Deft Research has instituted processes for ensuring the quality and dependability of results coming out of our on-line surveys.

For its on-line studies, respondents are being recruited through two or more sampling firms. Two firms in particular have proven to be responsive and reliable partners, Survey Sampling International, and e-Rewards. By using more than one research panel, we expect to achieve a highly representative sample base that significantly reduces sources of bias. Having more than one sample vendor will also allow us to directly compare and evaluate the performance of each sample source.

Deft seeks research partners with broad respondent recruiting methods that include using both on-line and off-line methods, such as email and direct mail. We look for firms whose panel members are continuously audited for participation rates and response consistency. We want panel membership to be limited by time and participation levels. One benchmark is to look for panels where members participate in about 5 surveys per year.

We also are asking panel partners to participate in Imperium Category Exclusion (ICE™), the first broad-based category exclusion program for the market research industry. The ICE collaboration is open to all research sample providers and collectively evaluates over 50% of the world’s online research sample. The goal of ICE is to identify cross-panel respondent participation, and verify panel member demographic information.

In addition to traditional panels, we are taking advantage of new on-line sampling techniques. These are methods that recruit survey respondents who are not part of a traditional panel. Potential survey takers are recruited from a variety of on-line sources. Research companies capture information about people and also ask a few screening questions which they use to instantly develop an individual profile. The respondent is then invited to complete a specific survey where they are likely to meet the qualifying criteria. Researchers use an individual’s digital fingerprint (machine identifier) to keep track of which surveys they have participated in, even though they have not joined a traditional panel.

Having taken these steps, Deft is assuring respondents are recruited from a much wider variety of sources, resulting in a more diverse, representative sample. Using these methods, many more non-traditional survey takers are recruited, which makes the respondent pool more robust and representative. Respondents are also able to participate in surveys easier, with less work for them. This reduces respondent fatigue and allows respondents to engage in survey taking at a deeper, more engaged level. We hope this leads to respondents providing more complete answers and completed surveys. So far, the relative ease of recruiting respondents with the new approaches has resulted in far more completes with fewer invitations. Studies can be completed faster, using a more representative sample, and with far less built-in bias from refusals, duplicate respondents, tired respondents, or serial survey-takers.