One critical trend that is transforming the research industry is the rapid adoption of mobile technologies, especially smartphones.  It transforms research in multiple ways.  It means that people disconnect their landlines, so we have to adjust our methods for phone polling.  But more importantly, it means people are accessible in multiple ways (text, phone, email) all the time, and wherever they are.  We can ask them for feedback instantaneously in the stores where they shop, or as they are making a decision we care about.  We can talk to them, send messages, ask them to respond to survey questions, ask them to take pictures or videos for us, and so on.  There are amazing opportunities for rich, immediate data for research that we could only dream about a few years back.

Quirk’s magazine recently ran a set of articles about trends in mobile research, focusing in particular on survey research.  We thought it is was worth repeating some of the insights highlighted in those articles:

• Surveys via mobile devices are increasingly possible, both SMS-based and web-based surveys
• Achieving representative samples for mobile surveys can be a challenge, however
• Attention spans for mobile surveys are short; ask no more than five or six simple questions
• Design surveys with small screens in mind
• Avoid long questions that need explanation
• Avoid long lists of answer options
• Avoid grid questions
• Take advantage of open-ended questions; people with mobile devices are capable (and often prefer) typing out responses on their phones
• Be sure to cover any costs that respondents might incur

Although nobody should be doing mobile research just because they can, keeping up with new tools, capabilities, and opportunities for rich data is one piece of doing smart and rigorous research.  Versta Research can advise, and help you take advantage of new technologies and methods when, and if, you need them.

—Joe Hopper, Ph.D.

]]> http://www.verstaresearch.com/blog/using-mobile-technologies-in-research/feed/ 0 http://www.verstaresearch.com/blog/trouble-for-phone-surveys-nobody-talks/ http://www.verstaresearch.com/blog/trouble-for-phone-surveys-nobody-talks/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:41:24 +0000 Joe Hopper http://www.verstaresearch.com/blog/?p=591 In the old days (decades ago), phone surveys had limited utility because many people had no phone service in their homes.  When that changed, phone surveys became ubiquitous because they allowed researchers better control over the process.  Data quality improved.  Now increasing numbers of people have moved to cell phones only, which has been a significant challenge for the survey industry.  The numbers are staggering:

The number of people without home access to landline telephones is increasing.

Almost half of adults under age 30 live in a household with only wireless telephone service.

In response, our industry has developed newer (and complicated) methods to include cell-only households along with land-based phone sampling.  But do-not-call rules, the cost to respondents of receiving calls on wireless phones, and the fact that exchanges no longer map to geographic regions have been significant challenges.

Now there is a new challenge:  Even though the number cell phones and the number of people who carry them is increasing exponentially, people are not talking on them.  More than nine out of ten households now has cell phone service, but recent data indicate that voice usage is not increasing, and for the first time “the amount of data in text, e-mail messages, streaming video, music and other services on mobile devices in 2009 surpassed the amount of voice data in cellphone calls” (see NYT article).

As people use their phones more and more in multiple other ways, the opportunity for public polling and market research is to find new ways of engaging people who are willing to share data and opinions.  There are now surveys designed for mobile devices and real-time enthnographies using video, photography, and voice from cell phones.  Mobile devices are also increasingly used for purchases, data monitoring, and loyalty programs, all of which can be rich sources of insight for market research.

Need help thinking about the best way to conduct your survey or research?  The best way will depend on your specific questions and the group of people you want to understand.  Give us a call (we like to talk on the phone); we will help you sort out your options for an optimal approach.

—Joe Hopper, Ph.D.

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