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

Response Rates Fall to New Low

Survey response rates are now staggeringly low—in the single digits.  A typical response rate for a relatively high-budget, carefully executed phone survey is merely 9%, down from 36% just fifteen years ago.  Here are the numbers from research conducted earlier this year by the Pew Center: If you want to throw money at a survey…

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Versta Research Post

Park Your Demographics at the End

In a typical graduate-level research course on survey methods, students are taught to ask demographic questions about race, ethnicity, age, gender, income, etc. at the end of a survey.  The questions are typically off-topic, and they sometimes scare away respondents who feel such questions are intrusive. But with most surveys now fielded through online survey…

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The Dumbest PR Survey on Earth

The Dumbest PR Survey on Earth

Last week there was a flash of news coverage for a PR-driven survey that documented these important facts: Most Americans think Obama would do a better job than Romney in defending against an attack by aliens from outer space Most would not “mind” a minor alien invasion, because they expect aliens to be cute Most…

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Versta Research Post

Better Charts for MaxDiff Data

The New York Times is one of the few organizations trying to push our industry further in developing better data presentation and visualization techniques.  Sometimes they do a good job, introducing rich, informative, engaging, and interactive charts that would make even Edward Tufte, the contemporary pioneer in data visualization, proud.  Sometimes they do a not-so-good…

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Versta Research Post

Next Gen Market Research: Just Do It For Me!

If you want to know the future of market research, forget about what the futurists and innovation gurus have to say.  Instead, just ask the next generation of marketing and business professionals—the people  who will be our future. That’s what we did in a recent survey of business students about market research.  We talked with …

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Versta Research Post

Doing Research with Made-Up Numbers

Most research professionals know there is a kernel of sad truth in this Dilbert cartoon.  But it is not because the world is random, so that made up numbers work just as well as accurate numbers.  It is because research is often not used at all, in which case the difference between real numbers and…

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Versta Research Post

Why Cost Matters with Online Panel Surveys

Cost matters when you choose a sample or panel provider for your survey because there are good panels and bad panels.  Bad panels provide survey respondents at cheap prices.  But they do a lousy job managing and screening their members.  Not surprisingly, a good portion of the data you get from bad panels will likely…

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Versta Research Post

Six Ways to Identify Bad Survey Data

Bad data is worse than no data.  With no data, at least you have intuition and experience to rely on.  Bad data, on the other hand, will result in “findings” that are likely to spoil important decisions. With most surveys fielded online nowadays, we have lost the opportunity for phone (or in-person) interviewers to assess…

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