OMG... I didn't qualify... what happened?

I´ve repeatedly read in this blog questions along the line of "Why didn´t I qualify although they sent me an invitation?", "Why did I DQ after just answering the "Are you anyname?" question?", etc. and always was to lazy to write an answer ;-)

Now, I stumbled across this FAQ-answer on some other site and I think it does a great job of explaining the general process.
If you also keep in mind that the first three or four basic questions like age, location, zip, etc. are always asked, not because the survey company does not already know them but to ascertain that it´s really you who fill out the survey, that should answer all the questions about this topic.

OMG... I didn't qualify... what happened?

Ok... so, here is how it works behind the scenes.

A particular survey may have demographic quotas, or it may not. Those that don't have demographic quotas, will accept anybody (and everybody), take their responses, and thank you very much, you get your points. All done, nice and simple.

What about a quota based survey?

Here is where it gets a bit more complicated, because when a survey has demographic quotas and/or restrictions, it requires an exact number of responses from set demographics or past experience. Here are some examples...

10 Males who live in Australia, from each age group
20 Males and 20 Females who are self employed, in the IT field.
10 people from each Post (Zip) Code in Toronto
Must have purchased product1 or product2 or product3 (100 people of each)

So, why did I miss out, but my brother got through?

Now, as you can see, when the survey starts, everybody qualifies. As time goes on, and responses pile up, certain segments reach their maximum, and close. So, although a survey (take second example above) is open for males, it may be closed for females, because it has already reached its quota.

Fine, but why didn't you tell me from the beginning?

When we do know whether you qualify or not, we do tell you. It makes no sense for us to send you off to do a survey, knowing you don't qualify. Why would we do that? huh? Right - no reason. So we don't.

First of all, you will not get an invitation, unless you fit the general profile. Second, if it is a piece of data we already know, on arrival at the qualifying page, we will tell you immediately, sorry, this survey has now closed (for you). For example, if all 'male' spots have been filled by the time you respond, and you are a 'male', your journey ends there.

Uh-huh, ok so far, but why do I have to answer questions before you tell me I don't qualify?

Now, some criteria, we don't know, unless we ask you a couple of questions. Take example 4 above, and imagine that all responses for product1 are already done, but still require product2. We will not know whether you qualify, unless we ask you. If you have product1 - sorry you miss out. But if you have product2 - you continue.

So, I could respond to 50 questions and then not qualify?

Not exactly. We're fair people. Usually the 'qualifying' questions are 3 or 4, over and done in under a minute. In extreme cases, where the qualifying section is time consuming, we will pay a smaller amount of points (1 to 5) to those who didn't qualify as well as the full reward to those who go on to complete the whole survey.

Ok. Bottom line?

Bottom line is, although you got an invitation, although you passed the qualifying questions at XXXXXXXXX, by the time you get to the client's survey, you may find that you can't complete the survey, because your particular segment is already done. And unfortunately, there is nothing we can do about it.

And remember, we only invite those who (to the best of our knowledge) partly qualify in the first place! You wouldn't be here otherwise. Now, to see if you fully qualify, we may have to ask something like...

"Have you bought your children The Spiderman DVD from eBay for Christmas?"...

Wouldn't you be worried if we already knew that!


That's all. You may now close this browser.

UPDATE

just to add to the above descriptions as a "reformed" market research telephone survey taker. Ive since evolved into a respondant. But ill put my professor's hat on for another session of Surveyology 101.

I´ve repeatedly read in this blog questions along the line of "Why didn´t I qualify although they sent me an invitation?", "Why did I DQ after just answering the "Are you anyname?" question?", etc. and always was to lazy to write an answer ;-)

Uh-huh, ok so far, but why do I have to answer questions before you tell me I don't qualify?

Now, some criteria, we don't know, unless we ask you a couple of questions. Take example 4 above, and imagine that all responses for product1 are already done, but still require product2. We will not know whether you qualify, unless we ask you. If you have product1 - sorry you miss out. But if you have product2 - you continue.

So, I could respond to 50 questions and then not qualify?

Not exactly. We're fair people. Usually the 'qualifying' questions are 3 or 4, over and done in under a minute. In extreme cases, where the qualifying section is time consuming, we will pay a smaller amount of points (1 to 5) to those who didn't qualify as well as the full reward to those who go on to complete the whole survey.

Remember, a survey is designed to be a representative "Sample" of the population. In the old days where i worked we were given telephone numbers that were randomly generated. (in the days way before the do not call list). This was called our sample. The numbers were selected often times based on the telephone company exchange for a community which can sometimes be a specific demographic segment of the sample.

The key word is a representation of the larger population.Hence why surveys often ask "are you white.black,hispanic or some other race" so that the diversity of America or whatever nation is being surveyed. So when a specific segment of the population's quota has been filled for the survey we are thus terminated. Of course depending ont he survey design, and the total number of completed surveys they need for the client, the higher or lower those groups requirements may be.

Fine, but why didn't you tell me from the beginning?

When we do know whether you qualify or not, we do tell you. It makes no sense for us to send you off to do a survey, knowing you don't qualify. Why would we do that? huh? Right - no reason. So we don't.

Also, keep in mind that as a survey project nears the required number of completed "interviews", the various demographic groups fill up. So, logic would have it that one should stand a better chance of completing the survey, (and hopefully receiving an incentive), if one manages to get to it in its early stages of data collection

Again, remember the purpose of market research. The intent is to extrapolate from a representative sample how the consuming public behaves or spends their money. It is this sampling, if done right and from the right demographic segments based on whatever the client is researching that makes this sort of site and the rest a good tool. Could you immagine say for example, Colgate Polmolive asking about any ad Dawn dish soap Ad they ran on tv and isntead of a survey wtih 500 respondants it was 5 million? The ad would have long been forgotten by the time the project was done.

One other tidbit. I am sure some of us have completed surveys that seemed identical to ones we had done before with what seems to be the exact same questions. AFIKT, this would be what research insiders would call a "Tracking study". This often is to gauge the effect of an advertising or marketing campaign to see if the ads have lost thier impact over time or if folks are buying more or less of Acme Widgets , disposable widgets. This allows management to see trends in their products life.

OK, so ill take off my marketing professor hat, ive bored you all too much. This Surveyology 101 class is dismissed! Have a great weekend and THERE IS NO EXAM in this class