Published: 8/21/2024
Frank Markowitz
Senior Account Director, Dynata
Researchers tend to sound defeated when I ask what the geography is that needs to be targeted or stratified by and the answer is a city. Even when the geography is larger, for example, New York City (whether it be the city proper, five boroughs or the MSA), there is a look (or sound) of how can I possibly field this study and get enough completes to properly analyze the data. After all, as online has become the predominant mode of data collection, this targeting, or stratification scheme has caused researchers issues. It was not always that way.
In years past, targeting “cities,” or small area sampling wasn’t so unnerving as researchers regularly used phone as the mode of data collection to meet those needs. First it was just landline Random Digit Dialing (i.e., RDD). Then cell phone RDD was added to the mix, and more recently, SmartCell. The SmartCell frame utilizes the billing address as the variable to determine the geographic assignment for a cell phone number. This allows for more precise geographic targeting as well as better geographic assignments when people move and keep their cell phone numbers (e.g., when one moves from New York to Florida and keeps their cell phone number. Geographically, even though they have a New York number, it is reassigned to Florida). As time passed and online surveys became the preferred mode of data collection, telephone has taken a back seat. But for small are sampling, telephone should at least be considered.
Regardless of how you define a city (i.e., city proper by using ZIP Codes, the county it is in or the Metropolitan Statistical Area – MSA), feasibility can be determined for an online panel. As that is usually limited for small area sampling, the balance of the completed surveys can be fielded using telephone as the mode of data collection. But as with any methodology, there are factors that should be taken into consideration. Multi-mode is no different.
Considerations:
- As we know, one of the reasons online has taken such a strong foothold in the research industry is it is inexpensive. Does the client have a large enough budget to include telephone data collection too?
- Another reason online is predominant today is the speed of data collection. Telephone data collection takes considerably longer than online. Is the client’s timeline long enough for multi-mode?
- What percentage of the completes should come from each mode of data collection? Should it be as many completes from online as possible and the balance from the telephone? This is typically the least expensive way to proceed. The goals of the survey will assist in determining if it is the best.
- Multi-mode means the data from two or more different modes will need to be aggregated and analyzed. Do you have that expertise in-house or can you outsource that?
- Do you have expertise in telephone data collection from both a sample and data collection perspective. Many companies are not experts in either of these today. Dynata’s capabilities include both online and telephone sample and data collection. Dynata is experts in both.
There are other strengths and limitations to both modes of data collection and sample that will be affected by the specifications of the study. Some of those may be demographic; if product usage and other targets need to be used which may result in low incidence rates; are you trending data; etc.
To discuss this in more detail, please contact Dynata.