esomar conducting-research-using-internet
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
ConduCting Market and opinion researCh using the internet
esoMar WorLd researCh Codes & guideLines
ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES
CONDUCTING MARKET AND OPINION RESEARCH USING THE INTERNET
Contents1 introduction 3
2 Basic principles 32.1 Co-operationisvoluntary 32.2 Theresearcher’sidentitymustbedisclosed 42.3 Therespondent’sanonymitymustbesafeguarded 42.4 Privacypolicystatements 52.5 Datasecurity 52.6 Reliabilityandvalidity 52.7 Interviewingchildrenandyoungpeople 62.8 UnsolicitedE-mail 62.9 Internetaccesspanels 6
3 additional guidance 73.1 Co-operationisvoluntary 7 Samplewordingforobtainingconsenttosetupa“cookie”
forresearchpurposes 93.2 Theresearcher’sidentitymustbedisclosed 93.3 Therespondents’anonymitymustbesafeguarded 93.4 Privacypolicystatements 9 Standardelementsforallprivacystatements 10 Threemajorvariants 11 Exampleprivacystatement 123.5 Datasecurity 133.6 Reliabilityandvalidity 143.7 Interviewingchildrenandyoungpeople 143.8 Unsolicitede-mail 16
ConduCting Market and opinion researCh using the internet
esoMar WorLd researCh Codes & guideLines
ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES
CONDUCTING MARKET AND OPINION RESEARCH USING THE INTERNET
4 internet access panels 17 Guidelineoninternetaccesspanels 17 Panelrecruitment 17 Projectmanagement 19 Panelmonitoring 20 Panelmaintenance 21 Privacy/dataprotection 22 25questionstohelpresearchbuyers 22
5 sources used in compiling guidelines 24
6 Links to national research association information 24
7 important definitions 24 DefinitionofInternetresearch 24 DefinitionofInternetaccesspanel 24
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TherapidgrowthoftheInternethasopeneddramaticnewopportunitiesforcollectinganddisseminatingresearchinformationworldwide.Atthesametimeitraisesanumberofethicalandtechnicalissuesthatmustbeaddressedifthemediumistobeusedeffectivelyandresponsiblyformarketandopinionresearchpurposes.
Thiswebsitehasbeenestablishedtoprovideresearchersthroughouttheworld,withtimelyguidanceontheseissues.ItcombinesaninterpretationoftheiCC/esoMar international Code of Marketing and social research practiceasappliedtointernetresearch(definition of internet research)withpracticalguidanceontechnicalissues.Detailedtechnicalguidanceisincludedontheissuesofprivacypoliciesandtheuseandmanagementofinternetaccesspanels(definition of internet access panel).ESOMARisawarethatsomeNationalAssociationswillprovidenationalguidanceonvariationsfromthisguide.AlistofnationalassociationsisavailableonESOMAR’swebsite.
2. BasiC prinCipLes
Marketandopinionresearchistheprofessionalactivityofcollectingandinterpretingconsumer,business,and
socialdatasothatdecisionmakerscanmakebetterandmoreefficientmarketingandsocialdecisions.
AllresearchcarriedoutontheInternetmustconformtotherulesandspiritofthemainICC/ESOMARInternationalCodeofMarketingandSocialResearchPracticeandalsotoDataProtectionandotherrelevantlegislation(bothinternationalandnational1).
SuchmarketandopinionresearchmustalwaysrespecttherightsofrespondentsandotherInternetusers.Itmustbecarriedoutinwayswhichareacceptabletothem,tothegeneralpublicandinaccordancewithnationalandinternationalselfregulation.ResearchersmustavoidanyactionswhichmightbringInternetresearchintodis-reputeorreduceconfidenceinitsfindings.
ThefollowingsectionshighlightspecialaspectsoftheapplicationoftheCodetointernetresearch.Inessencetheysetoutthebasicprincipleswhichshouldguideresearcherswhenusingtheinternet.Attheendofeachsectionthereisalinktoamoredetailedsetofguidance.
2.1 Co-operation is voluntary
ResearchersmustavoidintrudingunnecessarilyontheprivacyofInternetrespondents.Surveyrespondents’
1. introduCtion
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co-operationmustatalltimesbevolun-tary.Nopersonalinformationthatisadditionaltothatalreadyavailablefromothersourcesshouldbesoughtfrom,orabout,respondentswithouttheirpriorknowledgeandagreement.
Inobtainingthenecessaryagreementfromrespondentstheresearchermustnotmisleadthemaboutthenatureoftheresearchortheuseswhichwillbemadeofthefindings.Itishoweverrecognisedthatthereareoccasionswhen,inordertopreventbiasedresponses,thepurposeoftheresearchcannotbefullydisclosedtorespondentsatthebegin-ningoftheinterview.Inparticular,theresearchershouldavoiddeceptivestate-mentsthatwouldbeharmfulorcreateanuisancetotherespondent-forexample,aboutthelikelylengthoftheintervieworaboutthepossibilitiesofbeingre-inter-viewedonalateroccasion.
Respondentsshouldalsobealertedwhenappropriatetoanycoststhattheymayincur(e.g.ofon-linetime)iftheyco-operateinthesurvey.Theyareentitledatanystageoftheinterviewtoaskthatpartoralloftherecordoftheirinterviewbedestroyedordeletedandtheresearchermustconformtoanysuchrequestwherereasonable.Link to 3.1
2.2 the researcher’s identity must be disclosed
Respondentsmustbetoldtheidentityoftheresearchercarryingouttheprojectandtheaddressatwhichtheycanwithoutdifficultyre-contactthelattershouldtheywishtodoso.Link to 3.22.3 respondent’s anonymity must be safeguarded
Theanonymityofrespondentsmustalwaysbepreservedunlesstheyhavegiventheirinformedconsenttothecontrary.Ifrespondentshavegivenpermissionfordatatobepassedoninaformwhichallowsthemtobeper-sonallyidentified,theresearchermustensurethattheinformationwillbeusedforresearchpurposesonly.Nosuchpersonallyidentifiedinformationmaybeusedforsubsequentnon-researchpurposessuchasdirectmarketing,list-building,creditrating,fund-raisingorothermarketingactivitiesrelatingtothoseindividualrespondents.Ifpermis-sionisnotgiven,therespondentshouldbereassuredthatconfidentialitywillbestrictlymaintained.Link to 3.3
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2.4 privacy policy statements
Researchersareencouragedtoposttheirprivacypolicystatementontheironlinesite.Whensuchprivacypolicystatementsexist,theyshouldbeeasytofind,easytouseandcomprehensible.a guide to privacy policies and an example privacy policyisprovidedlaterinthisdocumenttoassistresearch-erscomplywiththisrequirement.Itisimpossibletodraftsuchanexamplepolicywhichcomplieswithalllocallegislativerequirements.
