Partners to Explore Possibilities for Non-Probability

DIY research firm SurveyMonkey is to collaborate with employee-owned US research stalwart Westat and non-profit organization the Pew Research Center, to examine non-probability sampling, along with various means of gauging data quality. Results will be made publicly available.

The research will examine the science of adjusting and weighting four different methods of sampling: non-probability Internet-based; address-based; and probability-based 'phone and Internet. One aim is to help identify which sampling methods are best suited for which research objectives.

SurveyMonkey will provide access to its online panel, billed as the largest in the US; while Westat will collect new data from a nationally representative sample of adults using address-based sampling. The Pew Center will conduct methodological studies using its nationally representative American Trends Panel and national telephone surveys. The partners say the survey instrument will be a standard socioeconomic and political survey.

Jon Cohen, SurveyMonkey VP of Survey Research and former Washington Post polling chief, who also worked briefly at the Pew Center, says of the agreement, 'We're excited to be working in association with the nation's top research organizations to help create a consistent set of measures and techniques. We hope to improve understanding of this new era of opinion research and move the entire industry forward.'

Westat Senior Statistician Mike Brick comments: 'Having no singular framework for non-probability sampling is limiting the insights market researchers and opinion pollsters can deliver. Collectively, we want to explore the assumptions of the underlying model and if, or how, revisions should be made to rethink quality in our industry.'

SurveyMonkey announced a partnership with broadcast and digital news provider NBC News, in October, six weeks after setting up a Survey Advisory Committee, tasked with advising it on topics such as survey design, quality and innovation.

Web sites are at www.surveymonkey.com , www.westat.com and www.pewresearch.org .