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Two recent events have me thinking about AI and the problem of plausibility in market research. First, a colleague narrated a story about the first market research company he worked for 20 years ago. The owner told him that research is always tentative and uncertain, and that all we really need to achieve in our…
Many assume that rigorous market research always works with random samples or probability samples. This assumption is not true. There are many studies that require purposive sampling instead. Purposive sampling involves finding people with specific characteristics or qualities, even if they do not fully represent the whole population, because these specific people can provide unique…
I became curious last week about what happened to those research people charged with fraud last year for selling fake panelists to complete market research surveys. One by one they are pleading guilty. But there was something much more interesting for me than learning about their guilty pleas. It was the “thought experiment” it provoked…
I submitted a letter to The New Yorker about some statistics they published regarding prenuptial agreements. The numbers were obviously suspicious and most likely incorrect. They chose not to print my letter, though I believe it is worth printing here because it highlights the power of dramatic, plausible numbers and the importance of taking a…
A client had a surprising experience not long ago when a member of our multivariate analysis team showed up online to watch a live in-depth interview with a registered nurse about how prescribing decisions are made. “Who is that online with us?” the client inquired, not recognizing the name. The qualitative manager answered, “He’s on…
Despite having been on the front lines of social research for so many years, interviewing respondents personally and eliciting data through surveys, I still feel somewhat surprised and disbelieving that people really want to participate in research. But they do. Sometimes eagerly. Almost always truthfully. Surely, my surprise stems from my own reluctance to fill…
Choosing an omnibus survey can be a simple approach to getting survey data, because it is usually inexpensive and fast, and involves asking just a few questions. But there is sometimes a downside to simplicity: You have just a few questions to get that nugget of data you’re hoping to use as a news hook…
We feel strongly that people who give us information through surveys, in-depth interviews, or focus group deserve a promise that this will never happen to them: Courtesy of WorkChronicles.com One of the tenets of rigorous market research is that respondent confidentiality is key. Why? Primarily because it benefits you as a client. To make smart…
We are strong advocates of using surveys for public relations outreach. Commissioning surveys that answer interesting questions to help drive news stories and other types of communication can build a credible foundation so that journalists and other audiences take note and listen. But we are not fans of silly surveys that rely on outlandish, sexy,…
At its core, data visualization is about using visual techniques as shortcuts to understanding patterns in data. You don’t need fancy tools or “data viz” subscriptions to do it. Tools available in common programs like Excel provide an excellent means for visualizing data. This can save you time and it can point you in the…