CompanieswithanESOMARmembercanaddthestatementthattheycomplywiththeICC/ESOMARInternationalCodewiththeESOMARlogowhichisdown-loadablefromthemembers’websitewithahyperlinktotheESOMARsite.
2.5 data security
Researchersshouldtakeadequateprecautionstoprotectthesecurityofsensitivedata.Researchersmustalsoreasonablyensurethatanyconfidentialinformationprovidedtothembyclientsorothersisprotected(e.g.byfirewall)againstunauthorisedaccess. Link to 3.5
2.6 reliability and validity
UsersofresearchandthegeneralpublicmustnotbeinanywaymisledaboutthereliabilityandvalidityofInternetresearchfindings.Itisthereforeessential
thattheresearcher:a. followsscientificallysoundsamplingmethodsconsistentwiththepurposeoftheresearch;
b. publishesaclearstatementofthesampleuniversedefinitionusedinagivensurvey,theresearchapproachadopted,theresponserateachievedandthemethodofcalculatingthiswherepossible;
c. publishesanyappropriatereser-vationsaboutthepossiblelackofprojectabilityorotherlimitationsoftheresearchfindingsforinstanceresultingfromnon-responseandotherfactors.
Averylargeproportionofinternetresearchiscarriedoutusinginternetaccesspanelsanddetailedtechnicalguidanceontheuseandmanagementofthesepanelsisprovidedinsection 2.9
ItisequallyimportantthatanyresearchabouttheInternet(e.g.tomeasurepenetration,usershipetc.),which
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employsotherdatacollectionmethods,suchastelephoneormail,alsoclearlyreferstoanysampling,orother,limita-tionsonthedatacollected.
Link to 3.5
2.7 interviewing children and young people
ResearchersmustobserveallrelevantlawsandnationalcodesspecificallyrelatingtochildrenandyoungpeoplealthoughitisrecognisedthattheidentificationofchildrenandyoungpeopleisnotpossiblewithcertaintyontheInternetatthistime.ESOMARrequirementsabouttheprecautionstobetakenaresetoutintheESOMARGuidelineonInterviewingChildrenandYoungPeople.
AccordingtotheESOMARGuideline,permissionofaresponsibleadultmustbeobtainedbeforeinterviewingchildrenagedunder14(theagedefinitionforchildrendoesvaryfromcountrytocountry)andaskingquestionsontopicsgenerallyregardedassensitiveshouldbeavoidedwhereverpossibleandinanycasehandledwithextremecare.ResearchersmustusetheirbestendeavourstoensurethattheyconformtotherequirementsoftheGuidelinereferredto,forexamplebyintroducing
specialcontactingprocedurestosecurethepermissionofaparentbeforecarryingoutaninterviewwithchildrenunder14.WherenecessaryresearchersshouldconsultESOMARortheirnationalsocietyforadvice.
Link to 3.7
2.8 unsolicited e-mail
Researchersshallnotsendunsolicitedmessagesonlinetorespondentswhohaveindicatedthattheydonotwishtoreceivesuchmessagesrelatingtoaresearchprojectortoanyfollow-upresearchresultingdirectlyfromit.Researcherswillreduceanyinconvenienceorirritationsuche-mailmightcausetotherecipientbyclearlystatingitspurposeinthesubjectheadingandkeepingthetotalmessageasbriefaspossible.Link to 3.82.9 internet access panels
ESOMARbelievesthatitisinthebestinterestsoftheresearchindustryforaccesspanelstobeactivelymanagedandmaintainedatallstagesfromrecruitmenttosampleselection,responsemonitoringandregularpanelmaintenance.a set of detailed guidelineshavebeenpreparedto
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helpresearchprovidersdevelopaqualitymanagementapproachtotheirpanels.Inordertoassisttheresearcherwhointendstouseanaccesspanel,ESOMARhaspreparedalist of questionswhichcouldbeputtotheownerofthepaneltoestablishthelikelycompositionandqualityofthepanelrecruitmentandmaintenance.
3. additionaL guidanCe
InthefollowingsectionsspecificadditionalguidanceisgivenoneachofthebasicESOMARprinciples.
3.1 Co-operation is voluntary
Researchersmustnotmakeuseofsurreptitious,misleadingorunsoliciteddatacollectionorrecruitmenttech-niques-includingsiftingrespondente-mailaddressesfromwebsites,usingagentsthatcollectpersonalinforma-tionwithouttherespondent’sexplicitawareness,spamming,scammingorbaitingrespondents.
Wherevisitorstoaparticularwebsiteareaskedtotakepartinasurvey,eitherthroughclickingthroughtoasurveysiteorviaapop-upwindow,careshouldbetakentoensurethatvisitorswhodon’twishtotakepartare
notinconvenienced–i.e.throughinter-ruptionofatask.
Surveyintroductionsorasurveydescriptiontowhichalinkhasbeenprovidedmustassurerespondentsthatdatawillbecollectedonlyforresearchpurposesandwillundernocircum-stancesbeusedfordirectmarketingorothersalesapproachestotherespondent.
Forsurveyscompletedonline,respon-dentsmustbetoldaboutthelengthoftimethequestionnaireislikelytotaketocompleteundernormalcircumstances(e.g.assumingconnectionismaintained).Theuseofsomeformofmeteringdevicesothatrespondentscantracktheirprogressthroughthequestionnaireisrecommended.
Respondentsshouldbeinformediftheyhavetheoptionofcompletingthequestionnaireatatimeconvenienttothemwithinthescheduledictatedbythetimeframeofthestudy.Beyondthis,suitabletechnicalmeasuresshouldbeimplemented,whereappropriate,allowingrespondentsnottoanswerparticularquestions(buttoproceedwiththerestoftheinterview)andtointerruptandsubsequentlyreturntotheinterviewatanytime.
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Respondentsmustbegiventheopportunitytofindoutmoreabouttheresearchagencycarryingoutthestudy,bygivingthemthenameoftheorgani-sationtogetherwithanaddress(postaladdress,telephonenumber,agency’swebsiteore-mailaddress).Acorre-spondinghyperlinkisrecommendedforthispurpose.
