Years of concern about
the practice of including “professional respondents” in focus group
and panels, as well as the recent reprimand by the respected
American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) of a
polling firm for failing to disclose essential facts about its
methods, call for a fresh look at validation procedures for polling
and other research activities. This is particularly true of polling
relating to elections.Behavior Research Center (BRC) is proud of its strict adherence
to the best practices code of the AAPOR, and we have for many years
campaigned to make journalists in our region aware of the
documentation they should look for when they receive polls.
BRC has created a new
independent validation service so that research buyers can assess
whether commissioned polls and focus groups have been completed to
specifications. This independent audit gives you peace of mind and
can help polling companies correct problems before survey results
are presented.
The validation focuses on two critical issues: Confirmation that the
respondent took the survey and confirmation of key objective
questions such as age, gender, place of residence and length of
the interview. Focus group audits focus on whether
participants are "professional" respondents and
ascertaining whether they were
properly screened.
Building a validation audit into your job specifications is inexpensive and
represents added value for you and your clients. It is the next logical
step in the evolution of quality market research.
If validation is something you feel would help you assure the integrity
of the political polling commissioned on behalf of your clients, please feel free to
contact Jim Haynes at 602-258-4554 or at
jim@brc-research.com.
