Analyst Access Policy

Each Forrester License purchased by a Client is a User License that entitles its holder to specific benefits. One of the benefits for specific User Licenses is the ability to schedule, attend, and participate in either Inquiry or Guidance Sessions, depending on their license. This policy, in addition to our Terms of Use, Master Services Agreements and Purchase Agreements, defines what is acceptable and allowable as part of a User License with respect to scheduling, attending, and participating in Inquiry and Guidance Sessions.

Inquiry Sessions

Inquiry Sessions are engagements with a single Forrester analyst:

  • For the benefit of Forrester Market Insights Leader and Emerging Growth Leader license holders.
  • Delivered in a 30-minute audio or video session or via email.
  • Covers no more than 3 questions related to a specific piece of research, technology or client’s market.
  • Can be submitted as needed; back-to-back Inquiry Sessions or multiple Inquiry Sessions on the same topic are prohibited.
  • May not be recorded or transcribed.

Attendance and participation:

  • Inquiry Sessions must be scheduled for, attended by, and address the questions of the Forrester Market Insights Leader or Emerging Growth Leader license holder​.
  • Forrester Market Insights Team license holders are permitted to attend, though participation is limited to the Forrester Market Insights Leader or Emerging Growth Leader license holder, since Inquiry Sessions are to address the questions of and for the benefit of the Leader license holder​.
  • Individuals without a Forrester Market Insights Leader, Forrester Market Insights Emerging Growth Leader, or Forrester Market Insights Team license may not attend Inquiry Sessions.
    • Depending on the specific contract, Group Reader Access or Reader Access Plus license holders may also be able to attend Inquiry Sessions. Contact your account manager or client success manager for details.
  • Forrester Market Insights Leader and Emerging Growth Leader license holders are not permitted to invite license holders to join their Inquiry Sessions on a frequent or recurring basis. When additional attendees join an Inquiry Session, Forrester will record and share their names with the Forrester account team and account administrator. Repeat additional attendees will be prompted to purchase an appropriate license or product to better meet their needs.
  • A third party may attend Inquiry Sessions only if they are licensed according to our Contractor Licensing Policy. Third parties may also conduct an approved perception survey so long as they conform to the limitations described in the section below.

Inquiry Sessions may be used to ask about:

  • A specific piece of research available to the client.
  • A technology.
  • The client’s markets (customers, competitors, trends).
  • An analyst’s research agenda or coverage (permitted subject to analyst availability).

Inquiry Sessions may not be used:

  • To brief an analyst.
  • To get detailed feedback on a client’s initiatives: such as how to implement a project or to get feedback on a client’s internal documents/go-to-market messaging.
  • To receive feedback on other Forrester engagements (e.g., briefings and advisory sessions).
  • To conduct document or messaging reviews.
    • This kind of feedback is available through our Advisory and Consulting Offerings.
  • To discuss the details of evaluative research, such as a Wave, including inclusion criteria.
  • For back-to-back inquiry sessions or multiple Inquiry Sessions on the same topic.

Clients who would like more detailed, custom feedback than we can offer in an Inquiry session may inquire with their account manager about Forrester’s Advisory Services.

Perception surveys

Forrester allows Forrester Market Insights Leader license holders to get feedback from multiple analysts on their strategy or event in limited circumstances.  These “perception” surveys are typically designed to gather tactical feedback from analysts and are not a replacement for analyst interactions such as Advisory sessions.

Forrester Market Insights Leader license holders seeking to conduct these surveys should submit the request to our inquiry service (inquiry@forrester.com) and copy their Forrester account manager. The following limitations apply:

  • Clients must limit the surveys to one survey per account per year.
  • Surveys must be limited to a maximum of 10 analysts per survey.
  • Surveys may take no more than 20 minutes for an analyst to complete.
  • Surveys should mostly avoid open-ended questions and/or allow for 1-2 sentence responses. Surveys should always include an option for analysts to pass on questions if they are not able to respond.
  • The individual responsible for the survey must be a Forrester Market Insights Leader license holder.
  • Survey results may only be used for the benefit of the Forrester Market Insight Leader license holder.
  • Survey results are for the internal use of the client with inquiry access and may not be used in any external communications.

See the Inquiry FAQ page for further guidance.

Guidance Sessions

Guidance sessions are engagements with a single Forrester analyst:

  • For the benefit of Forrester Decisions VIP Leader and Leader license holders.
  • To address their initiatives, priorities, and questions.
  • Delivered in an up to 50-minute audio or video session or via email.
  • Address one to three specific questions.
  • Can be submitted as needed but back-to-back Guidance Sessions are prohibited.
  • Can be recorded and transcribed by Forrester (see guidelines here).

