Surveys examine Web purchase process
Campbell, Calif.-based Talk City, Inc., a provider of online communities and interactive services for businesses and consumers, has launched Exit Web, an online research application designed to provide real-time feedback before, during and after purchasing an item on the Web. When a customer completes or exits a purchase process, Exit Web generates a pop-up survey to capture buyers’ reactions to their experiences. The surveys are customizable and can track sales motivations, customer preferences, brand image, demographic information and other factors affecting purchasing decisions. Exit Web surveys are customized to each client’s needs. One survey pops up precisely when the shopper abandons a transaction, and a different one pops up when a shopper completes a transaction. Exit Web was designed with technology that ensures the survey will not disrupt normal Web site operations. Since Exit Web uses a minimal amount of code, it can be integated with any e-commerce site.
SPSS back for the Mac
Chicago-based SPSS has released SPSS 10.0 for Macintosh. The first Mac release of SPSS since 1995, the software features an all-new, native Mac user interface. SPSS worked with software developer Software MacKiev to deliver the new Mac version. Software MacKiev re-engineered SPSS 10.0 for Windows to run as a native Macintosh application, compatible with the Windows version. The company also modified the user interface according to standard Macintosh guidelines to make it comfortable for the platform’s users. SPSS 10.0 is a modular, integated product line for data access, data preparation, reporting, graphics and advanced analysis through statistical techniques. The new release updates Macintosh users to the latest version and derivers new capabilities in all areas of the product linel including: new modules; predictive capabilities for data mining; and dynamic, interactive gaphics for the first time on the Macintosh. The software will also be available in a distributed analysis architecture (DAA), which provides users with improved performance with very large datasets. The server version is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 2000.
SPSS has also released SPSS Data Entry 2.0, which includes everything needed to build custom online or paper survey forms, enter data and check for accuracy through the use of roles. Its drag and drop graphical interface is designed to simplify the surveybuilding process and makes defining variables and questions easier. Once created, questionnaires can be completed onscreen, online in a browser (in conjunction with SPSS Data Entry Enterprise Server) or printed out and filled in by hand. Data entered into the forms, labels and dictionary are immediately ready for analysis using SPSS Base, SPSS’ flagship data analysis software.
New books from New Strategist
New Strategist, Ithaca, N.Y., has published three new books. American Attitudes: Who Thinks What about the Issues That Shape Our Lives examines changes in the opinions of Americans in 1998, 1988 and 1978 and analyzes the social and demographic trends behind these changes. The book uses data from the General Social Survey of the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center and contains chapters on topics such as the arts, health and medicine, and women’s roles. The nine chapters of American Men and Women: Demographics of the Sexes cover attitudes and behavior, education, health, income, labor force, living arrangements, population, spending, and wealth. Racial and Ethnic Diversity: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Whites profiles the important characteristics of these ethnic groups using data on categories such as spending, education, life expectancy and housing.
Survey System updated
Creative Research Systems (CRS), Petaluma, Calif., is offering The Survey System Release 7.0 Internet Module for creating Web-based questionnaires and reporting the results online. The Survey System’s Web page surveys include capabilities such as skipping questions or limiting respondents’ answer choices based on their answers to previous questions, randomizing question- or answer choice-order, showing previous answers in the text of questions and more. A researcher can either post a questionnaire on their own Web site or upload it to servers hosted by CRS. The Survey System also offers options for changing the appearance of Web page questionnaires. Tables can also be custom-configured using a range of content, formatting, color and font choices. In addition, the program allows the Webmaster to control access to sensitive data by assigning either standard or individual passwords on a need-to-know basis. Both tabular and verbatim reports can be displayed on the site using similar password access. Release 7.0’s Internet Module incorporates an existing E-mail Module, which allows users to gather survey information through standard e-mail channels. The program automatically screens out duplicate entries and incorrect multiple answers and captures valid replies in a Survey System data file.
