Why Online Panel Research Is About To Get Better

Air Date: Friday, September 19, 2008

Cost: $250

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Presented By:

Who should attend: Consumer Market Research professionals

Description:

The growing ubiquity of using online panels for research has been a Faustian bargain for many Consumer Market Research professionals. The result has been cheaper, faster, more complex surveys. It has also been the cause of much anxiety, as researchers wrestled with doubts about "who are these people anyway?" That is, are the studies fielded using samples from online panels truly representative of the market being analyzed?

Behind this question is a whole host of concerns ranging from the nuts and bolts of panel management, suspicion of the psychological motivations of those who sign up to be on an (or multiple) online panels, and repeated stories about professional survey takers and other "evil doers." All of these concerns were compounded by a lack of transparency in panel-quality metrics. Basically, it was very hard to assess the quality of an online panel with any accepted, auditable, easy-to-assess metrics. Industry associations have been very slow to provide a solution. Compounding this issue, the ready availability of easy-to-use, inexpensive, online survey tools has allowed many new (non-Consumer Market Research professionals) people to field surveys. These new survey fielders are unaware of the risks they should be on guard against when using online sample.

This is the year when Consumer Market Research professionals can start to calm down. Several panel quality initiatives being introduced — including MarketTools TrueSample and Peanut Labs Optimus — promise to rip the cloak of invisibility from panel quality issues and actually provide easy-to-substantiate ways to ensure that sample is "good." Since much of the provider and association side of the industry has been slow to push for such a resolution, it is heartening to see significant buyers propel it forward with their demands for a clean, projectable, sample.

Agenda:

• The attraction: Why online panels have grown to be used for almost 50% of quantitative research in the US
• The risks: What are the inherent problems with using online panels, predominately resulting in answers that are incorrect because the market does not look as the panel indicates it should?
• The solutions: What the quality initiatives look like, and why the market should move rapidly to adopt them

Vendors mentioned: MarketTools, Peanut Labs, others

Related Research:

Is The Long Online Panel Quality Nightmare Over?

by Brad Bortner, June 09, 2008

Does Declining Research Projectability Matter?

by Brad Bortner, February 22, 2008

Professional Survey Takers: Still A Threat!

by Brad Bortner, January 22, 2008

Online Survey Tools Gain Ubiquity

by Brad Bortner, TJ Keitt, November 28, 2007

Five Keys To Success With Online Panels

by Brad Bortner, July 19, 2007

Online Panels: Cheap And Effective, But Buyer Beware

by Brad Bortner, May 01, 2007

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