Data Quality

Technology as the Path to Quality

What sets us apart as a company is not only our commitment to data quality, but our use of technology to ensure that we meet these quality standards. This has not changed since the day we conducted our first online project in 1994. We believe that quality of service and technology goes hand in hand and this belief drives our evolution as a company.

Quality of Product – Quality Data Program^™ (QDP)

At Greenfield Online/Ciao Surveys we understand the importance of data quality. We have established a Quality Data Program™ that outlines the steps we take on each project to ensure the quality of our data. Our Quality Data Program™ is grouped into three areas:

1. Pre-Survey Data Quality

• Quality begins with the respondents: How they are recruited and the expectations they have about taking surveys. It is our goal to engage as many people as possible in the survey experience, and leverage numerous means of respondent recruitment. We maintain quality standards for respondent recruitment, the double opt-in process and management across three unique sources of respondents:
  • Quality begins with the respondents: How they are recruited and the expectations they have about taking surveys. It is our goal to engage as many people as possible in the survey experience, and leverage numerous means of respondent recruitment. We maintain quality standards for respondent recruitment and management across three unique sources of respondents:
  • Our panel is comprised of willing and interested consumers who have been recruited via the Web to join the panel, through a "double-opt-in" process where their data and other profile information, such as various consumption habits, are stored.
  • Real-Time Sampling^™ is a sampling method by which survey offers are presented and completed by Internet users without committing to join a market research panel. Every Internet user who is exposed to a survey solicitation has an equal and random opportunity to complete a survey in the Greenfield Online/Ciao Survey's system based on sample criteria and quota requirements. We believe this non-panel approach opens up and expands the pool of potential survey takers, especially among hard-to-reach groups.
  • Our Affiliate Network is leveraged when the Greenfield Online/Ciao Survey's panels and Real-Time Sampling™ cannot meet your specific needs. Respondents are treated fairly by Greenfield Online/Ciao Surveys and incentivized to ensure participation, but also to discourage "professional respondents."
• We employ a rigorous quality screening process at the recruitment level. Respondents are address validated (including Geo IP validation) and we also employ our DRD (Duplicate Respondent Detection™) technology upon enrollment.

2. Survey Level Data Quality

• On the survey level, we conduct a secondary Geo IP validation, to ensure that respondents are not fraudulently participating in surveys. Further, we have built Duplicate Respondent Detection™ (DRD) technology, to proactively stop participants from taking a survey more than once — whether accidentally, or with the intent to game the system. DRD™ works across all respondent channels and can catch a fraudulent participant no matter where they come from or how they attempt to participate.

3. Post-Survey Data Quality/Data Cleanse

• At Greenfield Online/Ciao Surveys, we provide the following data cleaning services on each project we conduct:
• Open ended responses: We eliminate poor quality, open-ended responders. These include nonsensical responses and those that might contain any inappropriate language.
• Time response monitoring: We time respondents and remove those who take a suspiciously short amount of time to complete a survey. If a survey is estimated to take 10 minutes and a respondent completes it in less than three minutes, it is likely the respondent is a speeder and the data less accurate.
• Script cleaning: We run screening scripts and logic checks to ensure all data collected is congruent with the survey.

Optional Quality Protection Services

• Red Herrings: We can work with clients to insert "Red Herring" questions to check that a respondent is paying attention or is who they say they are. We consult with clients to ensure that the use of Red Herrings is accurate and will accomplish the desired result — to eliminate poor quality respondents from surveys.
• Straight-Liners: We have the ability to check for, and eliminate, straight-liners from our clients' data set. Again, we consult with clients to ensure the appropriate criteria to pinpoint cheaters/fraudulent respondents.