Thedescriptionofthenatureoftheresearchshouldincludethefollowing:• Theidentityoftheclient(always2ifsamplingfromcustomerdatabases,onlyifthisismethodologicalappropriateinothercases).• Formulti-topicsurveys,thevarietyofsubjectareasincludedintheques-tionnaire.• Anexplanationofthereasonstherespondenthasbeenchosentopartici-pateandthelikelybenefits.
Alloftheaboveinformationmustbegivenatthestartofthequestionnaire,asmustanylinkstodataprotection;privacypolicyorcookieconsentstate-ments.Thiswillensurethatshouldrespondentsfailtocompletetheques-tionnaireforanyreasontheirrightsareprotected.
Wherelistsareusedforsampleselection,thesourceofthelistmustbedisclosed.
Wherethesearederivedfromwebsiteregistrationdatabases,researchersmustcheckthatregistrationwasvoluntaryandthatthedataiscurrent.
Attheendofthequestionnaireorproject,itisgoodpracticetoprovideathankyoustatementortosendanelectronicthankyouletter,unlessrespondentshaverefusede-mailcontact.Thisshouldgivedetailsoftheagencyconductingtheresearch.
Ifarepeatorfollow-upsurveyisintended,astatementconcerningDataProtectionmustbedisplayedontherespondents’screenatthelatestbytheendofthefirstinterview,whileobtainingtheirconsentforthenecessarystorageoftheiraddressdata.Therespondentsshouldbegiventheopportunitytoprintoutthisstatement.Therespondentsmustbeabletorefusefurtherparticipationinthesurveyviaasuitableoptionandtorefusefurthercontactbye-mailinconnectionwiththesurvey.
Whenrecruitingmembersforanonlinepanel,itmustbeexpresslypointedouttothemthattheiraddress,aswellasvariousselectioncriteria,willbestoredbytheresearchagencyforthepurposeoffurthersurveys.Furthermoreitmustbepointedoutthatmemberscandis-continueparticipationatanytimeandcanaskthatthesedatabedeleted.
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Respondentsmustalwaysbetoldwhencookies(orsmalltextfilesthatwillensurethattheywon’tbeinterviewedagain,forexample)orothercovertsoftwareisbeingusedtocollectinformationaboutthemarebeingusedandthattheycanturnthemofforremovethem.
sample wording for obtaining consent to set up a “Cookie” for research purposes
ThefollowingisfromtheGermanguidelinesonInternetresearchandgivesasuggestedmethodforseekingpermissionforcookies.
OurServer____wouldliketosetupa“cookie”onyourcomputer.The“cookie”isnamed____.Itssolepurposeistoinformourserverifyourcomputeraccessesthissite/pageagainduringthetimeofthisstudy,from____to____,topreventitfromaskingyouagaintocompleteaquestionnaire.
The“cookie”willbeusedexclusivelyfortheresearchobjectivesofthisstudyandwillbedeactivatedafteritsconclusionon____.Itwouldbeagreathelptousinconductingthestudy,ifyouwouldconsenttothe“cookie”beinginstalled.
Mayourserver____installthe“cookie”named____onyourcomputer?yes/no
3.2 researcher’s identity disclosure
Thissubjectrequiresnoadditionalguid-ance.Thereisadditionalinformationinthesectioncoveringprivacy statements.3.3 respondents’ anonymity must be safeguarded
Itmustberememberedthatarespon-dent’se-mailaddressispersonaldatawhereitreferstoadatasubjectandthereforeneedstobeprotectedinthesamewayasotheridentifiers.3.4 privacy policy statements
ESOMARmemberscarryingoutresearchontheInternetshoulddevelopaprivacypolicyandprepareaprivacystatementdescribingtheirpolicy.Thisstatementshouldbemadeavailableasalinkfromeveryonlinesurvey.Thepurposeofthisdocumentistoguidemembersonthetopicstobeconsideredintheirprivacypolicies.Someelementsofthepolicywillbestandardforallsurveysandthesearediscussedinthenext section.Otheraspectsoftheprivacypolicywillvarydependingonthesamplingmethodbeingused.Thesearediscussedinthesectionthree major variants.Theorderandwordingofthepublishedprivacystatementisamatterforeachmembertodecide.Anexampleprivacystatementisalsogiven.
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standard elements for all privacy statements • Statementofwhoisdoingtheresearch.ThiscouldincludeahyperlinktotheresearchCompanyHomepageformoreinformation.• Who is it for-explanationthateachsurveywillcontaininformationabouttheidentityoftheCompany/organisationtheresearchisbeingdonefor,unlesstherearegoodreasonsfornotprovidingthisinformation.• Guaranteethatinallcircumstancesidentitiesofindividualrespondentsandtheiranswerswillbetreatedasconfidentialandwillbeusedonlyforresearchpurposesunlesstherespondentexpresslyrequestsdisclosuretoathirdparty.• Willnot misleadyou-e.g.inobtainingyourco-operationwewillnotmisleadyouaboutthenatureoftheresearchortheuses,whichwillbemadeofthefindings.• Voluntary-e.g.aswithallformsofmarketandopinionresearch,yourco-operationisvoluntaryatalltimes.Nopersonalinformationissoughtfromorabout,youwithoutyourpriorknowledgeandagreement.• Withdraw-e.g.youareentitledatanystageoftheinterview,orsubse-quently,toaskthatpartoralloftherecordofyourinterviewbedestroyedordeleted.Whereverreasonableand
practicalwewillconformtosucharequest.• invisible processing-clearstate-mentofanyinvisibleprocessingrelatedtothesurveythatistakingplace.Mostwebsurveyscandetectinformationabouttherespondentwithoutrespondentknowledge.Browsertype,Usernameandcomputeridentificationareamongstthelistofdetectableinformation.Statementsshouldsayclearlywhatinformationisbeingcapturedandusedduringtheinterview(e.g.todeliverapageoptimisedtosuitthebrowser)andwhetheranyofthisinformationisbeinghandledaspartofthesurveyoradministrativerecords.• Cookies-clearstatementthattheyareorarenotbeingused,andifso,why.e.g.weusecookiesandothersimilardevicessparinglyandonlyforqualitycontrol,validationandtopreventbothersomerepeatsurveying.Ifcookiesarebeingused,itwouldbeadvisabletoincludeareminderthattherespondenthascontroloverwhethertheircomputeracceptscookiese.g.Ensureyourbrowserisconfiguredsothatyouarealertedtotheplacementofallcookies.Youcanalsodeletecookiesbyadjustingyourbrowsersettings.• Children–clearstatementabouthowinterviewswithchildren(agetobedefinedineachcountry)willbecarriedout.-e.g.inresearchinvolvingchildren,wewillconformtothetermsof