Online physician panel
New York research firm Ziment Inc. has launched the first of a series of online professional communities designed to facilitate marketing research through the Internet. Through WebSurveyMD.com, a dedicated panel of physicians in the U.S., Ziment will provide both qualitative and quantitative research to several charter clients who will retain exclusive use of the physician panel. The physicians who join the panel have access to survey results, opportunities to have a dialogue with colleagues, and medical news and information. They are paid an honorarium for their time according to standard marketing research practice. The site contains neither co-branding with commercial physician Web portals nor advertising. The physician panel has been recruited from randomly selected physicians contacted via Ziment’s telephone center, via links from other Web sites and through direct mail, fax and conference recruitment. Panel members’ qualifications are verified in two steps. First, the name of any physician who opts to join is verified through American Medical Association lists. A form is then faxed to the new member for signature. WebSurveyMD.com will also provide a new tool for tracking physician perceptions of medical Web sites. WebSurveyIQ is based on physician surveys conducted through the panel and includes evaluative scales for individual dimensions such as quality and accuracy and ease of use as well as an overall evaluation. A limited, initial series of ratings was based on an online physician survey in May 2000.
New version of Remark Office OMR
Principia Products, Inc., a Paoli, Pa., research software firm, has launched version 5 of its data collection product, Remark Office OMR. Remark Office OMR is a Windows software package that allows a user to scan plain-paper forms using a PC-compatible image scanner. Remark is an alternative to traditional OMR (optical mark recognition) systems, manual data entry, and data entry service bureaus. Rather than purchasing pre-printed OMR forms, users can create, print and copy their own scannable survey or test forms. The forms can then be scanned using a commonly available desktop scanner. The software can wade tests and tabulate survey results, provide data analysis and ~aphs, or produce data that is compatible with any database, statistical or spreadsheet package. Enhancements and features in the new version include improved and expanded statistical analysis with Remark Stat Pro. The software interface has been updated and an "easy" mode allows users to perform one-step scanning, processing and analysis. Users will also find that the new version is easier to customize for their unique forms. Version 5 includes enhanced image handling, automatic detection and display of handwriting in an open-ended question, a new comment report, updated file formats for Access 2000 and Survey Pro and improved ODBC support.
SYSTAT 10 from SPSS Science
Chicago-based SPSS Science has released SYSTAT 10. The latest version of the scientific software now includes GraphExpress, new technology that enables users to create any SYSTAT graph from within SAS software for Windows with the click of a button. SYSTAT 10 also includes new statistics capabilities, including mixed regession and power analysis, as well as a range of user interface enhancements. GraphExpress provides a straightforward way to create any SYSTAT graph from the SAS software for Windows environment. Users choose from more than 20 general gaphics toolbar buttons that call up dialog boxes of plot options to create customized graphs. GraphExpress also creates immediate diagnostic plots for common analytical procedures such as GLM, correspondence analysis, factor analysis, and discriminant analysis. In addition, users can select an image from the Graph Gallery to quickly plot their data from existing gaph templates.
Reach energy decisionmakers online
Applied Marketing Science, Inc., a Waltham, Mass., research and consulting firm, has launched Panalyst.com, an Internet panel of business energy decision-makers. These individuals are pre-screened, pre-recruited and available to Nve utilities, energy suppliers, and energy service companies quick answers to research questions. A panel is already in place in Pennsylvania, the state with the most active deregulated energy market. Other states will be added on a rolling basis, including Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland in 2000, and Texas, Ohio, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey in 2001.
Scantron updates eListen
Scantron Corp., a Tustin, Calif., research software firm, has introduced eListen 3.0, a new platform release of the company’s universal electronic survey and data collection software system. The new version provides integated software tools for al! major survey deployment and collection methods, including optical mark read (OMR) technology, from a single 32- bit Windows-based application. The eListen 3.0 version al!ows users to preview the look-and-feel of a survey on the Web, e-mail, network, or OMR paper during the survey-building process. They can then distribute the survey to one or more of the deployment methods in a single step, followed by the collection of responses into an eListen database for reporting and analysis. Other major enhancements in the new release include: a response scale library that allows users to save and reuse Likert scales; save-and-resume capabilities for Web-deployed surveys; a spellchecker with dictionaries; direct import of PulseSurvey or Corporate Pulse survey files; and an enhanced analyzer featuring more output options, improved filter criteria, and the integation of third-party reporting tools such as Seagate Crystal Reports.
