When you have a study that needs to get into the field, researchers have a lot of options in front of them. In fact, the options available can be overwhelming. You could survey your clients from your own database. If you are looking to reach beyond your known clients, you could try an in-house recruiting effort, but that effort takes a lot of time and resources. The survey needs to be written. Researchers are typically very hands-on with this portion of the project. But reality also dictates that you are getting multiple projects done simultaneously, and you may not have time to put the appropriate attention on the finer details of the survey. Then there is the technical programming, arranging the demographics for proper representative survey sample, and daily monitoring while the project is in field.

Often some pieces of these are too costly or too time-consuming for research teams to keep in-house. Many elements of the project process can become more efficient through outsourcing:

• Survey Design; Methodology Evaluations
• Survey Programming; Participant Requirements (Screeners)
• Respondent Recruiting or Buying Sample
• Sample Quotas; Daily In-field Project Management
• Quality Control; Data Collection
• Data Analysis

The above elements can be seen as a life cycle of a research project of sorts. These are all pieces of the puzzle, and each project may require a deeper focus in one area. Regardless of whether you choose one of these or all of them for the Paradigm Sample team, here are a few mindsets we bring to ensure end-to-end success for your research study.

DIGGING IN THE DIRT

The team at Paradigm Sample has so much experience that sometimes we can be left thinking that we may have seen it all. But just when we do, we are given an opportunity to solve a new challenge we have never imagined. Regardless of whether the business question is common or singular, the most important part our team can do at the inception of any project is listen. What we are listening to are the details of the business issue. We want to understand how long the matter has been presenting for. If it is newly emerging, we want to know more about how it came about. We try to understand the root causes of this problem so we can help you carefully frame your study to deliver the data that will drive your next business action.

Although we have done many studies in the past, we do not make the error of making assumptions about similarities. In turn, that creates the mindset you need in a committed team. From the beginning to the end of the project, we will stay focused. Partnering with Paradigm Sample means you will deliver data that will have a meaningful business impact.

“No visualization without representation!”

While this phrase might be a funny take on a rallying cry, we cannot think of a better way to ensure end-to-end project success than by making sure the people our clients are looking to survey are accurately represented in the sample. Achieving quotas is not a straight-forward ticking of the box action. It requires nuanced expertise to test groups, making sure as completes are filled, the right blend of sample meets client specs.

To provide true representation, general demographics, such as age, gender, ethnicity, and employment status are profiled and targeted appropriately. Special attention is paid to achieving response from hard-to-reach groups, such as young males. Psychographic and lifestyle characteristics are also considered (e.g., parenthood status, access to technology, interests, media consumption habits, political views, etc.)

FEASIBILITY BEYOND THE FEASIBILITY

For teams in the bid or initial project planning phase, our seasoned research team can offer feedback regarding the feasibility of reaching a specific and perhaps difficult-to-reach audience. We have worked extensively in many niche markets, from B2B to high tech to medical expertise and beyond. We know how to calculate the difficulty of the recruiting process and can offer guidance on alternative approaches if needed.

CLOCK HUMOR MAY PROVE TO BE TIMELY

It is no secret that researchers are being asked to do more with less every day. Multiple stakeholders look to them to provide timely and accurate data for their most pressing business decisions. As we all know, every project is important…and usually needs to be in the field yesterday. Any delay in survey design, programming, or methodology nuances can cause serious time compression. When every piece of the project lifecycle has an important role in maintaining the study’s integrity, there is often little wiggle room. This is why having a team available 24/7 for multi-time zone projects is essential to end-to-end project success. At Paradigm Sample, our programmers are always available, quality control is ongoing, even after completes may have stopped at the end of the day. In short, our global team does not sleep (at the same time), so that you might be able to get some sleep.

WE TAKE QUALITY SERIOUSLY

Gathering data is only half of the job. Having proven systems that sift through that data in meaningful ways is what delivers quality outcomes. Our industry has been transparent about the rise of bots programmed to take surveys. Developing trust with a panel supplier over many years will provide a vignette into the rigor and constant adaptation that is needed to weed out these known issues successfully. But quality control happens beyond skillful programming and testing. There are also quality issues, even when respondents are humans. Having a dedicated team to verify that people are who they say they are involves the thoughtful application of third-party data for verification. Quality reviews also consider whether even the right respondent may be rushing through a questionnaire and not responding thoughtfully.

The layers of quality checks ensure our team can be trusted to accurately and proactively address any quality issues as they arise. But we know that data quality is merely table stakes in this industry. It is not an “above and beyond” proposition, but a part of everything we do. Because our team is interested in long-term partnerships, we know these ever-adapting efforts bring value to our product and to each relationship, and they should do so quietly but effectively behind the scenes.

ANALYSIS WITHOUT THE PARALYSIS

Once the results are in, the work for the researcher has not ended. The analysis and extraction of insights can significantly impact your company. Sifting through the data and coalescing a story is where your experience and legacy knowledge of your products and services are put to the test. For in-house research teams, we can provide a quality analysis of the data to streamline your final presentation. For enterprise agencies and partners, we can tee up these results to your specifications so your expert analysis team can quickly get to work.

No matter what size your firm, we know everyone in this line of work is reporting to multiple stakeholders and juggling competing demands all while the clock is ticking. To that end, Paradigm Sample is committed to building the best platform to support your end-to-end project success.