Citation Policy

Integrity, objectivity, and strict adherence to rigorous research methodologies are core values at Forrester Research, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “Forrester”). All research created by Forrester, both syndicated (“Research”) and custom (“Custom Research”), is intended to be used internally by our clients. From time to time, clients and third parties seek to cite from the Research and/or Custom Research in internal and external materials. The following guidelines set forth the rules for such usage.

 

 

Guidelines Based On Content

 

Guidelines Based On Usage

Introduction

  • All use of Forrester Research is subject to our review and approval (except for the press and clients in limited form).
  • Citation of Forrester’s Research is a client privilege. Forrester reviews all non-client requests on a case-by-case basis.
  • Forrester reserves the right to change these guidelines at any time without notice.
  • These guidelines are for general informational purposes only and Forrester reserves any and all rights to the Forrester Research including but not limited to the right to deny any and all uses of the Forrester Research.
  • For more information on this Policy, please view the FAQ.

Uses That Require Forrester’s Approval

  • All external or commercial citation of Research and Custom Research, including without limitation:
    • Uses of the Research in advertisements, press releases, and sales collateral in all types of media.
    • Uses of the Research in SEC filings or other legal documents.
    • Links to any websites maintained by Forrester and/or its subsidiaries.
  • All full reproductions and/or distributions of the Forrester Research. Forrester generally prohibits such use unless reprints are purchased from Forrester or the client has received Forrester’s express written permission.
  • All promotion, distribution, and reuse of Forrester content, including any use of Forrester’s logo, trademarks, or service marks, through any third party in all types of media.
  • In general, if you are uncertain about a particular use, please seek our approval.

Uses That Do Not Require Forrester’s Approval

  • Clients may include a copy or slide of each scorecard, product comparison, spreadsheet, graphic, table, or portion of text less than a paragraph from the Research in internal presentations only, provided that all such citations adhere to the guidelines for citation of Forrester’s syndicated Research and contractual provisions.
  • Members of the press may use portions of our Research without our approval. Please visit the Media Resources page for more information.

Dos and Don’ts Guidance

Forrester has several helpful guides for citing our research in specific types of materials, e.g. social media, blogs, press releases, emails, etc. These include guidance on citing and promoting Wave reports, custom research, analyst engagements, and more.

How To Seek Forrester’s Approval

  • Contact Forrester’s Citations department at +1 617-613-5700 or send an email to citations@forrester.com.
  • Provide the Citations department with the full citation and context for your request.
  • Please include a draft copy of any press releases and other marketing materials, such as newsletters, email campaigns, direct mail, etc.
  • We will reply by email within two business days.
  • You can find a checklist that will assist you in gathering the necessary materials for the review process in the section “Citations Request Checklist.”

I. Citation Policy: Regulations

  • All syndicated Research produced by Forrester, including Forrester weblog content accessed through the Forrester.com website, is proprietary to Forrester and subject to copyright and other intellectual property protections.
  • All external or commercial citation of Forrester Research, including Custom Research, is prohibited without our express written permission.
  • All citations must be presented in accordance with Forrester’s core value of objectivity and its Integrity Policy.
  • All citations must be limited in scope. Full reproduction of the Forrester Research is prohibited.
  • All citations must come directly from the written Forrester Research, Forrester-approved data cuts, or Forrester Webinars.
  • Forrester analysts cannot provide verbal or direct quotes for client materials.
  • All Forrester Research must be cited verbatim.
  • Graphs or data can be briefly summarized, when no corresponding text is available, within the appropriate context of and reflecting the spirit of the intended Research.
  • Email subject lines, press release headers, and/or subheaders may not contain the name “Forrester Research” or “Forrester” — “Independent Research Firm” may be used. The analyst name is not permitted to be used in email subject lines, press release headers, and/or subheaders — excluding speaking engagements such as webinars.
  • Citations that negatively portray another company and/or its products or compares one company and/or its products with another may not be used. In addition, Forrester Research may not be cited in any material that negatively portrays another company and/or its products or compares one company and/or its products with another.
  • Graphical research analysis, such as Consumer Technographics®, ForecastView, and Business Technographics®, may be cited upon gaining Forrester’s approval. Please reference Section II, Forrester Wave™ for guidance on citations for graphs specific to the Forrester Wave™.
  • For ForecastView data, only the highest level data set of a forecast may be cited. Citations of the category level data set of a forecast are prohibited. See additional guidance here.
  • All citations of Forrester Research must be attributed in the following manner: Title, Forrester Research, Inc., Date.
  • All citations of Forrester Research must have been published within the past 18 months, unless updated Research is available. All citations of Forrester Research must be obtained through legal means.
  • After purchasing reprint rights, clients may promote Forrester reprints provided that Forrester’s Citations department approves the marketing materials and it is clear that the report is an independent research report.
  • Report reprints should be referenced as “complimentary” and without monetary association.
  • For guidance on usage of Reprints in specific types of materials, click here.
  • Use of the Forrester Research logo must be smaller than any vendor/company logo and less prominently displayed.
  • When describing Forrester, the preferred language to use is “a leading global research and advisory firm.”
  • Forrester and its Research may not be referenced or appear in any client boilerplates, nor can Forrester’s boilerplate be used in client materials (excepting joint marketing). Forrester and its Research may not appear in client email signatures.

