How to write a market research report: template, evidence log and worked example

To write a market research report, start by stating who will make what decision based on it, then give the evidence, the comparison and the next step. Length isn’t a quality standard. For product selection, export or competitive decisions, readers should be able to see which points are verified facts, which are estimates and what information is still missing.

Report template

The Chinese version of this page offers a downloadable blank template (Markdown). The structure is below: replace each prompt with your own content. It contains no pre-filled market figures and no invented interview findings.

Section	Question to answer	Done when
Decision summary	Who is deciding what, and what is the current recommendation?	The recommendation points back to evidence in the body
Scope and method	Which product, audience, region and period are studied?	Exclusions and limitations are stated
Demand evidence	Who has what problem, in what situation?	Public sources are distinguished from actual interviews
Competitive comparison	What alternatives do customers use today?	Specs, prices and dates are on the same basis
Opportunities and constraints	What supports entry, and what could block it?	Missing data and its impact are stated
Validation plan	What gets checked next, and who owns it?	There’s a method, an owner and a decision condition
Source appendix	What is each key conclusion based on?	Links, publishers, dates and original notes are traceable

What to learn from a sample report

Below is example wording for a fictional business question, not a market conclusion: a children’s picture-book team is comparing Thailand and Malaysia to decide where to test-sell first.

• Weak: “Southeast Asia has huge potential; we recommend full entry.” No audience, channel or evidence specified.
• More verifiable: “This round compares the two countries’ target age groups, language needs, prices of same-spec products and channel conditions. The team hasn’t yet provided landed costs or validated local parents’ willingness to buy, so profitability isn’t assessed; next, complete the cost sheet and run target-customer interviews.”
• An actionable next step: “The business owner confirms candidate channels; the researcher logs same-spec products with source dates; interviews and a small test sale then check price acceptance. The team agrees go/no-go conditions before the test.”

A sample report’s value is in showing reasoning and wording; you can’t copy its numbers, customer feedback or conclusions as your own research. For the structure of real past reports, see the public reports from Momodi, checking each report’s date and original sources as you read.

An evidence log beats a vague conclusion

Each row records “question to answer, source link, publisher, period covered, scope, original fact, your own inference, items to verify”. For example, a platform’s listed price only proves the public asking price at that moment; on its own it doesn’t prove transaction price, sales volume or what consumers are willing to pay.

When sources conflict, check year, currency, category and sample first; if that still doesn’t explain it, keep the conflict rather than picking the most favorable number. Customer interviews should record actual experiences and conditions; don’t turn what a few interviewees said into a percentage for the whole market.

What to check after AI generates a research report

1. Open key sources and confirm they exist and support the specific claims in the text.
2. Check dates, units and scope so incomparable data isn’t stitched together.
3. Compare against the original material for omissions; separate facts, estimates and recommendations.
4. Leave gaps where information can’t be obtained — don’t let the model invent interviews or sales figures.
5. Have the business owner confirm whether the recommendation can be acted on and what first-hand validation is still needed.

You can start by clarifying the question with Momodi, Moments’ AI research tool, then run research for product selection, overseas market or competitor analysis tasks. AI can organize material; real samples and business judgment still have to come from, and be reviewed by, your team.

From report to presentation

Finish the evidence review first, then organize the content as “decision needed — key judgments — supporting evidence — risks — action plan”. Keep units, data dates and sources on every chart, and keep the full evidence log in the appendix so colleagues can follow up. Momodi delivers its research as an online HTML report; turning it into a slide deck is a separate step.