Best Practice Report

Five Keys To Success With Online Panels

How To Research Effectively In A Market Of Hard-To-Assess Panel Quality

July 19th, 2007
Brad Bortner, null
Brad Bortner
With contributors:
Heidi Shey , Bradford J. Holmes

Summary

Market research professionals assume significant risk when designing studies to drive business decisions. Bogus study findings can lead to bad decisions, and research will run aground if the surveyed population is not representative of your market. Online research poses unique challenges in this regard. Many market researchers focus on speed and cost with online panels, assuming that sample quality is similar across the board. This is a mistake. Panels vary wildly in both their modes of recruitment and quality controls, but the marketplace is starting to demand that panel vendors address these variances. Until panel quality metrics are a universally accepted norm, however, you should remain vigilant about panel quality indicators to get reliable insights.

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