The ESOMAR contribution to the project is to highlight and address the main problems in the way that Researchers interact with Research Participants within the scope of online quantitative surveys, recognising that the Research industry is almost wholly dependent upon cooperation from members of the public. Some of the factors contributing to poor response, often classified as ‘Participant fraud’, are caused by problematic survey approaches within the Research process or by poorly drafted questionnaires.
The document we have worked on aims to summarise what these are in the shape of a series of questions or discussion points.
What this material aims to do
The broad idea is that the framework takes the form of a statement about each issue within broad areas and then presents some questions that can be asked to understand the approach being taken by those responsible for designing the study. By understanding whether the topic is understood, being addressed, and the appropriate approach being taken, the commissioner of the research will be able to distinguish those Research partners who take Participant engagement seriously and will see better quality responses as a consequence.