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esoMar WorLd researCh Codes & guideLines
theChildren’sOnlinePrivacyProtectionact (Coppa)of1998andseektheverifiablepermissionofaparentorlegalguardianbeforeaninterviewcommences.• Howtocontactus-e.g.wewillprovideane-mailaddressand/orafreephonenumberforrespondentstocontactustodiscussanyproblemswithaparticularsurvey.• securitymeasurese.g.ourwebsitehassecuritymeasuresinplacetoprotecttheloss,misuse,andalterationoftheinformationunderourcontrol.Onlycertainemployeeshaveaccesstotheinformationyouprovideus.Theyhaveaccessonlyfordataanalysisandqualitycontrolpurposes.• unsolicited mail-statepolicynottosendunsolicitedmailorpassone-mailaddressestoothersforthispurpose.• Validation-severalprivacyvalidationservicesexist,e.g.trust-e,andmembersshouldconsidermembership
three major variants
surveys where the respondent has, or is in the process of, voluntarily joining a panel for market research purposes • Thesign upprocess-describetheregistrationprocess.• Thepanel database-describeinformationthatisstoredforpanel
management,controlandsampleselection• Frequency of contact-Givesomestatementofhowoftenorforhowlong• passwordidentitysystem-ifitisuseddescribehowitworksandthesecurityitoffers.• opt in and opt outpoliciesforcommunicationsotherthansurveyssuchaspanelmaintenanceorrewardschemes.Statewhatcommunicationswillbesent,whichareoptionalandclarifyanypotentialcommunicationsforthirdparties.• reward-explainanyrewardschemeandifthisformsthebasisforacontract.
surveys where the research agency has been given or has acquired a list of e-mail addresses in order to send invitations to participate in a survey• source of information-clearstate-mentofwherethee-mailaddresscamefromorthatthiswillbeincludedintheinformationgiveninthesurveyitself.Also,ifalisthasbeenprovided,statethatthelistproviderhasverifiedtotheresearchagencythattheindividualslistedhaveareasonableexpectationthattheywillreceivee-mailcontact.• spamming-willnotknowinglysende-mailtopeoplewhohavenotconsentedtohelpinginresearch.Mayincludemechanismforremovingyour
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namefromfuturesurveysornotifyingtheproviderofthee-maillist.• password identity system-ifitisuseddescribehowitworksandthesecurityitoffers.• stop and startinterviewprocess–ifthisispossibleexplainhow,andanyinformationstoredtoallowit.
intercept surveys where the respondent is selected as a 1 in n sample of visitors to a web site • explain intercepttechnique-randomselection.• password identity system-ifitisused,describehowitworksandthesecurityitoffers.• stop and startinterviewprocess–ifthisispossible,explainhow,andanyinformationstoredtoallowit.• invisible processing–describeanyinvisibleprocessingusedtomaketheinterceptorre-directrespondentstothesurvey.
example privacy statement
NameOfCompanywouldliketothankyoufortakingpartinthisgenuineMarketResearchsurveyaboutGeneralDescriptionOfTheSurvey.Wearenottryingtosellorpromoteanything.Thisisamarketresearchsurveyusingscientificmethodsandwepromisethat,inobtainingyour
co-operation,wewill not misleadyouaboutthenatureoftheresearchortheuse,whichwillbemadeofthefindings.
TheanswersyougiveuswillbetreatedasConfidentialunlessyouhavegivenyourconsenttothecontrary.Intherelativelyfewinstanceswhereweaskyouforpermissiontopassdataoninaformwhichallowsyoutobepersonallyidentified,wewillensurethattheinfor-mationwillbeusedonlyforresearchpurposes.Wewillnotsendyouunsolicitedmailorpassonyoure-mailaddressestoothersforthispurpose.Ifwewanttosendyoufuturee-mail,wewillaskyourexplicitpermissionforthis.
Aswithallformsofmarketandopinionresearch,yourco-operationisvoluntaryatalltimes.Nopersonalinformationissoughtfromoraboutyou,withoutyourpriorknowledgeandagreement.Youareentitledatanystageoftheinterview,orsubsequently,toaskthatpartoralloftherecordofyourinterviewbedestroyedordeleted.Whereverreasonableandpracticalwewillcarryoutsucharequest.
Informationabouttheappropriatesampledetailstobeinsertedhere.
Wetryourbestnottointerviewchildrenwithoutfirstgettingthepermissionof
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theirparents,thoughwecannotalwaysguaranteethistobethecase.
Weusecookiesandothersimilardevicessparinglyandonlyforqualitycontrol,validationandtopreventbothersomerepeatsurveying.Youcanconfigureyourbrowsertonotifyyouwhencookiesarebeingplacedonyourcomputer.Youcanalsodeletecookiesbyadjustingyourbrowsersettings
Weautomaticallycaptureinformationaboutyourbrowsertypeinordertodeliveraninterviewbestsuitedtoyoursoftware.Wedonootherinvisibleprocessingofdatafromyourcomputer.
Ourwebsitehassecurity measuresinplacetoprotecttheloss,misuse,andalterationoftheinformationunderourcontrol.Onlycertainemployeeshaveaccesstotheinformationyouprovideus.Theyhaveaccessonlyfordataanalysisandqualitycontrolpurposes.Youcancontact usatemailaddress@company.comtodiscussanyproblemswiththissurvey.Youcanfindoutmoreaboutusatwww.ourwebsite.com.
3.5 data security
Researchersmustusethemostuptodatetechnologiestoprotectthepersonaldatacollectedorstoredon
websitesorservers.Especiallysensi-tiveorvaluableinformationshouldbeprotectedbyreliableencryptiontechnologies.
Ifthetemporarystorageofthedatacollectedtakesplaceonaserverthatisoperatedbyaprovider,theresearchagencymustplacetheproviderundertheobligationtotakethenecessarytechnicalprecautionstoensurethatthirdpartiescannotaccessthedataontheserverorduringdatatransfer.Temporarystorageofthecollecteddataontheservermustbeterminatedattheearliestpossibletime.
