Franchise Brands (FRAN) Competitors

GBX 154.50 -0.50 (-0.32%)

As of 08:20 AM Eastern

FRAN vs. JSG, CPI, RST, RWS, and DWF

Should you buy Franchise Brands stock or one of its competitors? MarketBeat compares Franchise Brands with other companies and stocks that may be similar based on industry, sector, market capitalization, business model, investor interest, or shared news coverage. Companies and stocks commonly compared with Franchise Brands include Johnson Service Group (JSG), Capita (CPI), Restore (RST), RWS (RWS), and DWF Group (DWF). These companies are all part of the "specialty business services" industry.

How does Franchise Brands compare to Johnson Service Group?

Johnson Service Group (LON:JSG) and Franchise Brands (LON:FRAN) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, media sentiment, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Johnson Service Group has a net margin of 6.93% compared to Franchise Brands' net margin of 6.32%. Johnson Service Group's return on equity of 13.04% beat Franchise Brands' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Johnson Service Group	6.93%	13.04%	6.40%
Franchise Brands	6.32%	4.06%	3.24%

Johnson Service Group has higher revenue and earnings than Franchise Brands. Johnson Service Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franchise Brands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Johnson Service Group	£535.40M	0.96	£31.14M	£9.20	14.72
Franchise Brands	£142.15M	2.08	£7.75M	£4.64	33.30

40.0% of Johnson Service Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.9% of Franchise Brands shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.6% of Johnson Service Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 31.8% of Franchise Brands shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Johnson Service Group presently has a consensus price target of GBX 178.33, indicating a potential upside of 31.71%. Franchise Brands has a consensus price target of GBX 197.50, indicating a potential upside of 27.83%. Given Johnson Service Group's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Johnson Service Group is more favorable than Franchise Brands.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Johnson Service Group	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.67
Franchise Brands	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Johnson Service Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 4.30 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.2%. Franchise Brands pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Johnson Service Group pays out 46.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Franchise Brands pays out 52.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Johnson Service Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Johnson Service Group has a beta of 1.022, suggesting that its share price is 2% more volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Franchise Brands has a beta of 0.457, suggesting that its share price is 54% less volatile than the broader market.

In the previous week, Franchise Brands had 2 more articles in the media than Johnson Service Group. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Franchise Brands and 2 mentions for Johnson Service Group. Johnson Service Group's average media sentiment score of 0.30 beat Franchise Brands' score of 0.25 indicating that Johnson Service Group is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Johnson Service Group	0 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
Franchise Brands	0 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Summary

Johnson Service Group beats Franchise Brands on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Franchise Brands compare to Capita?

Capita (LON:CPI) and Franchise Brands (LON:FRAN) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, risk, dividends, valuation, media sentiment and earnings.

Capita has a beta of 0.818, meaning that its share price is 18% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Franchise Brands has a beta of 0.457, meaning that its share price is 54% less volatile than the broader market.

Franchise Brands has a net margin of 6.32% compared to Capita's net margin of -7.45%. Franchise Brands' return on equity of 4.06% beat Capita's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Capita	-7.45%	-142.88%	1.57%
Franchise Brands	6.32%	4.06%	3.24%

Capita presently has a consensus price target of GBX 464.20, suggesting a potential upside of 45.93%. Franchise Brands has a consensus price target of GBX 197.50, suggesting a potential upside of 27.83%. Given Capita's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Capita is more favorable than Franchise Brands.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Capita	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	4 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.67
Franchise Brands	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

27.1% of Capita shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.9% of Franchise Brands shares are held by institutional investors. 13.4% of Capita shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 31.8% of Franchise Brands shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

In the previous week, Franchise Brands had 3 more articles in the media than Capita. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Franchise Brands and 1 mentions for Capita. Capita's average media sentiment score of 0.67 beat Franchise Brands' score of 0.25 indicating that Capita is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Capita	0 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Franchise Brands	0 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Franchise Brands has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Capita. Capita is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franchise Brands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Capita	£2.31B	0.16	-£40.73M	-£144.13	N/A
Franchise Brands	£142.15M	2.08	£7.75M	£4.64	33.30

Summary

Franchise Brands beats Capita on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Franchise Brands compare to Restore?

Restore (LON:RST) and Franchise Brands (LON:FRAN) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, risk, dividends, media sentiment and earnings.

