Daily Research News Online no. 9035 - SSI Debuts Panelist Recruiting and Verification Strategy

SSI Debuts Panelist Recruiting and Verification Strategy

October 16 2008

Survey Sampling International (SSI) has launched a new strategy for expanding the availability and diversity of panel members worldwide and improving the quality of sample provided to clients.

The new SSI Verify system uses MR technology firm RelevantView's RelevantID digital fingerprinting capability, and combines this with a set of quality process which SSI has used for several years to address the issue of respondent authentication and avoid duplicates in the online survey research process.

SSI Verify gathers around 60 data points about a participant's computer such as IP address and Mac address, and these encrypted data points are saved as a single ID code. When a person logs on to take a survey, their ID code (generated in real time) is screened against the millions on file, and where duplicates exist, the panelists are blocked from completing the survey.

Other areas of respondent authentication can be checked, and these include geo-IP, violation trapping, address matching in some countries, and profile-specific queries that only a legitimate participant would be able to answer.

'Ensuring the quality, reliability, and uniqueness of the insights that we provide to our research clients is essential,' stated SSI CEO Jim Follett. 'We're making this investment as an important part of our ongoing, evolving support for the online research community.'

The solution is launched as part of SSI's new Optimal Sourcing 4.2 strategy, which leverages up to four online and two telephone sources, to address the need to tap into a supply of quality research participants.

'For researchers, having an abundance of committed, engaged survey research participants continues to be a challenge,' explained Debi Hart, VP of Respondent Solutions. 'By committing to this expansive respondent sourcing approach, we enable clients to focus on the research they do best while trusting SSI to manage the quality and complexity.'

SSI offers access to more than 6 million consumer and B2B research respondents in 54 countries via Internet, telephone, and mobile. Web site: www.surveysampling.com .