Guidelines Based On Content

II. Forrester Wave™ Research

  • All citations of Forrester Wave™, Forrester New Wave™, and Forrester [Industry] Wave™ Research are subject to Forrester’s Citation Policy, including the Regulations set forth in Section I above.
  • For guidance on usage of Wave citations in specific types of materials, click here.
  • Companies may only claim to be a Leader/Strong Performer when citing their overall Forrester Wave™ and New Wave results.
  • Companies may use wording such as “Highest Score” or “Top Ranked” only when citing their Strategy, Current Offering, and/or Market Presence results from the Forrester Wave™ and Forrester [Industry] Wave™.
  • Companies may use wording such as “differentiated rating” or “on-par rating” when citing their specific criteria results from the Forrester New Wave™.
  • Companies may draw attention to the detailed results in the Forrester Wave™ underlying spreadsheet, including subcategories.
  • Companies may only compare their scores with the high and low scores of the category. Direct comparisons with other vendors or products are not allowed.
  • All citations must be based on Forrester’s weightings. Clients may not publicly cite or display custom scores from the Forrester Wave™ scorecards.
  • The Forrester Wave™ and New Wave graphics can only be used in the below two instances. All other usages are prohibited.
    • Clients with reprint rights to a Forrester Wave™, New Wave, or [Industry] Wave report or vendor summary containing the Forrester Wave™ graphic may display the entire, unaltered Forrester Wave™, New Wave, or [Industry] Wave graphic and/or Quick Card on their website home page or as part of a web page exclusively dedicated to the authorized reprint of the report. All other online uses are prohibited.
    • Clients may use the Forrester Wave™, New Wave, or [Industry] Wave graphic in presentations to live audiences, as long as the graphic is shown in its entirety, unaltered, and with the original title and date of publication. The following disclaimer must be legible on the slide:The Forrester Wave™ is copyrighted by Forrester Research, Inc. Forrester and Forrester Wave™ are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. The Forrester Wave™ is a graphical representation of Forrester’s call on a market and is plotted using a detailed spreadsheet with exposed scores, weightings, and comments. Forrester does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in the Forrester Wave™. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change.OrThe Forrester New Wave™ is copyrighted by Forrester Research, Inc. Forrester and Forrester Wave™ are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. The Forrester New Wave™ is a graphical representation of Forrester’s call on a market. Forrester does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in the Forrester New Wave™. Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change.
  • Client email subject lines, press release titles, and headers and/or subheaders may not include the words “Forrester” or “Forrester Research” or “Wave.” Clients may only use “Independent Research Firm” in place of Forrester’s name.

For example: [Company Name] Cited As A Strong Performer/Leader By Independent Research Firm OR Independent Research Firm Cites [Company Name] As A Strong Performer/Leader In [Market] Evaluation

Companies with reprint rights to a Forrester Wave™ or Forrester New Wave™ report and who are identified as a “Leader” in the report may use the Forrester Wave™ Leader badge subject to and in accordance with the guidelines outlined in section VI: Forrester Logo And Badges.