BeforedataissentovertheInternettoanothercountry,researchersmustcheckwithcompetentauthoritiesthatthedatatransferispermissible.Therecipientmayneedtoprovidesafe-guardsnecessaryfortheprotectionofthedata.
Researchersmusthaveadequatesafeguardsinplacetoensurethatwhene-mailsaresentinbatchestheaddressesoftherespondentsarenotrevealed.
ClientsmustbefullyinformedaboutthepotentialrisksofpostingdetailsofconfidentialinformationinInternetsurveys.
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3.6 reliability and validity
Aswithalltechniquesofdatacollectionalsointhecaseofonlinesurveys,thesamplemustbeselectedanddrawnonthebasisofscientificallyrecognisedmethodswhichareinlinewiththeresearchobjectives.
Inonlinesurveys–aswithallstudiesinmarketandsocialresearch–itisnecessarytodocumentfortheclient,howthetotalpopulationisdefinedandhowthesamplewasselectedanddrawn.Iftheselectionofrespondentswascarriedoutbymeansofarandomprocedure,theresponserateandthewayinwhichitwascalculated,mustbestated.Whenquotasamplingmethodsareused,thesources(asarule,secondarystatisticalsources)andthedistributionofquotacharacteristicsdeducedfromthemmustbestatedandthefulfilmentofthequotacharacteris-ticsmustbedocumentedintheformofatarget-actualcomparison.
Ifshortcomingsinthedefinitionofthetotalpopulation,intheselectionprocedure,intheresponserate(usingrandomsamplingmethods),orinthetarget-actualstructure(usingquotasamplingmethods)meanthattheresultsarenotrepresentativeoronlytoarestricteddegree,thenthismust
beexplicitlypointedout.Theweightingandproportionalisationmethodsusedmustalsobedocumented.
3.7 interviewing children and young people
ChildrenmaybefamiliarwithusingtheInternetbutresearchhasfoundthemtobenaïveandtrusting,happilydisclosinginformationaboutthemselvesortheirhouseholdswithoutrealisingtheimplicationsofdoingso.Parentgroups,consumergroupsandlegislatorsareparticularlyconcernedaboutpotentialexploitationofchildrenontheInternetanditisforthisreasonthatguidelinesplacegreaterburdensonresearchersthanwouldbethecaseinadultresearch.Researchersmustensurethattheprincipleofconsentismet,soifInternetresearchisconductedoutsidetheschoolenvironment,specialmeasuresmustbetakentoensureverifiableandexplicitconsent.
Consentmustbeobtainedfromaparent,legalguardianorotherresponsibleadult.
Anoticetoparentorguardian,seekingtheirconsentfortheirchildtobeaskedtoparticipateintheresearch,mustbepostedonthewebsiteore-mailedtoaparent.
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Thisnoticeofconsentmustinclude:
• Aheadingexplainingthatthisisanoticeforparents.• Theidentityoftheclient(alwaysifsamplingfromcustomerdatabases,onlyifthismethodologicallyappropriateinothercases).• Nameandcontactdetailsoftheagency/agencies.• Thenatureofthedatatobecol-lectedfromthechild.• Anexplanationofhowthedatawillbeused.• Anexplanationofthereasonsthechildhasbeenaskedtoparticipateandthelikelybenefits.Adescriptionoftheprocedureforgivingandverifyingconsent.• Arequestforaparent’scontacte-mailaddress,addressorphonenumberforverificationofconsent.• Wherepersonalinformationcollectedfromchildrenwillonlybeusedforresearchpurposesandnopersonaldatawillbepassedonforanyotherpurpose,areturne-mailfromparentorguardiangivingtheirconsentisacceptable,aslongasadditionalstepsaretakentoensurethattheconsentactuallycamefromaparent–forexample,followingupwithane-mail,letterorphonecall.Itispermissibletoaskchildrentoprovidecontactdetailsfortheirparentsinorderforconsent
tobesoughtaslongisthispurposeismadeclearintherequestforinformation.Priorparentalconsentwillnotberequiredto:
• Collectachild’sorparent’se-mailaddresssolelytoprovidenoticeofdatacollectionandrequestconsent.• Collectachild’sageforscreeningandexclusionpurposes.Ifthisscreeningleadstothedecisionthatachilddoesqualifyforinterview,parentalconsentmustthenbesoughttocontinuewiththeinterview.
Unsolicitede-mailcommunicationsmustnotbeaddressedtochildrenwithoutverifiableandexplicitpriorconsent.
Personalinformationrelatingtootherpeople(forexample,parents)mustnotbecollectedfromchildren.Alldataprotection,privacypolicy,consentandothernoticesmustbecapableofbeingunderstoodbychildren.
Questionnairesonwebsitesaimedatchildrenmustrequireachildtogivetheiragebeforeanyotherpersonalinformationisrequested.Iftheagegivenisbelowthenationallyagreedthresholddividingchildfromadult,thechildshouldbeexcludedfromgivingfurtherpersonalinformationuntiltheappropriateconsenthasbeenobtained.
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Anoticetochildren,informingthemoftherequirementforconsentmustbeshownatthepointwherepersonalinformationisrequested.Thisnoticeshouldbeclearandprominentandmustincludeanexplanationofthesubject.Whererequiredtheymustalsorefertothefactthatconsentwillbeverified.
3.8 unsolicited e-mail
Thegeneralprincipleofthissectionisthatsurveyresearchorganizationswillnotuseunsolicitede-mailstorecruitrespondentsforsurveys.
Researchorganizationsarerequiredtoverifythatindividualscontactedforresearchbye-mailhaveareasonableexpectationthattheywillreceivee-mailcontactforresearch.SuchagreementcanbeassumedwhenALLofthefol-lowingconditionsexist.
1. Asubstantivepre-existingrelationshipexistsbetweentheindividualscontactedandtheresearchorganization,theclientorthelistownerscontractingtheresearch(thelatterbeingsoidentified);2. Individualshaveareasonableexpectation,basedonthepre-existingrelationship,thattheymaybecontactedforresearch;
3. Individualsareofferedthechoicetoberemovedfromfuturee-mailcontactineachinvitation;and,4. Theinvitationlistexcludesallindi-vidualswhohavepreviouslytakentheappropriateandtimelystepstorequestthelistownertoremovethem.
