Unlike Cupid and Psyche, Zeitgeist and Research are usually uncomfortable bedfellows. After all, why flirt with the fickle, especially when it comes to the expedient ebb and flow of web technologies. I’m convinced that one of the key reasons why researchers have been slow to report on internet trends has to be down to frightening speed at which things become obsolete. And that means no one’s interested in putting their hand in their pocket to buy the results.

Forrester, an independent research company based in MA, is a notable exception to the rule. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, both Forrester consultants, are responsible for Groundswell, the definitive tome on social media. Published last year to critical acclaim, it highlights real world successes in communication, from Sony’s use of blogs to Intel’s Wiki obsession.

They’re also responsible for the Groundswell Awards, which recognise excellence in accomplishing business goals with social applications. There’s a current call for entries, at which is where I sat up and took notice. The awards has its own fascinating system of appraisal. There are seven categories: LISTENING, TALKING, ENERGIZING, SUPPORTING, EMBRACING, MANAGING, and SOCIAL IMPACT. Of course, you need to have your copy of Groundswell to hand for the definitions, but you get the general idea. You can look at the runners from last year on the current Groundswell blog.

Personally, I found the analysis of these sites fascinating, mainly because it was all driven by real metrics and supported by hard facts, which is a rare thing to behold. It also got me thinking about the opportunities for building some genuine knowledge around the impact of social networking and apps and the employer brand. After all, if the commercial interests and benefits can be well documented and served up in useful chunks, there’s hope for us in the recruitment industry yet.