Clients with reprint rights to a Forrester New Wave™ may display their entire, unaltered Quick Card in their marketing and promotional material and on their website.

In order to cite a Forrester Industry Wave™ score, ranking, or quotes for commercial purposes, companies must purchase a Forrester Industry Wave™ advertising license (“ad license”) to the research.

For further guidelines, download this PDF.

III. Commissioned Custom Research

  • All citations of Custom Research, including, without limitation, commissioned research, custom surveys, and/or findings within Research customized for the client, are subject to this Citation Policy, including the regulations set forth in Section I above and other contractual limitations. Each external citation or quotation of Custom Research must be submitted to and approved by Forrester’s Citations team.
  • Forrester must review and approve the context and accuracy of any data/conclusions cited from Custom Research as part of this approval process.
  • All citations must come directly from the Custom Research itself. Forrester analysts, advisors, and consultants cannot provide verbal or direct quotes for client materials.
  • All citations of Custom Research must be attributed to Forrester Consulting, and the citations must include the following attribution, as well as the date and title if applicable:
    • “A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of (Client Name).”
  • Forrester Consulting is the only author cited for Custom Research. Custom Research may not be attributed in any way to a Forrester analyst or consultant.
  • Email subject lines, press release headers, and/or sub-headers related to and/or promoting Custom Research may not contain the name “Forrester” in any form — “Independent Research Firm” may be used.
  • Custom Research about specific companies and/or products is for internal usage only and cannot be cited externally.
  • Custom Research may not be positioned in any way that implies Forrester is endorsing any vendor or brand.
  • Custom Research cannot appear to be jointly released or co-branded with the client. Forrester’s status as an independent research firm must be made clear.
  • To cite from Custom Research that is not your own, the client that commissioned the research must provide written approval prior to you submitting it to Forrester for approval.
  • All communications and marketing materials regarding Custom Research issued via social media applications, including but not limited to social networks, micromedia, and blogs, are subject to the guidelines described in the Citation Policy and must be approved by Forrester.
  • Statements made by Forrester analysts/consultants during client webinars, podcasts, videos, or other recorded presentations associated with Custom Research may not be transcribed, translated, or otherwise cited. Such recordings may only be replayed in their entirety, when both the audio and visual elements are presented together, and the appropriate replay rights have been purchased.
  • For guidance on promoting and citing Custom Research in specific types of materials, click here.

IV: Social Media Content

Third parties may cite non-comparative content from Forrester blogs and other Forrester social channels as long as the integrity of the posted content is maintained and the content is linked directly to the original source. All citations must come from content written within the past 18 months. All requests to cite research content authored by Forrester analysts under their own social profile will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  • For proposed citations of our published Research within the client’s social media, please refer to Section I, Citation Policy: Regulations, and Section II, above.

How to cite Forrester Research social media content:

  • Each citation must clearly define the social channel (e.g., Forrester blog).
  • Each citation must state the date of the Forrester analyst’s post.
  • Each citation should include the author (analyst) of the citation.
  • Each citation must include the Forrester reference verbatim and link to the source/post in its entirety.
  • Each blog citation should include the title of the original Forrester blog post.

V: Customer Experience Index (CX Index™)

  • In order to cite your Customer Experience Index score, ranking, award, or quotes from Forrester’s Customer Experience Index reports, you must purchase a CX Index™ advertising license (“ad license”) to the research.
  • All citations of Forrester’s Customer Experience Index research are subject to Forrester’s Citation Policy, including the Regulations set forth in Section I above.
  • Forrester clients without an ad license are permitted to state in a press release only that they were included in Forrester’s Customer Experience Index survey.
    Example: Company B was included in Forrester Research’s survey for the report “The US Customer Experience Index, Q1 2015.”
  • In particular, citation of rankings without the purchase of an ad license is expressly prohibited.
  • Only the 2015 or later CX Index™ can be cited. References to past scores or rankings are not permitted.
  • The CX Index™ badge can be used by Forrester clients with an ad license as long as it is smaller and less prominently displayed than the client’s logo in the material.