Researchorganizationsmustnotuseanysubterfugeinobtaininge-mailaddressesofpotentialrespondents,suchascollectinge-mailaddressesfrompublicdomains,usingtechnologiesortechniquestocollecte-mailaddresseswithoutindividuals’awareness,andcollectinge-mailaddressesundertheguiseofsomeotheractivity.
Researchorganizationsmustnotusefalseormisleadingreturne-mailaddresseswhenrecruitingrespondentsovertheInternet.
Whenreceivinge-maillistsfromclientsorlistowners,researchorganizationsmusthavetheclientorlistproviderverifythatindividualslistedhaveareasonableexpectationthattheywillreceivee-mailcontact,asdefinedabove.
Itwouldbegoodpracticeifresearcherskeptcopiesofe-mailsandotherdocumentsreceivedfromrespondentsagreeingtoorrestrictingtheuseoftheirinformationortheirbeingaccessed.
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4. internet access panels
guideline on internet access panels
Internetaccesspanelsarebeingusedmoreandmoreofteninmarketresearchsurveys.TheadvantagesofthismethodofsamplingandquestioningaresuchthattheuseofAccesspanelsissettoincreaseconsiderablyintheyearsahead.However,therapidgrowthofthisapproachtosamplingbringswithitanumberofpotentialimplications.Atpresentthemarketislargelyunregulatedanditisoftendifficulttofindoutexactlywhatqualitystandards,ifany,arebeingappliedinsamplingandrecruitingofpanelmembersandhowtheyaremaintained.
ESOMARbelievesthatthebestinterestsofrespondents,researchbuyersandresearchsupplierswillbemetbydevelopingactivelymanagedaccesspanels.Eachshouldbeapermissiondatabasemanagedinordertodevelopamutualandtrustedrelationshipbetweenthepanelownerandpanelmembers.Thefollowingsectionsprovideguidelinestopanelownerswhowishtobuildactivelymanagedpanels.Theycoverrecruitment,projectmanagement,panelmonitoring,panelmaintenanceanddataprotection.
Inmanyoftheseareastheguidelinesdefinethesetofmanagementpoliciesthatthepanelownershouldhaveinplace,whilenotdictatingtheexactdetailoftherecommendedpolicy.FuturedevelopmentsoftheISOstandardsformarketresearchmaydefinemoreexplicitpoliciesthatparticipatingcompanieswillimplementintheiroperatingprocedures.
panel recruitment
1. Panelmembersmustbetoldthattheyareamemberofapanelandbeaskedtovoluntarilyandactivelyindicatethattheywishtobeonthepanel.Adoubleopt-inrecruitmentprocessisrecommendedparticularlywhererespondentsarerecruitedonline.Thisprocedurerequirestherespondenttoinitiateanapproachtothepanelowner,thepanelownerrepliesconfirmingthepaneldetailsanddoublechecksthattherespondentiswhotheyseemtobeandthattheydowishtojoin.Therespondentthenrepliestocompletethedoubleopt-inandjoinsthepanel.
Theremaybecircumstanceswhenthepanelowneralreadyhase-mailaddressesforpotentialpanellists,whereasimplifiedopt-inprocessisacceptable.Thiswouldstartwithane-mailfromthepanelownerfollowedby
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thepanelmemberreplyingorvisitingawebsitetoenrol.Thepanelownershouldretaindocu-mentaryproof(eitherhardcopyorelectronic)ofeachpanelmember’sagreementtojointhepanel.
2. Thesizeofthepanelshouldbestatedhonestlyandbebasedonthenumberofindividualswhohavepersonallyjoinedthepanel.Eventhoughthepanelownermighthavedataonotherhouseholdmembersinpanellists’homes,thepanelsizeshouldnotbecalculatedtoincludeadditionalhouseholdmemberswhohavenotactivelyjoinedthepanel.
Theclaimedsizeofthepanelshouldbebasedonactivepanelmembers(seePanelMaintenancepoint1below)
3. Thepanelownershouldretaindocumentaryproofofhoweachpanelmemberswasrecruited-fromwhattypeofsourcetheirnameande-mailaddresswasobtainedincluding,whererelevant,thewebsitefromwhichtheywereinvitedtojointhepanel?Inparticular,respondentswhohavebeenactivelyrecruitedthroughatraditionalsamplingapproachandinvitedtojointhepanelshouldbeidentified.Anoverallanalysisoftypeofrecruitmentsourcefortheactivepanelorforanysampledrawnfromitshouldbeavailableto
potentialbuyers.Panelownersmayprotectcommerciallysensitiveinformationabouttheexactsourcesused.
4. Thepanelownershouldhavedocu-mentedproceduresforcheckingthatnewpanelmembersarenotalreadypanelmembersandtherebyavoidduplicationinthepanel.
5. Onrecruitmentallpanelmembersshouldprovideasetofbasicdescrip-tiveinformationaboutthemselvesinorderthattherepresentativenessofthepanelcanbeassessedandthattargetedorstratifiedsamplecanbedrawn.
6. ESOMARdoesnotprescribeamandatoryminimumsetofbackgroundvariablesthatshouldberecordedabouteachactivepanelmember.However,thefollowingvariablesallhavevaluablerolesinstrategiestoavoidduplicationorclarifyindividualidentity,stratificationofsamplesforresearchprojects,andweightingstrategiestocounterheavyuserbias:
•Sex•Levelofeducation•Householdsize•Region•Location(postalcode+housenumber)•Age(dateofbirth)
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•Presenceofchildreninhousehold•Workingstatus•Weightofinternetusage(hoursperweek)•Typeofinternetaccess
Panelownersshouldhaveapublishedlistofbackgroundvariablesforwhichdataareavailablefromallpanelmembers.
7. Allpanelmembersmustbegivenaclearandunambiguousguaranteethattheaccesspanelisusedsolelyforthepurposeofconductingmarketresearchsurveys(i.e.therewillbenoattempttosellproductsorapproachpanelmembersfortelemarketingoranyotherformofmarketingactivity).
project management
1. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlydefinedlistofdataaboutpanelliststhatcanbeusedinthedefinitionofasampletobeselectedfromthepanel.Thislistshouldincludebothbackgroundvari-ablesprovidedbyallpanelmembersanditemsofpanellisthistorysuchasrecencyofselectionforapreviousprojectandco-operationhistory.
