Imagine a politician released research proving their arguments on a point of public controversy.
Imagine every journalist in Ireland knew the research was faulty.
Let’s go further. Imagine the paper looked like a work of fiction, and it appeared the academics who carried out the research did not exist.
There’d be uproar, right?
Pat Kenny would have a chat with Fergal Keane, who would explain in detail his futile efforts to track down fictional academics.
Tabloids would use words like Scam, probably incorporated in a clever pun on the name of the party or politician.
The Irish Times, more reserved, would print a lengthy editorial deploring the cheapening of public discourse.
Which brings us to Quantum Research.
Quantum is a market research company, but only seems to have one client: The Sunday Independent.
The only company of that name listed at the CRO renamed some time ago, and are the Irish subsidiary of an American electronics firm. Nothing to do with opinion polls.
Several companies and business names include the word “Quantum”, ranging from car repairs to management training, but not market research.
Quantum doesn’t exist.
Online, their research is derided. In mass media, not so much.
All very odd.
Postscript: According to Wikipedia, The specification of quantum satis for an ingredient essentially means “Add as much of this ingredient as is needed to achieve the desired result, but not more.”