Program looks at smallbusiness financial market
Barlow Research Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, has announced a market research progam focused on the smallbusiness banking and financial services marketplace. The firm is conducting 3,600 interviews with small-business owners continuously throughout the year. Clients use an online database to access their market share and customer satisfaction and to evaluate sales performance. The research will utilize the Membership Research Group (MRG), a team of professionals whose primary focus is measuring the small-business financial marketplace on an ongoing basis. Preliminary research findings and small business analysts’ reports are available to the general public on the MRG site.
Products for data collection with Palm OS
Techneos Systems Inc., Vancouver, B.C., has introduced Entryware software, which allows electronic data collection using handheld computers running Palm OS. The Entrywide product line, version 2.0, consists of three software components. The Survey Workbench is a Windows progam that enables questionnaire design, downloading to a handheld computer, uploading of response data, and creation of a data set in industry-standard formats such as SPSS. The Survey Dataport includes the same functionality, with the exception of questionnaire design. It provides an alternative for data exchange at field locations. The Mobile Interviewer product runs on any Palm OS handheld computer. It manages presentation of the questionnaire to the interviewer, simplifying the interviewing process and reducing data entry errors.
Process Web info with Knowledgist
Software Boston-based Invention Machine Corporation has released Knowledgist 2.0 for market and technical research and analysis. The software tool has been enhanced to now analyze Web-based sources in addition to local information sources. This software is designed to reduce the amount of time people spend identifying pertinent information on the Internet, intranets, and on their own computer.
Using the company’s semantic technology engine, the product processes large volumes of information and analyzes the interaction between words and the meaning of word combinations. Based on complex algorithms, the semantic processing engine divides the content into sentences, preserving the contextual relationships that aid in understanding meaning. It then analyzes the sentences and creates a structured Knowledge Index based on the meaning of word combinations. Knowledgist 2.0 includes expanded Web processing capabilities, including search access to over 700 Web sites gouped by industry. The Web search feature enables users to simultaneously search all sites included in userselected industry groups, or specific sites within industry groups. The default group is General Search Engines, which concurrently accesses multiple search sites such as Alta Vista, Excite, Google, and Northern Light. Knowledgist then reads and understands the results, analyzing the content to create the structured Knowledge Index.
The Web site processing feature has application in market research and competitive analysis. The software semantically analyzes a Web site based on a user-defined level of links explored during processing. For example, a user can enter the Web address of a site containing links to white papers, and then semantically process not only the specified Web site, but also the white papers and links to Web sites included in the white papers.
Other enhancements introduced with Knowledge 2.0 include expanded personalization features, improvements to the user interface, and a graphical representation of the processing results as a chart. Users can save the results of their search, including the links to the source documents, and then merge the Knowledge Indexes.
New online research product from MarketTools
Sausalito, Calif.-based MarketTools has debuted ZTelligence, an online research and feedback tool for capturing and reporting relationship and market information. This Web-hosted application allows businesses to gather, analyze and share interactive data from customers, partners, vendors, investors and employees. ZTelligence is an automated tool with a graphical interface that allows users to create and deploy surveys via e-mail, Web site or Web intercept. Users can view their results in real-time, and ZTelligence’s reporting features provide data in a presentation-ready format. ZTelligence can be used throughout the enterprise, across multiple departments. Administrative and security features give the organization the ability to specify user access and permission to all areas and functions of the tool. It provides a common platform to gather, analyze and share research data and allows for group collaboration on projects.
