Stay in compliance with ever-changing governmental regulations.

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Alert! Alert! Alert!

In this new age of “always on” technology and communication, it seems like something is always vying for our attention. We get so may alerts. Weather alerts, traffic alerts, health alerts, vehicle recall alerts, food safety alerts. I could go on and on.  Our first tendency might be to get a little irritated about all of these alerts, as they interrupt our daily flow and can produce anxiety. But then again, think of why we are receiving the alerts in the first place. They are there for our benefit—the safety and security of ourselves, our family and our neighbors. By getting that important information out to us quickly, we can act immediately and take the necessary steps to either be prepared or be protected. Continue reading “Stay in compliance with ever-changing governmental regulations.” →

County Level Cell Phone Only Estimates

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Probability based telephone surveys must utilize a dual frame approach in order to capture the ever increasing cell phone only population.   Until the day comes where it’ll be a single frame approach of only cellular numbers, researchers need to ensure they get the appropriate blend of cell only vs. dual phone users in their sampling allocations. Continue reading “County Level Cell Phone Only Estimates” →

Access & Control – Just Like the Family Fridge

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Complying with the new GDPR rules means giving panelists more access to their data

When I was growing up, just about everything my family or someone watching us needed to know would be affixed to our refrigerator with tape or magnets. This included a calendar of events, important phone numbers, report cards, receipts, images, to-do lists and more. The fridge was the central repository for upcoming events for our family.

If you wanted to see what was going on in our lives, first you needed to be invited into our home (or have a key to gain access). Only trusted friends, relatives or service providers could get in and see the refrigerator to learn what we were up to.

Just as access to the family fridge was limited, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been designed to enhance an individual’s control over their data and restrict outside access.  Now, allow us to read your rights!  You have the right to be informed when your data is being processed, the right to access your data and confirm its lawful processing. You have the right to be forgotten, the right to data portability, rectification, objection to direct marketing, restriction of processing personal data, and safeguards against AI related decision making. One of the primary aims of GDPR is to give an individual total control of their data, and organizations with access must comply with the demands. Continue reading “Access & Control – Just Like the Family Fridge” →

Verifying Important Data Points

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I trust my kids. No really, I do. My oldest is at the age where she spends a lot of time with her friends—getting picked up to go shopping, going out to eat, hanging out at parties, sleepovers—in all cases, she is not at home and not with me. Like I said, I do trust her, but for the sake of my own sanity (and of course her safety), I have taken the necessary steps to verify that she is doing what she says she is doing.

Yes, I take a quick look at the cell phone GPS while she is out, I text to make sure her location matches, and I call her friends’ parents to verify that she is spending the night. Not every time she goes out, but enough. Just so you don’t think I’m snooping on her unawares, my daughter understands perfectly well that I am verifying all these details. I want her to know, and it is good that she knows. Not that she is looking to intentionally deceive, but honestly, weren’t we all kids once? We know the script. Just knowing that someone is checking in—well, that keeps everyone honest. I hope, it also brings her a sense of security, too. Continue reading “Verifying Important Data Points” →

Understanding Authentication & Authorization

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Learn the Magic Words: Authentication & Authorization

“Open Sesame!” “Abracadabra!” In fairy tales, magic words like these are invoked before the treasure chest unlocks and doors open. In the software realm, we don’t call it “magic”, we call it “authentication” and “authorization”. Authentication is needed to protect access to precious data. Authorization tells you what you can do once you are inside. Continue reading “Understanding Authentication & Authorization” →

Facing the regulatory challenge of Centralized Data

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In the new world of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), organizations that process or store information on EU Data Subjects must comply with new uniform data privacy requirements. Did you know that GDPR requires all information you hold to be centralized? In this article we focus on centralized data, the looming challenges we face, and the solutions to them. Continue reading “Facing the regulatory challenge of Centralized Data” →

Finding Your Niche: Specialization and the Future of Market Research Firms

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Trend watchers no doubt have noticed that traditional players in the market research space are having an increasingly hard time keeping up and scaling their business practices with changing times. In a recent article, analysts have reported a flat growth rate of 2% in the market research industry. This is not good, especially when you factor in inflation. Continue reading “Finding Your Niche: Specialization and the Future of Market Research Firms” →

What to Expect from the New European Data Protection Regulations

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D-Day is coming to Europe next spring, and no, we’re not talking about World War II. For us in the here and now, the “D” in D-Day stands for Data. In May 2018, new data protection regulations will take effect in the EU, and the impact on businesses and consumers will be enormous. Continue reading “What to Expect from the New European Data Protection Regulations” →

Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys

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Marketing researchers are all facing two important challenges to data quality. First is the question of representativeness: with response rates plummeting, we need to make surveys shorter, more engaging, and easier for respondents to complete. Second is the issue of data accuracy: we must make sure that survey questions measure what we think they measure. Continue reading “Quality Starts with Survey Design: Tips for Better Surveys” →