challenges an assumption.
n = 863 people who write, edit or commission online content for work · Fielded October 2026 · Cherry Data Signals
Breakdown
Figures are rounded and may not total exactly 100%.
What it means
Surprise wins. A result that confirms what everyone already believes gives a writer little reason to cite it.
Methodology
- Sample
- 863
- Population
- people who write, edit or commission online content for work
- Country
- United States
- Fielded
- October 2026
- Research by
- Cherry Data Signals
- Study
- What makes original research worth linking to
Cite this statistic
Cherry Data Signals (October 2026). "What type of research finding gets cited most?" Survey of 863 people who write, edit or commission online content for work, United States. https://cherrysignals.com/statistics/what-type-of-research-finding-gets-cited-most
Free to reproduce with attribution to Cherry Data Signals and a link to this page.
Related statistics
- How often do content professionals cite original research?82%
- Why do writers include research in content?41%
- What do writers check before citing a survey?65%
- How old can a survey be before writers stop citing it?48%
- What stops writers using a research report?35%
- How often do writers reject research they cannot verify?70.5%
- What research format is easiest to cite?44%
- Do writers prefer research from established organizations?40%
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