2. Panelownersshouldprovidetoclientsaclearandhonestdescriptionofthenatureoftheirpanel-thepopu-lationitcovers-andbetransparent
aboutpartnershiparrangementswithotherpanelowners.
3. Panelownersshouldhaveapublishedpolicyabouthowfrequentlytheyselectindividualpanelmemberstoparticipateinsurveys.
4. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlystatedpolicyaboutthemaximumnumberofresearchprojectsforwhichapanelmemberwillbeselectedtoparticipateinanygivenperiodoftime.
5. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlydefinedlistofinformationthatcanbeusedtoexcludepanellistsfromselectionforaprojectsample.
6. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlydefinedpolicyonhowtheyrewardpanellists.Theresearchbuyershouldbeinformedoftherewardmethodtobeusedontheirproject.
7. Panelownersshouldprovideacomprehensiveresponseanalysisattheendofeachsurvey.Thisshouldalsoincludeacopyofthesolicitatione-mailsenttopanelmembersandthefullwordingofanyscreeningorintroductoryquestionsputtopanellistsbeforethemainsurveystarted.
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ESOMARrecommendsthefollowingcontentinaprojecttechnicalsummary:
•Originalinvitetext(s)•Date(s)ofinvites(date(s)ofreminder(s)•Dateofclosingfieldwork(daysinfield)•Panelused(proprietaryorthirdpartandamounts)
Responsebasedonthetotalamountofinvites(%orfullnumbers)persampledrawn(country,questionnaire).•%questionnaireopened•%questionnairecompleted(includ-ingscreen-out)•%intargetgroup(basedonquota’s)•%validated(restiscleanedout,ifapplicable).
Ashortdescriptionofhowtheresponseandtheprojectrelatetothestandardcriteria,isitlessormorethanusualandanypeculiaritieswiththesurvey?
8. Panelownersshouldhavedocu-mentedprocedurestoensurethatapanelmembercananswerasurveyforwhichtheyhavebeenselected,onlyonce.
panel monitoring
1. Panelownersshouldkeepdetailedrecordsforeachpanelmemberof:•Theresearchprojectsorsurveysforwhichtheyhavebeensampled•Thenatureofthepanellist’sresponsetoeachprojectorsurvey
Therecordsshouldbestoredinsuchawaythatitiseasytodetermine:•Whenapanellistwaslastselectedforasurvey•Whenapanellistlastco-operatedwithasurvey•Thenumberofsurveysthepanellisthascompletedinanygivenperiodoftime.
2. Panelownersshouldcalculateregularlyandbeabletomakeavailabletopotentialclient’skeydataabouttheirpanelincluding:•Averagenumberofprojectsselectedfor,perpanellistperperiod•Maximumnumberofprojectsselectedfor,perpanellistperperiod•Averagenumberofcompleteques-tionnairesperpanellistperperiod
3. Wherepanelownersadoptanelectronicstoragesystemthatallowsallresponsesgivenbyarespondent(acrossmanysurveys),alldatacollectedexclusivelyonbehalfofaclientmustbe
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treatedasconfidentialandmaynotbeusedinthefutureonbehalfofasecondclienteitherintheselectionofsampleoranalysisofdata.Dataownership,andtheassociatedresponsibilitiestorespon-dents,maybechangedbycontractualagreementbetweenpanelownerandclientinadvanceofdatacollection.
4. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearandpublishedpolicyaboutvalidationchecks.Theyshouldmaintainrecordsofanycheckstheycarryouttovalidatethatthepanelmemberdidindeedanswerasurvey.
panel maintenance
1. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearandpublisheddefinitionofanactivepanelmember.Thesizeoftheactivepanelwillnormallybelowerthanthetotalnumberofpanellists.ESOMARrecommendsthefollowingdefinitionbutthefinaldefinitionrestswiththepanelowner:
Anindividualpanelmemberwhosesetofbackgroundvariablesarecompleteanduptodate(seepoint3below)andwhointhepreceding12monthshaseither:a. Joinedthepanelfollowingproce-duressetoutinthePanelRecruitmentsectionabove.
b. Co-operatedbycompletinganonlinequestionnaire(includingreplyingtoascreener)c. Indicatedtothepanelownerthattheywishtoremainamemberofthepanel
2. Panelownersshouldregularlyremovefromthepanelnon-activemembers.Eachpanelmember’srecordofparticipationshouldbereviewedregularlyandthepanelownershouldhaveclearlydefinedrulesforwhentoremovepanellistsasnon-activebasedontheirco-operationhistoryintheprecedingperiod.Panelmembers,whoappeartobeinactivebecausetheyhavenotbeenselectedforasurveysincethelastreviewoftheirstatus,shouldbecontactedinordertoconfirmtheirwillingnesstocontinueaspanelmembers.
3. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlydefinedpolicyonhowfrequentlypanelmemberswillbeaskedtoupdatetheirbackgroundinformation.Thispolicyshouldalsodefinewhetherornotchangesincircumstancesdiscoveredduringsurveyprojectswillberecordedinthedatarecord.
4. Panelownersshouldhaveaclearlydefinedpolicyonhowlongtheywillallowanactivepanellisttoremainon
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thepanelbeforetheyareremovedandreplacedbynewpanelmembers.
privacy/data protection
1. Thepanelmustbemanagedinaccordancewithlocaldataprotectionlawsand,iflegallyrequired,shouldberegisteredwiththeappropriateauthority.
2. Panelmembersmust,ontheirrequest,beinformedwhichpersonaldatarelatingtothemaretobestored.Anypersonaldatathatareindicatedbypanelmembersasnotcorrectorobsoletemustbecorrectedordeleted.
3. Panelmembersmustbegivenasimpleandeffectivemethodforleavingthepanelwhenevertheychooseto.Panelmemberswhohavestatedthattheywishtoleavethepanelmustnotbeselectedforanyfurthersurveysandmustberemovedformthepanelassoonaspracticable.
25 Questions to help research buyers
Theuseofinternetaccesspanelsforsamplingandquestioningisarela-tivelynewresearchtechnique.Itwilltakesometimebeforeuniformqualitystandardscanbedefinedandadoptedacrosstheindustry.Intheearlystagesofamethodologicaldevelopmentthere
willbemanydifferentapproachesattemptedbyresearchsuppliers.Researchbuyerswhowishtogetamorethoroughunderstandingofthemethodologyofferedbyaresearchprovidercanusethefollowingsetof25questionsasthebasisofadiscussionofmethodology.
