Online Research Industry an Update on Current Practices

The online research industry an update on current practices and trends

Online research continues its headlong march to become one of the most dominant (if not the most dominant) data collection methodologies worldwide. Fueled by more research companies coming online, a greater reliance on the methodology by those already initiated in its virtues and a solid core (20%) of very heavy users, research over the Internet appears well-set to take a third of the survey research market in a very short space of time.

In our first survey of the market in 2005, we reported that research companies were debating the merits of keeping their online capabilities, including panels and software platforms, in-house or outsourcing them. There was evidence of a considerable amount of experimentation in this regard, together with a robust willingness to invest in both proprietary software and in-house panels. Today, that debate would appear to have been resolved, with most companies unlikely to invest further in either. Rather, it seems that most are content to outsource these key elements of the craft, even if there still exist a number of concerns surrounding its practice.

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