by Richard Jenkins | Dec 24, 2010 | Industry News and Trends, Public Opinion, Survey methodology
If you are interested in the evolution of language then Google’s new little tool is a great way to see how the frequency of a word has changed over time. Using the archive of digitized books, it is now possible to see how often we used certain words (at least in the...
by Richard Jenkins | Sep 29, 2010 | Consumer and brand behaviour, Public Policy
Why do economic forecasts require so much adjustment if they are based on reliable economic models? Last week, for example, the release of Statistics Canada figures for July showed a decline in consumer spending that fuelled speculation that the recovery in Canada may...
by Richard Jenkins | Jul 16, 2010 | Industry News and Trends
We often view the past through rose-coloured glasses, but it does seem like being a market researcher was easier in the past. To put it simply, it is harder to make money. While exacerbated by the global economic downturn in the past several years, the challenge has...
by Richard Jenkins | May 13, 2010 | Industry News and Trends
It may seem paradoxical but the do-it-yourself (DIY) online survey applications are not all bad for the market research industry. Even if small boutique firms like mine often do not use the tools themselves, preferring to out-source to someone who can manage the whole...
by Richard Jenkins | Apr 14, 2010 | Survey methodology
It is probably not surprising that one of the conclusions of the Opt-in Online Panel Task Force created by AAPOR pertained to quality. As the panel concluded, “researchers should choose the panels they use carefully” (get report here) because not all panels are...