By JD Deitch, Chief Research Officer >> P2Sample
What can we do as an industry to improve participation and reduce bias? We have more opportunity now in the digital age to drastically change our research practices to overcome challenges in securing representative research participants. New technologies, methodologies and approaches are now allowing us to improve the respondent experience and give them respect, prioritize reach and diversity and put quality front and center.
It’s no secret that we are some distance away from accomplishing these goals. In fact, many are still scrambling to execute the basics that are being demanded by changes in the social, economic and digital landscape. Innately connected consumers – the so-called “digital native” generation – aren’t joining traditional panels. Individuals are demanding more from every interaction, online and otherwise. Transparency and accountability are permeating every aspect of life. Those who don’t get it right in the market research space will find themselves increasingly sidelined.
When we examine the world of sample specifically, i.e., how participants are sourced, how much it costs to access real respondents and the future of panels themselves, there are several things that should be occurring in the midst of rapid transformation. Some of the challenges that remain include:
In addition to these enduring market research issues, many researchers largely don’t understand sample supply and many continue to operate under assumptions that haven’t been true for 10 years. Just some of these misunderstandings include a lack of comprehension of how real-time sample works in the age of automation, a misconception that double opt-in panels are “better” and the misguided belief that fraud is easily solved with traditional, static measures. In fact, sample is a dynamic space that, in some cases, is creating solutions through nimble use of technol...