Versta Research Blog

Versta Research Blog

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Versta Research is a marketing research and public opinion polling firm that helps you answer critical questions with customized research and analytical expertise.

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Versta Research Blog

Explore industry trends, research methods, and tips for your own research projects in the Versta Research Blog. All opinions are our own, and some may change over time.

First time reader? Check out the Best of the Blog for the most popular posts from almost 10 years of blogging. We’re glad you’re here.

Versta Research Post

Ten Things You Can Do with Census Data

Every year the Census Bureau comes under attack from elected officials who unfortunately know little about how immensely valuable its services are.  The Census accounts for a miniscule slice of the total U.S. budget, and yet it provides some of the most essential services that bolster good government, political stability, and economic growth.  These are…

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Versta Research Post

Big Question for Big Data: Does It Work?

The New York Times Magazine ran a feature article in June implying that big data and quantitative algorithms are the secret of how Obama won the election.  The young, technologically-savvy “Obama-wonks” who toiled in “the cave” writing thousands of lines of computer code, took advantage of huge repositories of data from the likes of Facebook…

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Versta Research Post

Which Conjoint Method Should You Use?

One subtle (and false) implication of the beautiful chart we presented showing trends in conjoint analysis is that perhaps you should be using discrete choice modeling (CBC, which stands for Choice-Based Conjoint) because CBC is, by far, the most widely used method among those using Sawtooth conjoint tools.  But CBC is not the best choice…

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Versta Research Post

Why Vendors Have to Do Everything Twice

Or maybe we should say: why vendors SHOULD do everything twice BEFORE their work hits your desk and you send it back because you found errors. When it comes to something as complex and exacting as market research or public opinion polling, there are almost certainly mistakes the first time around. If a company does…

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Versta Research Post

Two Examples of Animated Data Visualization

As market researchers pay more and more attention to the need for compelling data visualizations, Hans Rosling’s work with interactive data is becoming a catalyst for a fascinating new type of data visualization: animated statistical graphs.  He uses them to show world social and economic trends over time, and the effect is exceptionally powerful.  Here…

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Versta Research Post

Social Media Not Rocking Research So Far

A few years back, some researchers were predicting that social media would cause a seismic shift in how we conduct brand research, customer satisfaction tracking, innovation research, and so on.  Others were not so sure, arguing that the fundamentals of data collection and analysis will always be the same.  Both sides were represented on a…

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