Digital Dashboard from Burke
Cincinnati-based Burke Interactive is now offering Digital Dashboard, a new way of reporting research results, including survey data and open-end responses, using the Internet. Individuals navigating Digital Dashboard can access surveyresults on a custom-designed Web site created to speed up the time-consuming process of research analysis. Data collected via Internet, phone, mail, mall-intercept or some combination of methods may be reported through Digital Dashboard. It’s also possible to incorporate data from other sources, such as financial records, quality statistics or Web site log data. While users can access their findings at any time, their Digital Dashboard site is secure and password-protected, ensuring data confidentiality.
Elevation data from Spatial Insights
Vienna, Va., software firm Spatial Insights, Inc. has completed the development of seamless Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data covering- the continental United States. The DEM data were assembled from over 45,000 USGS 7.5’ quadrangles after systematically correcting for preexisting artifacts. The 30-meter data are available as pre-assembled seamless coverages by county, metropolitan area (MSA), or by any custom client-specified boundary: DEM data with 10-meter resolution are also available over some selected areas. The elevation data work directly with ArcInfo, ArcView, MapInfo Professional, Vertical Mapper, or decibel Planner, and are available in a number of industry standard formats, including .DEM, .GRD, and .MIG.
Briefly...
Mature Marketing Research, Boston, has published "The Boomer Report," a quarterly survey of consumers aged 45-59. Categories include: automotive, computers and Internet usage and buying behavior, technology/electronic ownership, financial services (banking and investing), travel and vacation planning, restaurant usage, and health care/personal care.
Nameless Corp., Ogden, Utah, is offering a way for employers to survey and interact with employees, and for clients to offer critiques of companies, anonymously and privately, using the Nameless Email Internet site, www.namelessemail.com.
Minneapolis-based data processing firm ADAPT Inc. has expanded its comment-coding oper.ation to include online coding of open-ends from CATI and Internet surveys. The new service, ADAPT-CODE, uses proprietary software to manage, code, quality-check and output descriptive codes for open-ends provided in an ASCII format.
Scantron Corporation, Tustin, Calif., has launched a Web site offering free Web-based course and instructor evaluations and reports. The site gives course instructors and administrators the ability to deploy secure Web-based surveys to students free of charge and without software downloads.
Profiware, a Bucharest, Romania software firm, is offering a free evaluation copy of its time series software product, Prognosis. Prognosis uses artificial intelligence and statistical methodology to achieve forecasting accuracy. The program does not require any backg-round in statistics or time series analysis.
Greenwich, Conn.-based online research firm InsightExpress has expanded its offerings to support 20 new business-to-business audiences, including industry groups such as automotive, education, and health care and job functions such as human resources, customer service and software development. For more information visit www.insightexpress.com.
The services of Hamilton, Va.- based Info-stop.com, a custom research company, are now available online at www.info-stop.com. Infostop.com. Info-stop.com's range of research services includes information searches, reports, topic summaries, periodic monitoring, abstracting and PowerPoint presentations. Infostop. com’s associates cul! through information from a variety of sources, extracting what clients need and presenting it in a usable format. Infostop.com’s associates have expertise in a variety of disciplines including ecommerce, market research and analysis, international economics, telecommunications, health care, GIS technology, case law, funding and legislation.
Perseus Development Corporation, Braintree, Mass., a provider of Webbased survey research, has announced the Enterprise Service, an integrated, Web-survey research solution. The Enterprise Service is a combined service of several components: desktop survey design tools, Web-based analysis and reporting services, research consulting support, technical support services, and access to research information, resources and training. For more information visit www.perseus.com.
The L Report has launched an online youth trend tracking study, Lreport.com, which will track the behavior and attitudes of the early adopters in urban youth communities. The study will use Urban Pioneers, hand-selected young trendsetters who screen and recruit respondents for the quantitative study. Lreport.com will include extracts from interviews with urban young adults as well as visuals, street footage, and music links to bring the data to life.
Itracks, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is now offering version 2.11 of its online focus group software. The update features automatic e-mail invitation capabilities, downloadable moderator’s guides, transferable moderator’s guides, recorded playback, and a review button. Users can accommodate a variety of browsers, and varying hardware and Internet connections. All activities are password- protected and hosted on a secure Web site and allow full access through firewalls.