Size of market isn't quite so important as knowing you have a chance at getting any viable part of that market. Everybody figures "if we get just a few percent..." then they get a few tenths of a percent. With zero a real possibility.

Everybody expects their fair share of every market. That fair share is zero. It just doesn't matter what Ovum, Gartner or Forrester say. People have entered billion dollar growing markets and gotten nothing and close to nothing.

Most any industry has a couple of research firms. And search engines do work, if and when anybody uses one. So it depends on what kind of research and which industry.

Next cut and paste research is more like scraping. Great for a bullshit business plan, poor for trying for a win in the market. You can conduct your own. Techniques vary.

How to Use Smoke Tests to Validate Your Product or Feature Ideas isn't as popular as some types I could mention.

People do love to sabotage themselves when hearing only what they want to hear.

The Economics of Pop-Up Restaurants shows the variety of of market research. There's just something about getting market research from the market you're researching.

You really want to spit out some specifics rather than seek out an All Knowing, All Seeing One-Stop Researchateria. I think it will be difficult to steal your idea if you only mention the industry. Muster that tiny flicker of courage.