There’s some interesting research about analysts in this presentation, Top 5 Demand Generation Strategies, which Sybase shared at the 2006 dreamforce conference. Click along to slide 14 to see the research that attracted me, but keep on reading!

Its a presentation of a survey of over 1,500 IT users. The presentation shares some data that states that industry analysts are the most trusted source of information, accounting for 29% of responses.