In the previous week, Restore had 1 more articles in the media than Franchise Brands. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Restore and 4 mentions for Franchise Brands. Restore's average media sentiment score of 1.02 beat Franchise Brands' score of 0.25 indicating that Restore is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Restore	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Franchise Brands	0 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Restore presently has a consensus price target of GBX 367.33, suggesting a potential upside of 36.42%. Franchise Brands has a consensus price target of GBX 197.50, suggesting a potential upside of 27.83%. Given Restore's higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Restore is more favorable than Franchise Brands.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Restore	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
Franchise Brands	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Franchise Brands has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Restore. Restore is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franchise Brands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Restore	£304.70M	1.18	£3.74M	-£4.70	N/A
Franchise Brands	£142.15M	2.08	£7.75M	£4.64	33.30

Franchise Brands has a net margin of 6.32% compared to Restore's net margin of 0.43%. Franchise Brands' return on equity of 4.06% beat Restore's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Restore	0.43%	0.58%	3.37%
Franchise Brands	6.32%	4.06%	3.24%

21.6% of Restore shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.9% of Franchise Brands shares are held by institutional investors. 15.9% of Restore shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 31.8% of Franchise Brands shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Restore pays an annual dividend of GBX 6 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Franchise Brands pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Restore pays out -127.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Franchise Brands pays out 52.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Restore is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Restore has a beta of 0.124, meaning that its share price is 88% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Franchise Brands has a beta of 0.457, meaning that its share price is 54% less volatile than the broader market.

Summary

Restore and Franchise Brands tied by winning 8 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Franchise Brands compare to RWS?

Franchise Brands (LON:FRAN) and RWS (LON:RWS) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, valuation, media sentiment, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Franchise Brands pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. RWS pays an annual dividend of GBX 12.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 13.5%. Franchise Brands pays out 52.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. RWS pays out -46.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. RWS is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Franchise Brands presently has a consensus price target of GBX 197.50, suggesting a potential upside of 27.83%. RWS has a consensus price target of GBX 172.50, suggesting a potential upside of 86.99%. Given RWS's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe RWS is more favorable than Franchise Brands.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Franchise Brands	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
RWS	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Franchise Brands has a beta of 0.457, meaning that its share price is 54% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, RWS has a beta of 0.422, meaning that its share price is 58% less volatile than the broader market.

Franchise Brands has a net margin of 6.32% compared to RWS's net margin of -14.46%. Franchise Brands' return on equity of 4.06% beat RWS's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Franchise Brands	6.32%	4.06%	3.24%
RWS	-14.46%	-12.22%	3.42%

Franchise Brands has higher earnings, but lower revenue than RWS. RWS is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franchise Brands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Franchise Brands	£142.15M	2.08	£7.75M	£4.64	33.30
RWS	£690.10M	0.50	-£36.98M	-£27.00	N/A

19.9% of Franchise Brands shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 39.5% of RWS shares are held by institutional investors. 31.8% of Franchise Brands shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 24.7% of RWS shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

In the previous week, Franchise Brands had 3 more articles in the media than RWS. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Franchise Brands and 1 mentions for RWS. Franchise Brands' average media sentiment score of 0.25 beat RWS's score of 0.00 indicating that Franchise Brands is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Franchise Brands	0 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral
RWS	0 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Summary

Franchise Brands beats RWS on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

How does Franchise Brands compare to DWF Group?

DWF Group (LON:DWF) and Franchise Brands (LON:FRAN) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, media sentiment, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

DWF Group pays an annual dividend of GBX 5 per share. Franchise Brands pays an annual dividend of GBX 2.45 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. DWF Group pays out 12,500.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Franchise Brands pays out 52.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Franchise Brands is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

DWF Group has a beta of 0.62, suggesting that its stock price is 38% less volatile than the broader market. Comparatively, Franchise Brands has a beta of 0.457, suggesting that its stock price is 54% less volatile than the broader market.

Franchise Brands has a consensus price target of GBX 197.50, suggesting a potential upside of 27.83%. Given Franchise Brands' stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Franchise Brands is more favorable than DWF Group.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
DWF Group	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00
Franchise Brands	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00

Franchise Brands has a net margin of 6.32% compared to DWF Group's net margin of 2.76%. DWF Group's return on equity of 19.89% beat Franchise Brands' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
DWF Group	2.76%	19.89%	5.74%
Franchise Brands	6.32%	4.06%	3.24%

36.2% of DWF Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.9% of Franchise Brands shares are owned by institutional investors. 54.9% of DWF Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 31.8% of Franchise Brands shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

DWF Group has higher revenue and earnings than Franchise Brands. DWF Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Franchise Brands, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
DWF Group	£451.64M	0.00	£12.45M	£0.04	N/A
Franchise Brands	£142.15M	2.08	£7.75M	£4.64	33.30

In the previous week, Franchise Brands had 4 more articles in the media than DWF Group. MarketBeat recorded 4 mentions for Franchise Brands and 0 mentions for DWF Group. Franchise Brands' average media sentiment score of 0.25 beat DWF Group's score of 0.00 indicating that Franchise Brands is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Overall Sentiment
DWF Group	Neutral
Franchise Brands	Neutral

Summary

Franchise Brands beats DWF Group on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

Get Franchise Brands News Delivered to You Automatically

Subscribe Now

SMS is currently available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. By entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy.

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding FRAN and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period.

Media Sentiment Over Time

This chart shows the average media sentiment of LON and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.

