Arbitron Radio Diary Goes Electronic Next Winter

With effect from the Winter 2007 survey, Arbitron has announced that radio survey participants in diary-based markets will have the option to use an Internet-based, electronic diary in place of the standard paper and pencil survey tool.

Based on its tests of the electronic diary, Arbitron expects that at least one out of every twenty survey participants will choose the Internet-based option over the standard paper and pencil design.

Those who do are more likely to be younger. In the Arbitron tests, the largest demographic group of eDiary keepers was between the age of 25 and 34 while the largest demographic group of paper diary keepers was between the age of 45 and 54. Also, eDiary keepers are more likely to work full-time. Arbitron's test also show that there is no significant difference in the number of quarter hours of listening or the number of stations entered into the eDiary versus the paper diary.

Commenting on the move, Ed Cohen, vice president, Domestic Research at Arbitron, said: "We want to give Internet-savvy respondents the option to use an up-to-date survey tool that better fits their lifestyle and habits. The Arbitron eDiary has the potential to increase survey participation from younger adults, a population that currently tends to be under-represented among paper and pencil diary keepers."

The eDiary is an Internet-based version of the Arbitron paper and pencil diary that consists of five primary types of pages: welcome /introduction pages, an instructions page, radio diary pages, a quick questions page, and a submit page. Additionally, there are various error messages designed to alert respondents to possible inaccuracies and problems in entering data.

Every phone call to survey households will include a mention of the option to complete either the paper or the online version of the diary. Letters sent to survey households also will include a mention of the eDiary and references to being able to mail back a diary or submit it online.


The company is online at www.arbitron.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

• Arbitron Inc.
• All news