Attendance and participation:

  • Guidance Sessions must be scheduled by, attended by, and address the questions of an individual with a Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader license.
  • Forrester Decisions Team license holders are permitted to attend, though participation is limited to the Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader license holder, since Guidance Sessions are to address the questions of and for the benefit of the VIP Leader or Leader license holder​.
  • Individuals without a Forrester Decisions VIP Leader, Leader, or Team license may not attend​ Guidance Sessions.
    • Depending on the specific contract, Group Reader Access or Reader Access Plus license holders may also be able to attend Guidance Sessions. Contact your account manager or client success manager for details.
  • Forrester Decisions VIP Leader and Leader license holders are not permitted to invite other Forrester Decisions VIP Leader, Leader, or Team license holders to join their Guidance Sessions on a frequent or recurring basis. When additional attendees join a Guidance Session, Forrester will record and share their names with the Forrester account team and account administrator. Repeat additional attendees will be prompted to purchase an appropriate license or product to better meet their needs.
  • A third party may attend Guidance Sessions only if they are licensed according to our Contractor Licensing Policy.

Guidance Sessions may be used by individuals with Forrester Decisions VIP Leader and Leader licenses to:

  • Get answers to key questions about Forrester’s research.
  • Receive help with applying frameworks and models.
  • Seek best practice advice on specific challenges.
  • Get feedback on the output of a Forrester assessment, tool, or template.
  • Receive written feedback on documents such as planning templates, org charts, messaging, RFPs, or product roadmaps.
    • Analysts will provide up to one review of each document (of up to 20 pages or equivalent) total with a scope limit of one to three specific questions.
  • Speak with an analyst outside of their contracted service (depending on the specific license, with some restrictions).
  • Request data and benchmarks through a Data Guidance Session

Guidance Sessions may not be used:

  • To review a document longer than 20 pages (or equivalent), even if the request is to review only a portion of that document.
    • Review of documents longer than 20 pages (or equivalent) is available through our Advisory and Consulting Offerings.
  • To conduct back-to-back sessions (e.g. a Guidance Session at 2pm, and then another one at 3pm), even if on different topics or with different analysts.

Individuals whose needs extend beyond what we can provide in a typical 30- or 50- minute Guidance Session can speak with their account manager about other options to engage more deeply with Forrester analysts and consultants through our Advisory and Consulting offerings.

For further guidance, read our Guidance Sessions FAQ here.

Education Guidance Sessions

Guidance Sessions may be used for the purpose of helping Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader license holder absorb and understand concepts related to a high-priority initiative or area of focus. They may also be used to educate others within the organization – these are referred to as “Education Guidance Sessions.” For example: An Education Guidance Session could be with just one or two individuals who need to understand and buy-in to a new framework, concept, or approach for which the VIP Leader or Leader license holder is responsible; or, it can be to inform a small cross-functional team who will be involved in helping ensure that an initiative that the VIP Leader or Leader is leading is successful.

Education Guidance Sessions are a type of Guidance Session, and are subject to the same policies and rules for Guidance Sessions, though with some specific differences:

  • Education Guidance Sessions must be scheduled by and attended by the VIP Leader or Leader license holder, though they may mainly be for the benefit of other attendees. This is especially helpful for Forrester Decisions VIP Leader and Leader license holders whose high-profile initiatives often require the understanding and buy-in of individuals on their team – or in other functions – to be completed successfully.
  • No more than 20 individuals involved in or impacted by the initiative are permitted to attend. (A third party may attend an Education Guidance Session only if they are licensed according to our Contractor Licensing Policy.

It is recommended – though not required – that a separate Guidance Session be scheduled for planning/preparation, prior to the Education Guidance Session. This planning discussion should take place with the Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader license holder, since the key to an effective Education Guidance Session is that the analyst understands ahead of time the purpose of the session, the desired content to be covered ,and the way in which it connects with an initiative that the Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader is currently working on.

Attendance and participation:

  • The Forrester Decisions VIP Leader or Leader license holder must attend and introduce/set the context for an Education Guidance Sessions.
  • Education Guidance Sessions can only be scheduled one at a time; the next one cannot be scheduled until an already-scheduled one is completed.
  • Education Guidance sessions may not be recorded or transcribed.

Education Guidance Sessions may be used:

  • To educate up to 20 individuals involved in or impacted by the initiative being discussed are permitted to attend.
  • To cover best practices related to a priority for which the VIP Leader or Leader is responsible (and that is ideally captured as an initiative).

Education Guidance Sessions may not be used:

  • For audiences of greater than 20 people total.
    • Example: Conducting the same Education Guidance Session twice, each with a set of 15 different people.
    • We have other offerings, such as Certification and Consulting engagements, if you need to accommodate more than 20 people.
  • To cover topics related to a client’s specific markets, customers, and competitors.

Education Guidance Sessions are a benefit provided to clients who purchase Forrester Decisions VIP Leader and Leader licenses that extend beyond the specific entitlements defined in a Purchase Agreement. We provide this flexibility to help clients align across their teams and functions and make progress on their initiatives. Forrester reserves the right to limit the number of Education Guidance Sessions conducted by any one individual or account if we believe that the spirit and intent of Education Guidance Sessions are not being respected.