VI: Forrester Logo And Badges

  • Use of the Forrester logo is a client privilege. Use of Forrester badges requires the purchase of reprint rights to the specific report.
  • For guidance on using the Forrester logo in specific types of materials, click here.
  • Use of the Forrester logo or badges is subject to Citations review and approval.
  • The Forrester logo or badges may be used in client materials but must be smaller than any vendor/company logo and less prominently displayed.
  • The Forrester logo or badges may not be used in client press releases or email signatures.
  • The Forrester logo or badges must be accompanied by a research citation to avoid the perception of an endorsement.
  • Clients may also use Forrester’s logo to promote analyst speaking engagements, provided that the logo is smaller and less prominently displayed than the logo of the company hosting the engagement.
  • To download Forrester logo files, click here.
  • Clients with a CX Index™ ad license may use the CX Index™ badge in their materials, subject to their compliance with the above provisions.
  • Clients with a Forrester Industry Wave™ ad license may use the Industry Wave™ badge in their materials, subject to their compliance with the above provisions.

Guidelines Based On Usage

VII: Advertisements

  • All citations must comply with Section I, Citation Policy: Regulations.
  • Advertisements shall not appear to be co-sponsored by Forrester. Services or products advertised shall not appear to be endorsed by Forrester.
  • All requests must include the location and placement of the advertisement during the review process.

VIII: Press Releases

  • All citations must comply with Section I, Citation Policy: Regulations.
  • Please reference Section II, Forrester Wave™ Research for any guidance on citations for press releases specific to the Forrester Wave.
  • The Forrester logo may not be used in client press releases.

IX: Video/Multimedia

  • All citations must comply with Section I, Citation Policy: Regulations.
  • Forrester Consulting Video/Multimedia must comply with Section III, Custom Research.
  • Citations of videos and webinars that mention specific companies and/or products may not be used; this includes use of company logos.
  • Verbal quotes from the video may not be cited or repurposed.

X: Webinar/Speaking Engagements

  • All citations must comply with Section I, Citation Policy: Regulations.
  • Clients may use Forrester’s logo to promote analyst speaking engagements, provided that the logo is smaller and less prominently displayed than the company hosting the engagement.
  • Forrester’s presentation and webinar slides must contain Forrester’s copyright notice.
  • Citations of videos and webinars that mention specific companies and/or products may not be used.
  • It must be clear that Forrester is a guest/featured speaker/presenter and the event is not being co-hosted or co-marketed in any way.
  • Research presented and statements made by Forrester analysts/consultants during client webinars, podcasts, videos, or other recorded presentations may not be transcribed, translated, or otherwise cited. Such recordings may only be replayed in their entirety, when both the audio and visual elements are presented together, and the appropriate replay rights have been purchased.
  • For guidance on promoting a webinar/speaking engagement in specific types of materials, click here.

Violations

Forrester reserves the right to take action against companies that are in violation of its Citation Policy. Actions taken may include, without limitation, declining all citation requests from companies with active citations violations.

If you have questions about what constitutes a violation, or you believe that you have found a violation, please contact the Citations team for further assistance.

Citations Request Checklist

In order to assist our clients with the citations process, we have created a checklist for their use. This checklist outlines the information and materials that the Citations department needs to review a request.

  1. Have you included the company/organization that this request is for?
  2. Is the above company a Forrester client? Please indicate in your request.
  3. Have you provided the full context in which the Forrester citation will appear in? Examples of material include drafts of press releases, mockups of web pages, entire emails, banners, social media posts, entire white papers, etc. Please attach and send complete copies of the materials that will cite Forrester.
  4. Is your copy (landing page, press release, blog, social media, etc.) submitted in an editable format?
  5. Is the copy on your graphics also submitted in an editable format with mock ups included?
  6. If submitting material in a shared document, have you granted access to citations@forrester.com or made the link available to those receiving it?
  7. Have you indicated what research from Forrester your material cites? Please include the full title and publication month/year. If the citations do not come from research published on Forrester.com, please send along the original source as well. If this material is related to an upcoming analyst engagement, have you indicated the analyst involved, as well as the type of engagement (e.g., a webinar, panel, event, video, etc.)?
  8. Have you included any additional comments regarding this request? If you have a specific time frame or special considerations, please indicate this in your request.