FRAN vs. The Competition

Export

Metric	Franchise Brands	Specialty Business Services Industry	Industrials Sector	LON Exchange
Market Cap	£296.15M	£4.93B	£9.32B	£2.79B
Dividend Yield	1.63%	4.77%	3.57%	6.09%
P/E Ratio	33.30	26.49	24.86	366.06
Price / Sales	2.08	87.50	5,339.09	88,434.23
Price / Cash	29.00	40.54	27.92	27.89
Price / Book	1.38	7.29	4.78	7.66
Net Income	£7.75M	£144.67M	£792.39M	£5.89B
7 Day Performance	8.42%	0.31%	0.25%	0.68%
1 Month Performance	25.61%	3.01%	3.62%	2.66%
1 Year Performance	0.32%	5.04%	38.20%	87.65%

Franchise Brands Competitors List

Export

Company	MarketRank	Share Price	Analysts' Price Target	1Y Price Performance	Market Cap	Revenue	P/E Ratio	Employee Count	Indicator(s)
FRAN Franchise Brands	4.0446 of 5 stars	GBX 154.50 -0.3%	GBX 197.50 +27.8%	+3.3%	£296.15M	£142.15M	33.30	715
JSG Johnson Service Group	3.4277 of 5 stars	GBX 138.50 +0.5%	GBX 178.33 +28.8%	-5.5%	£526.04M	£535.40M	15.05	6,165
CPI Capita	4.5082 of 5 stars	GBX 310.50 +2.1%	GBX 464.20 +49.5%	+41.4%	£371.92M	£2.31B	N/A	43,000	Positive News
RST Restore	3.2867 of 5 stars	GBX 269 -0.4%	GBX 367.33 +36.6%	+9.7%	£360.62M	£304.70M	N/A	2,700	News Coverage Positive News Analyst Forecast
RWS RWS	2.6164 of 5 stars	GBX 96.56 +2.1%	GBX 172.50 +78.6%	+11.4%	£358.39M	£690.10M	N/A	7,040	Gap Up

Related Companies and Tools

Related Companies

Top 10 Stock Comparisons

This page (LON:FRAN) was last updated on 5/14/2026 by MarketBeat.com Staff.

From Our Partners

Get 30 Days of MarketBeat All Access for Free

Start Your 30-Day Trial

In-depth profiles and analysis for 20,000 public companies.
Real-time analyst ratings, insider transactions, earnings data, and more.
Our daily ratings and market update email newsletter.

Sign In
Create Account

Your Email Address:

Your Password:

Forgot your password?

Your Email Address:

Choose a Password:

By creating a free account, you agree to our terms of service. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Franchise Brands (FRAN) Competitors

FRAN vs. JSG, CPI, RST, RWS, and DWF

How does Franchise Brands compare to Johnson Service Group?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to Capita?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to Restore?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to RWS?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to DWF Group?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

FRAN vs. The Competition

Franchise Brands Competitors List

Related Companies and Tools

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools

About MarketBeat

MarketBeat Products

Popular Tools

Financial Calendars

Terms & Info

Franchise Brands (FRAN) Competitors

FRAN vs. JSG, CPI, RST, RWS, and DWF

How does Franchise Brands compare to Johnson Service Group?

Is JSG or FRAN more profitable?

Which has better valuation & earnings, JSG or FRAN?

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of JSG or FRAN?

Do analysts rate JSG or FRAN?

Is JSG or FRAN a better dividend stock?

Which has more risk & volatility, JSG or FRAN?

Does the media refer more to JSG or FRAN?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to Capita?

Which has more volatility & risk, CPI or FRAN?

Is CPI or FRAN more profitable?

Do analysts recommend CPI or FRAN?

Do insiders and institutionals have more ownership in CPI or FRAN?

Does the media favor CPI or FRAN?

Which has better valuation and earnings, CPI or FRAN?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to Restore?

Does the media refer more to RST or FRAN?

Do analysts prefer RST or FRAN?

Which has preferable earnings & valuation, RST or FRAN?

Is RST or FRAN more profitable?

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of RST or FRAN?

Is RST or FRAN a better dividend stock?

Which has more risk & volatility, RST or FRAN?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to RWS?

Is FRAN or RWS a better dividend stock?

Do analysts prefer FRAN or RWS?

Which has more volatility & risk, FRAN or RWS?

Is FRAN or RWS more profitable?

Which has better earnings and valuation, FRAN or RWS?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in FRAN or RWS?

Does the media prefer FRAN or RWS?

Summary

How does Franchise Brands compare to DWF Group?

Is DWF or FRAN a better dividend stock?

Which has more volatility & risk, DWF or FRAN?

Do analysts recommend DWF or FRAN?

Is DWF or FRAN more profitable?

Do insiders & institutionals believe in DWF or FRAN?

Which has preferable valuation & earnings, DWF or FRAN?

Does the media favor DWF or FRAN?

Summary

New MarketBeat Followers Over Time

Media Sentiment Over Time

FRAN vs. The Competition

Franchise Brands Competitors List

Related Companies and Tools

MarketBeat All Access Features

Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring

Stock Ideas and Recommendations

Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools