The Pulse of the City News Star Award Our research methods identify Star performers and capture information from the marketplace about the high levels of excellence they bring to it. In our research, we tap a database of performance information that has been compiled on an ongoing basis since 2009, so it is more than a snapshot of “what did they do last?” Our analysis avoids both the “flash in the pan” and succumbing to unfounded negative commentary that may be featured prominently in other rating systems. Our research and ratings identify reality through the smoke and noise that overcome many other review systems.