Technology

• Do you have a real time reporting tool?
• Can you control quotas online?

Project Initiation

• What is the process for getting a bid?
• What are the next steps after I award HISB Europe a project?

Design and Programming

• Are time and budget constraints truly relieved by the benefits of Internet-based research? If so, how?
• What is the fulfillment cycle time for HISB Europe data collection?
• What measures are taken to ensure that side-by-side studies are as similar as possible?
• What measures are taken to ensure that the integrity/ideology of my original survey is represented in your online presentation?
• Does HISB Europe design the questionnaire?
• What is HISB Europe's quality assurance (QA) process?
• How do I know my CATI survey will work online?
• Does the survey have to be Harris Interactive branded? Is co-branding available?
• Does HISB Europe have a standard set of demographics questions included with all surveys?
• Can you balance geography and demographics?

Online Data Collection

• Can you survey from my mail list?
• What happens when a project is bid at one incidence rate (IR), but the results yield a much different IR? Is there an upcharge/downcharge?
• Can I get real-time reports? My client wants to make some decisions as soon as results start to arrive.
• Is there any cost associated with using HISB Europe resources to find an unknown IR?
• Will HISB Europe allow me to include questions about panelists’ experiences that are not directly relevant to my survey subject?
• Are reminder emails an additional cost?

Telephone Data Collection

• What CATI software do you use?
• What countries do you conduct in house interviewing in?

Face to Face Data Collection

• Where are your field force located?
• Do you have your own central location facilities?
• Do you have central location facilities with kitchen facilities?
• What are your hygiene standards for food preparation for product tests?
• Do you have your own viewing facilities?
• Do you use CAPI?

Project Close

• What are your recommendations for incentives?
• How can I be assured that my data is kept confidential?
• What format is available for deliverables?

Do you have a real time reporting tool?

Real-time, online reports are available for the majority of online data collection projects. It’s important that the client understand that the data is unweighted, and decisions should be made in consultation with your Client Service Manager. Remember that interim data can be misleading. We advise clients that the value of online, real-time reporting is to monitor progress and to make modifications when necessary.

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Can you control quotas online?

Yes. Response rates and the demographics of those who respond to online surveys can vary widely. Therefore, we’ve recognized the importance of controlling quotas in order to maintain the distribution of data collected. Quotas can be ‘hard’ where panelists who respond after a quota is filled are terminated or ‘soft’ where panelists are not terminated. Many clients use this technology to control for the demographic distribution of respondents who see product concepts and ad copy.

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It’s easy to request a bid for any type of data collection by just providing some information to us. We will contact you to review the information sent and confirm your study specifications and aim to provide you with an estimate the same business day

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Once you award the project and sign our contract, a Client Service Manager (CSM) is assigned and we arrange a brief ‘kick-off’ call to verify the project expectations as well as develop a project schedule for your review.

If the data collection is online or CATI Actual work on the project begins when you provide your questionnaire in electronic format. If we program and host the questionnaire, the CSM will adapt the questionnaire for Internet use, and review final design with you for your approval.

For face to face projects work will begin as soon as you commission the study as interviewers will be booked to conduct fieldwork wherever the study is based geographically. The project manager can advise or adapt the questionnaire for face to face use also.

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For most projects, data collection costs are less expensive and field cycle times are reduced. This is the rule, but there are exceptions. Of the four phases through which a project advances (design, data collection, analysis, and reporting), data collection is where the benefits of Internet research are most pronounced. Data collection is the longest phase of a traditional project timeline so time saved is usually significant with online methodologies (both quantitative and qualitative).

A member of our team will be happy to advise on the feasibility of conducting your study either online or via traditional methods.

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For online studies those which are "sampling only" projects our average time is 5 days (including one week-end). Timings can be shorter or longer depending on the specification of the project.

For "programming, sampling and hosting" our average time is 8 to 10 days. Depending on the survey complexity and the target respondent, this fulfilment time may also vary.

For CATI and face to face projects, this will vary according to the sample size and/or target respondent.

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Parallel studies must be coordinated in concert with one another to ensure comparable survey design and quality criteria. HISB Europe has helped clients conduct parallel studies where we have been either the Internet and telephony provider or the facilitator with your telephone service provider. We leave the decision to you. As the client, you have the best understanding of your needs and resource constraints.

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As the client, you are involved in every step of the preparation and executing processes including review of all online survey adaptations. Our quality assurance process strictly prohibits fielding a survey without your consent. As the client, you always have final authorization.

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The Service Bureau does not create questionnaires from "scratch." We do provide value by sharing recommendations on how best to present your questionnaire. These recommendations are based on our parallel research, and the experience of our members of staff.

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We have full membership representation of Europe’s ESOMAR and Britain's MRS (Market Research Society), and abide by both their Codes of Conduct. We also have accreditation under the Interviewer Quality Control Scheme. All departments work to a documented quality system accredited under the British Standards Institute’s BS7911 (Market Research Quality Standards Association) quality standard.

