The Scanning Process

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the process of environmental scanning. It goes in depth by describing different methods used in environmental scanning.

Scanning methods

Citation analysis

Leading organizations adopt a variety of methods to obtain serendipitous discovery here. Some regularly search for first mentions of new keywords, organizations, or patents. Others track favorite sources or watch key competitors, countries, or on-going R&D projects. For instance, fresh insight can be gained by examining previously unheard of organizations and looking to discover their unique selling points. These can then be compared to the needs of an organization and the learning shared.