Reputablesupplierswithestablishedmethodologiesandactivepanelmanage-mentpolicieswillbeabletoprovideanswerstothesequestions.Thedecisiontogoaheadornotcanthenbemadeonaninformedunderstandingoftheapproachbeingofferedanditslikelyquality.
1. Isitanactivelymanagedpanel(nurturedcommunity)orjustadata-base?
2. `Truthfully’howlargeisit?
3. Whatisthepercentageof`active’membersandhowaretheydefined?
4. Wherearetherespondentssourcedfromandhowaretheyrecruited?
5. Havemembersclearlyopted-in?Ifso,wasthisdoubleopt-in?
6. Whatexactlyhavetheybeenaskedtoopt-into?
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7. Whatdopanelmembersgetinreturnforparticipating?
8. Isthepanelusedsolelyformarketresearch?
9. IsthereaPrivacyPolicyinplace?Ifso,whatdoesitstate?
10. Whatresearchindustrystandardsarecompliedwith?
11. Isthepanelcompliantwithallregional,nationalandlocallawswithrespecttoprivacy,dataprotectionandchildrene.g.EUSafeHarbour,andCOPPAintheUS?(Providehotlinksforreference)
12. Whatbasicsocio-demographicprofileinformation,usership,interestsdata,etc.iskeptonmembers?
13. Howoftenisitupdated?
14. Inwhatotherwayscanusersbeprofiled(e.g.sourceofdata)?
15. Whatisthe(minimumandtypical)turn-aroundtimefrominitialrequesttofirstdeploymentoftheemailstoactivateastudy?
16. Whatarelikelyresponseratesandhowisresponseratecalculated?
17. Areorcanpanelmemberswhohaverecentlyparticipatedinasurveyonthesamesubjectbeexcludedfromanewsample?
18. Isaresponserate(overandabovescreening)guaranteed?
19. Howoftenareindividualmemberscontactedformarketresearchoranythingelseinagiventimeperiod?
20.Howisthesampleselectionprocessforaparticularsurveyundertaken?
21. Cansamplesbedeployedasbatches/replicates,bytimezones,geography,etc?Ifso,howisthiscontrolled?
22.Isthesamplerandomizedbeforedeployment?
23.Canthetimeofsampledeploymentbecontrolledand,ifso,how?
24.Canpanelmembersbedirectedtospecificsitesforthesurveyquestion-nairetobeundertaken?
25.Whatguaranteesaretheretoguardagainstbaddatai.e.respondentcheatingornotconcentrating/caringintheirresponses(e.g.clickhappy)?
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5. sourCes used in CoMpiLing guideLines
Coppa–Children’sOnlinePrivacyProtectionActdMa–CodeofPracticeforCommer-cialCommunicationstoChildrenOnline(German)GuidelinesforOnlineSurveys–adM, asi, BVM. dgoFCasro–CodeofStandardsandEthicsforSurveyResearch,SectionI.B.3.InternetResearchhttp://www.esomar.org/index.php/associations.htmlMrsGuidelinesforResearchingChildrenandYoungPeople
6. Links to nationaL researCh assoCiation inForMation
Youcanfindafulllistingofnational research associationsattheESOMARwebsite.Manynationalassociationshavetheirownadditionalguidelinesoninternetresearchanddetaillocalrequirementsreflectinglegislativerequirementsintheircountry.http://www.esomar.org/index.php/associations.html
7. iMportant deFinitions
definition of internet research internet research is defined as research in which a respondent – either on a single occasion or as part of a panel:•CompletesaquestionnaireonlineviatheInternetonaserverbelongingtotheresearchagencyoraprovider•DownloadsaquestionnairefromaserverontheInternetandreturnsitbye-mail,or•Receivesthequestionnaireincorpo-ratedintoane-mailandreturnsitinthesamewayor•Participatesinanonlinequalitativeinterviewordiscussion.•Ortakespartinameasurementsys-temwhichtrackswebusagebysuchmeansasspecialistsoftwareinstalledontheuser’sp.c.TheseguidelinesalsoapplytoresearchconductedviaWAPand3rdgenerationtechnology,thoughwhencollectingdatainthisway,specialcaremustbetakentoensurethatitisconvenientandsafefortherespondenttoproceed.
definition of internet access panel
Asampledatabaseofpotentialrespondentswhodeclarethattheyarewillingtoreceiveinvitationstoparticipateinfutureinternetinterviews
esoMar WorLd researCh Codes & guideLines
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esoMar WorLd researCh Codes & guideLines
ifselected.Normallyaminimumofdemographicdataareavailableforeachrespondentsoeffectivesampleselectioncanbecheckedbypopulationparameters,andifmoredataonpoten-tialrespondentsareinthedatabase,thentargetedsamplescanbeselected.Continuouslyreportingpanels(e.g.TV-rating-panels,consumer-panels)arenotcoveredbythedefinitionofAccessPanel.
notes:
1ICC/ESOMARCodesandGuidelinesarealwayssubordinatetoexistingnationallaw.Thereiscurrentlynointernationalunanimityastowhethercountryoforiginorcountryofdestina-tionappliestoresearchontheInternet.)
2Theguidanceinnon-Internetsitua-tionsisthatclientidentity(ifsamplingfromcustomerdatabases)canbegivenatanappropriatepointduringtheinterview.ThatisdifficulttocontrolinInternetresearchwheretherespondentcanwithdrawatanypointbutstillhastherighttoknowthesourceofhis/hercontactdetails.Bestpracticeinthesecircumstanceswouldbetonametheclientatthestartofthequestionnaire.Ifthisislikelytobiasresponse,thentheclientmustbeidentifiedasearlyaspossibleinthequestionnaire.)
August2005
ESOMAR WORLD RESEARCH CODES & GUIDELINES
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esoMarVondelstraat 172
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Tel +31 20 664 2141Fax +31 20 664 2922
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www.esomar.org
ESOMARistheworldorganisationforenablingbetterresearchintomarkets,consumersandsocieties.
With4,500membersin100countries,ESOMAR’saimistopromotethevalueofmarketandopinionresearchinilluminatingrealissuesandbringingabouteffectivedecision-making.
Tofacilitatethisongoingdialogue,ESOMARcreatesandmanagesacomprehensiveprogrammeofindustry-specificandthematicconferences,publicationsandcommunications,aswellasactivelyadvocatingself-regulationandtheworldwidecodeofpractice.
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