Online QA process

Whether we’re using the Harris Poll Online^SM sample, your sample, or a combined sample we take pride in our workmanship. HISB Europe takes the same protective measures your company takes with its brand identity. Whatever the circumstances, the survey must abide by our online quality standards. Our QA is Internet-focused so you can be confident our quality check takes into consideration the many nuances inherent in Internet research. We always review recommendations before implementing.

Telephone QA process

All interviewers are trained to IQCS (Interviewer Quality Control Scheme) standards as a minimum and we monitor at least 5% of each interviewers work. Our supervisor to interview ratio is a maximum of 10:1 to ensure each interviewer gets the support needed. All interviewers are subject to regular monitoring, feedback and appraisals to ensure continual training development.

Face To Face QA process

All interviewers are trained to IQCS standards as a minimum. 10% of all work is validated (backchecked), usually over the telephone. Interviewers are regularly accompanied and appraised by an experienced supervisor to ensure that their work in the field is acceptable.

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Internet research is akin to traditional research in that good survey and research designs are crucial to success. But it doesn’t stop there. We have a thorough quality assurance step built into our standard process to ensure smooth transition to online application. This includes attention to details including visuals, the order and layout of questions, and sensitivity issues.

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Yes, all surveys using the Harris Poll Online^SM database must use the Harris Interactive brand identity and adhere to our corporate identity guidelines.

Yes, co-branding is available. In such cases, Harris Interactive is always first.

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Yes, in fact, we have a detailed set of standard demographic questions included in all online surveys. Supplemental and alternative demographic questions are reviewed case by case.

The demographic questions for face to face and CATI studies vary according to the project, but we are happy to advise on format and presentation.

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Yes, HISB Europe can create balanced sample plans based on your first-tier demographic criteria (age, gender, region) and in further detail based on focused regions or geography.

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Yes, as long as each record has an email address collected/recorded using a bona fide opt-in policy.

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The client owns, per se, the incidence rate. We look to you as researchers to be responsible for estimating incidence rate. Therefore, should you advise HISB Europe of an expected IR of 30% and the actual IR is 10%, you own the outcome.

If the IR is far from what was expected, we will review the project in detail with you to determine the best course of action. At that time, an upcharge/downcharge can be objectively evaluated.

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Real-time, online reports are available for the majority of data collection projects. It’s important that the client understands that the data is unweighted, and decisions should be made in consultation with your Client Service Manager. Remember that interim data can be misleading. We advise clients that the value of online, real-time reporting is to monitor progress and to make modifications when necessary.

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These situations are addressed case by case. The most popular solution is to use one of Harris Interactive’s low-cost, quick-turnaround omnibus surveys to assist confirming your incidence rate.

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Yes, as long as it is for an omnibus-type survey. If, however, inclusion of a question is included in an effort (intentional or inadvertent) to collect intelligence about Harris Interactive’s practices, we reserve the right to rephrase or exclude that particular question.

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No, reminder emails are included at no additional cost.

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We use ICW and Quancept CATI software.

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Here are just some of the countries we have interviewed in:

Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada Caribbean (various) Chile Columbia Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Estonia Finland

France Germany Greece Gulf States India Ireland Israel Italy Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand

Norway Philippines Poland Portugal Russia Singapore South Africa Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey UK USA Venezuela

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Our 700 interviewers are based across England, Wales and Scotland.

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We don’t have our own facilities, but we do have a database of facilities across the country which we use. In this way we are not tied to specific geographies, but can conduct tests all over the UK

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We have access to an in store product testing facility which we use for tests where food needs preparation/cooking. We also have a database of facilities across the UK with full kitchen facilities.

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When using the in store testing facility, fully trained staff are provided from the store to prepare the food – it is their job and the hygiene standards are stringent. When preparing food in other locations, our supervisors fulfil this role. All have basic hygiene certificates.

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We don’t have our own facilities, but we do have a database of viewing facilities across the country which we use. In this way we are not tied to specific geographies, but can conduct research all over the UK.

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We don’t currently have CAPI facilities, but we do generally have the ability to turn projects around very quickly so we can deliver data soon after the end of fieldwork.

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HISB Europe will make recommendations case by case. In general, for online surveys, we recommend offering a sweepstakes where respondents are included in a cash drawing for their participation. For face to face consumer projects we often give respondents vouchers to spend in High Street stores. Where subject matter, incidence rate, and survey lengths dictate, we will work with you to determine if respondent level incentives are appropriate.

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We abide by the most stringent privacy and protection measures applicable to online research providers. This includes survey password protection and strict adherence to CASRO and ESOMAR standards.

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Your deliverables are provided as customized electronic data files or raw data based on your individual request. Preferred formats typically include SPSS, ASCII, or Microsoft^® Excel.

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