In a world turned upside down by new rules on how research is paid for, this is one model — known as “alpha capture” — that is gaining traction. It’s a tool for investors to help establish the value of ideas now that banks are about to be barred from bundling research costs into trading commissions…. “It’s evolved from nothing to being a globally accepted practice,” said Niki Beattie, a Merrill Lynch alumna who now heads adviser Market Structure Partners. “With MIFID II, clients will have to be more discerning about the information they take, how they use it and how they pay for it.”