Evidence Half-Life

Evidence Half-Life is the shelf life of a research finding before it stops supporting a client recommendation. A survey fielded in Q1 that shapes a Q4 roadmap is not evidence, it is decoration. Agencies that track half-life per evidence type (attitudinal survey data decays fastest, behavioral session data slower, structural market facts slowest) can schedule refresh cycles instead of re-litigating strategy mid-engagement. The framework matters because research spend is usually booked once at kickoff, then treated as permanent. MIT Technology Review and Snowflake found fewer than half of agent-generated insights lead to meaningful action, a symptom of stale or uncontextualized inputs reaching decision-makers. Pairing a Typeform study with behavioral capture from a session tool gives two clocks running at different speeds, so a retainer can refresh the fast-decaying layer quarterly while the slow layer anchors the annual plan. Clients renew when the evidence behind the last recommendation still holds at review time.