Yet, in the Q1-Q2 2017 and Q3-Q4 2016 editions of the GreenBook Research Industry Trends (GRIT) Report, results show otherwise. Respondent experience was rated as one of the least important factors taken into account when designing a study by both research buyers or clients and research providers or suppliers.

How can we, as an industry, expect to obtain reliable, truthful results if we are not taking into account some consideration for the very lifeblood of market research, the participants?

Some concerning statistics from the Q3-Q4 2016 GRIT Report:

Did you know?

According to the Q1-Q2 2017 and Q3-Q4 2016 GRIT Reports, just 5% of research buyers or clients and only 9% of research providers or suppliers ranked research participants having a positive impression of market research after they participated in a project as an important factor when designing a study.

Just as serious…

Only 4% of research buyers or clients and only 7% of research providers or suppliers ranked participants speaking highly of their market research experience and/or convincing others they know to participate in research as an important factor when designing a study.

And even worse…

Just 2% of research buyers or clients and only 9% of research providers or suppliers ranked participants being fairly compensated for their time as important.

To further explore these startling results, Research Now teamed up with GreenBook and other key stakeholders in the market research industry and developed a concept for asking consumers directly about their experience participating in research via a groundbreaking study conducted in 15 countries and 8 languages among 6,208 consumers. The results of this study were reported at large through the newly created GreenBook Research Industry Trends (GRIT) Consumer Participation in Research (CPR) report. Of the findings, only a quarter of research participants are satisfied with their experience partaking in research.

If you work in the market research industry, and these statistics aren’t tickling an inclination for change, then we might have a bigger problem on our hands. As the core goal of market research is to collect data to drive decisions, quality is important at every step in the research process to ensure that survey data – and the insights it yields – drive fundamental strategy and investment decisions in the right direction.

Given today’s fast-paced competitive environment and the relentless changes in media and advertising use and consumption, the market is not forgiving of strategic miss-steps. Subsequent to the Q3-Q4 GRIT Report and the consequent CPR report, there is a clear driving need for market researchers to become more informed consumers and consider quality in all aspects of research, namely three key areas: survey participants, the survey itself, and survey results and insights.

In a seven-part blog series by Research Now, my colleagues and I will further delve into the heart of quality by laying some groundwork for best practices on survey participant experience, panel management and engagement, sample selection and optimization, the survey itself, and the survey results and insights, and how these ultimately play a vital role in the quality of the research conducted and the results generated.