Custom research
for Publishing, TV & Film, Business, Family History ...
William uncovered the full story of Albert Göring and has spent 20+ years solving other research problems in journalism, TV & Film and business. Now, through WHB Research, you can call on his expert research skills for your project, whether it be custom research for your business, a film production or an age-old family mystery.
'There's a story in all of us.'
What's your story?
You don’t need to be a celebrity to find out ‘Who Do You Think You Are’. Now you can have an historian uncover your family history and bring it to life in your own interactive web documentary. →So, what’s your story?
Custom research made to measure.
TV & FILM
- Development: story and character exploration
- Script review for authenticity
- Fact checking
- Location scouting across Europe
- Archive and general research
- History consultancy
- Dedicated film researcher
PUBLISHING
- Story/character exploration
- Draft development
- Manuscript review for authenticity
- Fact checking
- Archive and general research
- Location research across Europe
- Dedicated book research assistant
MARKET RESEARCH
- Vertical market valuation (TAM, SAM & SOM)
- Competition analysis
- SEO research and strategy
- Marketing research
- UX research and strategy
- Lead gen research
- Market/industry reports
William's story...
Born in 1983, William Hastings Burke grew up on the shores of Sydney Harbour. He studied Economics (Soc.Sc.) (Hons) at the University of Sydney and planned to pursue a PhD until Albert Göring turned his life (and history) on its head.
Hungry for more answers, William moved to Freiburg, Germany, where he began a three-year journey to piece together the puzzle of the Göring brothers. He travelled the world, digging through archives and tracking down witnesses to Albert’s story.
Know-how
Bestselling Authors on Book Research
What's the magic formula to book research? Spoiler – there isn't one. But we can look to the greats for clues. William takes a sneak peek at the workbooks of John le Carré, Margaret Atwood,...
Read on
The Eureka Moments along the Lonely Road to Discovery
Research can be a hard slog. But there are a few rare moments where the stars seem to align. Join William again on his journey to uncover the story of Albert Göring, for every twist...
Read onWhat is custom research?
This is bespoke research made to measure, covering a broad range of industries and needs. You might be a publisher with a tricky manuscript or a producer looking for the perfect location. Maybe you have a family mystery (we all do) that’s been following you all your life. Alternatively, you could be looking to reposition your business and require market research.
See below for a few more answers to your questions.
How does the process work?
Every research project is different. There is a big difference between a family history project and a location scouting assignment. But generally, the process starts with a conversation to create a research brief. Here, we go over the background info: what we already know and what documents are at hand (e.g., a family tree).
Then come the questions. What’s the goal of the project? How do you want the results delivered? How far do you want to take the project? Is there any travel involved? Do we need external help?
Research projects can drag on for years, so it’s crucial that all expectations and the terms of the enquiry are crystal clear for both parties. This process will ultimately inform the brief, which will outline the scope, the project timeline, form of delivery and so on.
Depending on the nature of the project, clients usually request an exploration phase to prevent us from chasing any lost causes. A base package of hours is allocated to exploration and based on the preliminary findings, you can choose to extend or discontinue the research. It’s all up to you.
Apart from custom research for writers, do you provide other research support?
Yep. You can request research help in all different areas, from publishing, TV & Film to family history. See the full list of services here.
How will you deliver the results?
It depends on the project and your requirements. Your results can be delivered as a standard research report, a portfolio, an in-focus profile on an individual, a biography with a narrative or even a mini-book. This will all be determined in the brief.
How much does it cost?
This is custom research requiring a fully tailored quote. The cost will be determined by the duration (the number of hours) and other third-party costs related to admin, archive services or travel if required. While developing the brief, a base package of hours will be determined. It could be five or ten hours. You will be invoiced for that base amount and if you decide to continue the research, you can decide to commit to another package or be invoiced for any additional work. All these details, along with the hourly rate, will be covered in the brief. Just reach out here.
What’s placeholder research for writers?
In the draft phase, writers usually leave gaps, highlight sections or add dummy text (e.g., the infamous XYZ) for dates, names or other facts that need to be researched and verified. This allows them to focus on the flow of the narrative, rather than be bogged down with chasing up info. They will then come back to these areas at a later stage and tie up these loose ends. Sometimes, this process can take just as long as writing up the first draft.
To save on time and stress, this type of research for writers can be outsourced to professionals who have the skills and tools to efficiently fill in the gaps.
Alternatively, fact-checking or authenticity analysis can be conducted on a completed manuscript or screenplay to pick up anything missed or found wanting.
How long will it take?
Research can sometimes be a case of the proverbial: how long is a piece of string? But the short answer is: however long you want it to take. The safest way is to factor in an exploration phase into the brief with a set number of preliminary research hours. The results of which will determine whether the project merits further research or not.