This paper predicts the fast growth of in-home data collection via the television screen during the next decade. It describes the current establishment of "screen" panels for on-air polling, ad testing and medical research; and future developments for media audience research that are taking place.
This paper describes the work of Consumers' Association, publishers of Which?, and of The Survey Unit, giving some details of their aims, organisation, and methods, and describing briefly the problems, particularly those associated with data collection, storage and publication, which they face. The second section of the paper describes in detail the Which? Monitoring Team, a large-scale postal panel study which obtains information from nearly 13,000 informants on the reliability and repair records of a range of consumer durables: the transfer of the data and administration of this panel to an interactive database system is also described. The paper then goes on to examine the problems of obtaining, storing and updating the quantities of data needed for publication in a magazine such as Which?. Finally, the paper briefly considers the question of publication and discusses a number of ways in which the dissemination of data for the consumer may change in future.
This paper describes a study in which IBM personal computers were used for self-administered interviewing, for data analysis, and for final report preparation. The study involved interviewing two groups of consumer respondents on the main banking floor of the First National Bank of Chicago. The first group self- administered an interview on the computer and completed a short pencil and paper post-test. The second group were administered the interview in pencil and paper format by experienced professional interviewers, and also completed the post-test. Data was tabulated on the IBM PC and interfaced directly to graphics and word processing software for report preparation.
This paper discusses the development of scanning, particularly in Europe, and the uses of consumer sales data captured at the point-of-sale in marketing research.
The use of technology has spawned opportunity rather than hindered the growth of researchers. A chain reaction of opportunities can originate from a handful of advancements. From my own experience at M/A/R/C and visiting other researchers, let me share with you the past, present and future of one software system's effect on market research. Are interviewers obsolete? No. They are just changing the way they collect data. No longer do they have to push pencils and shuffle a lot of paper. Interviewers working with completely automated interviewing software are able to concentrate on their questions and open ended probes rather than worry about skip logic. Sample records and open ended responses are recorded in the system so paper and pencils are no longer needed. What is changing is the way researchers conduct research. And, it is possible that the researchers who do not embrace new technology may themselves become obsolete.
During the Spring and Summer of 1983 Medilink set up a pilot medical market research operation, involving ten London practices, followed by a larger test market of 50 practices. In April 1984 Medilink expanded the panel to be a national panel of 150 GP's and from October 1984 the panel increased further to 200 GP's. Medilink was therefore set up to enable drug companies to monitor continuously General Practitioners' changing attitudes and behaviour with results available in time for drug companies to react quickly with a marketing response. This paper outlines the development of Medilink with particular emphasis on the problems encountered and how they were overcome.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a new model, LITMUS II, and how it is being used by major advertisers in North America to develop improved if not "optimal" marketing plans for new products and services.
New techniques for processing survey data are dramatically changing the way that research is carried out, moving the emphasis from data-collection to data-analysis. The computer terminal is playing an increasingly important role, and I firmly believe that interactive access to survey data will become the most significant part of any research project - a change which threatens the very structure and shape of our research industry. This paper represents an important review of this change.
For the average Market Research company the most significant developments for the future follow on from the application of computers to questionnaire design, the subject of this paper. This has quite dramatic implications for improving efficiency, saving time and avoiding needless (and potentially inaccurate) duplication of work.
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing systems have made conducting surveys a more dynamic process. Data collection procedures can now respond not only to the needs of the investigator, out to the observations made during the survey itself. These observations include both the substantive matters and the respondents' behavior with regard to participation in the survey. Survey designs may then become more fluid, with their ultimate design the result of a series of decisions that will be made during the course of the survey, based on the goals of the survey and on the nature of the cumulative findings. The role of the interviewer continues to be key, but computer-assisted interviewing systems serve to simplify the clerical aspects of the interviewer's work, making it possible for the interviewer to concentrate on his or her major assignment to establish and maintain the respondent co-operation.