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General Research FAQ
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Market and public opinion research is a multi-billion dollar industry dedicated to helping both public and private organizations identify, understand and meet the needs of their stakeholders, including consumers, resident citizens and businesses, and employees.
Participating in survey research represents an opportunity to express opinions on an extensive range of issues. Through this channel, respondents can influence both private companies and public agencies to incorporate feedback into products, services, procedures, and public policy decisions.
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Most survey research is conducted among a representative sample of individuals. Carefully designed questionnaires guide interviews, which are typically administered in a structured manner. Questions may be designed to uncover information about attitudes, needs or preferences, and may be closed (yes/no) or open-ended, allowing for further elaboration. There are no right or wrong answers.
Research may be conducted through a number of channels, including telephone, which is the most common method, as well as online, by mail, and in person. Some interviews must be conducted in person, such as when a visual aid or object must be seen by the respondent. In-person interviews are conducted door-to-door or in shopping centers and other high-traffic locations. "Focus groups" represent yet another method of research. This term refers to a group of respondents who participate in in-depth interviews.
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In order for studies to be accurate, every household must be given the chance to participate, including people with unlisted phone numbers. For many studies, a computer randomly generates the phone numbers that are called, or telephone numbers are obtained from public records. In other studies, researchers call customers of companies who are seeking feedback on their product or service. In these cases, the client company provides the customer's name and number. Regardless of how the number was selected, it is kept confidential.
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It is an established fact that a properly chosen sample can be perfectly representative of the whole. It is also much more efficient than interviewing everybody. Even the U.S. Census Bureau interviews a small but very carefully chosen sample at the end of its regular Census, and uses the results to adjust the findings of the whole Census! Smaller samples are obviously much more economical for research purposes and, because they are small, they can be controlled more effectively, resulting in fewer errors.
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Interviewers often ask for what is called "demographic" information to help define the interest that the sample is likely to have in the product or service being studied. Soft drinks, for example, are more likely to be consumed by young people than by older people, so that in a survey about soft drinks, it would be important to ask the respondent for his or her age. For the same reason, it is important to ask for such "demographics" as family income or education levels, etc.
This information is never looked at by individual answers. Instead, each person's answers are combined with those of many others and reported as a group to the client who requested the survey. Most research companies destroy individual questionnaires at the end of the study and names and addresses of participants are separated from the answers if additional tabulation of the results is needed.
At the end of some studies, interviewers might ask for a name or address of the respondent if it is necessary to send him or her something through the mail, such as a product to test out. This information may also be required for a future checkup by the interviewing supervisor to be sure the interview was carried out exactly as specified. Again, all of the personal records are destroyed after the study is completed or the validation check has been made. Respondent names and other identifying information are always kept strictly confidential.
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Research clients are typically large national companies, government agencies, and institutions who know that listening carefully to the populations they serve is important to their success. In many instances, interviewers cannot divulge the client sponsoring these studies for several reasons. For example, researchers often help clients with new products that must remain confidential until they are commercially introduced to the public. Also, knowing who sponsored the survey might bias answers. Interviewers only reveal the sponsors of studies when they are instructed to do so or are given permission to reveal the sponsor at the end of the survey.
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Most research providers fall into two broad categories: those that offer interviewing services and those that are considered full service. The principal job of an interviewing services firm is to interview people. A full service research firm such as ORC designs the questionnaire to be used, tabulates the answers, analyzes what the tabulations mean and reports the results to the study sponsor. Universities and colleges and local, state and federal governments also frequently conduct surveys.
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No. They are interested only in summarized information on the attitudes, opinions, market practices, etc. of the sampled groups. Occasionally, survey research companies will offer a gift to the respondent in appreciation of his or her cooperation. Such a gift could be a cash donation to a charity, a product sample, or a nominal monetary reward. However, sales and solicitation is not acceptable or permitted in legitimate and professionally conducted survey research.
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Remember that telemarketers want to sell you something, while a researcher simply wants to ask your opinion. Congress recently passed laws that regulate the telemarketing industry. For example, telemarketers must not pretend to conduct research. They must promptly disclose that the purpose of their call is sales related. Telemarketers also may not place repeated calls with the intent to annoy, harass, or abuse people. Telemarketers are also required to comply with do-not-call requests.
These same federal laws clearly distinguish between telemarketing and legitimate research. Congress specifically exempted research from these laws because they recognized the value of research services. Although researchers are not required by law to comply with your request, they will make every effort to respect your decision not to participate in any particular poll or research study.
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Your participation in a legitimate market or public opinion research survey is very important to us, and we value the information you provide. Therefore, our relationship will be one of respect and consideration, based on the following practices:
- Your privacy and the privacy of your answers will be respected and maintained
- Your name, address, phone number, personal information, or individual responses won't be disclosed to anyone outside the research industry without your permission
- You will always be given the name of the person contacting you, the research company's name and nature of the survey
- You will not be sold to or asked for money under the guise of research
- You will be contacted at reasonable times, but if the time is inconvenient, you may ask to be contacted again at a more convenient time
- Your decision to participate in a study, answer specific questions, or discontinue your participation will be respected without question
- You will be informed in advance if an interview is to be recorded, as well as the intended use of the recording
- The highest standards of professional conduct will be upheld in the collection and reporting of information you provide
