The Prie Prie Institute employs a rigorous research framework that we call Applied Marginalism — the systematic investigation of phenomena that exist at the very edge of being worth investigating at all.
The Prie Prie Protocol (PPP)
All research conducted under our auspices follows the five-phase Prie Prie Protocol, developed over three years and one particularly long afternoon:
Phase 1: Noticing. A researcher becomes mildly annoyed or puzzled by something most people would ignore. This is documented in what we call a "Hmm Report" — a structured form consisting of exactly one box in which the researcher writes "hmm" followed by a brief description of what prompted it.
Phase 2: Escalation. The initial observation is shared with at least one colleague during a coffee break. If the colleague responds with "huh" or "wait, actually…" rather than changing the subject, the observation is escalated to a Preliminary Inquiry. If the colleague changes the subject, the observation is filed under "Society Is Not Ready."
Phase 3: Measurement. We measure things. Sometimes the right things. Our equipment budget (€12/quarter) necessitates creative instrumentation: kitchen scales, smartphone timers, lengths of string marked in centimeters with a felt-tip pen, and the occasional borrowed theodolite.
Phase 4: Statistical Treatment. All data undergoes what we call "hopeful analysis" — the application of statistical methods with the sincere hope that something interesting emerges. Our preferred significance threshold is p < 0.15, which we acknowledge is generous. We call this the "Prie Prie confidence level."
Phase 5: Publication. Findings are published in our in-house journal, The Quarterly Marginalist (circulation: 23 copies, 19 of which go to our own researchers). We have applied for an ISSN four times. Each application was rejected for "unclear scope," which we consider a compliment.