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Posted by Sherman on February 09, 2000 at 11:05:57:
In Reply to: Do I understand the dilemma? posted by John Taylor on February 08, 2000 at 23:36:27:
Yes, John, your understanding is correct. What seems to be driving this, as much as anything, is cost. The method I had specified for the projectable control was about four times as much per respondent as the relative observations in the curriculum using on-line methods.
The reason I felt we had no choice but to use the more expensive method was that the audience we needed to sample is currently not accessible through any on-line compliant database, though readily accessible though mail or phone. From my perspective, it made more sense to use the recommended approach rather than re-invent the wheel, with no guarantee that we would be able to achieve projectable findings.
As a result of my post, however, I have been approached by a number of on-line research firms, and we may have found an answer that will not only satisfy my client's (who, as a note, is a consultant who subcontracted us) cost concerns, as well as my own concern about making certain the data is projectable. The idea is that the on-line research company would underwrite the cost of our mail-out using the research response check as a recruitment/screening/e-mail harvesting tool to build a BtoB market representative database.
Then, from this database, which includes both those who are accessable on-line, as well as those who are not (but serve as a control for projectablity) they could then develop projectable panels, and if the base was large enough, a rotational panel to avoid oversampling the same people. Apparantly some had tried this in the past, but the response was so low and key classifications totally absent, that they have not been pursing it. Since our method is capable of yielding 90% response or better, they may want to give it a try.
Frankly, the idea makes sense, and would, theoretically, give on-line research the ability to provide some degree of projectability for off-line or non dot.com enterprises. It is definitely something to consider and, it could take on-line research to another level.
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