4 Tips for Getting Sample for your DIY Survey

By Kevin Rohm, Director of Sampling and Panel Services

As a healthcare professional panel provider for 29 years, you could say we’ve seen it all!  So, it comes as no surprise that we have some strong opinions about what it takes to get the right sample for your DIY survey.  Here are our top 4 tips:

1.Take a hands-on approach.  It is better to manage the sample separate from the DIY platform, because you’ll get more transparency regarding who is making up your sample.  Most sample providers can work seamlessly with DIY platforms and can provide advice regarding how best to reach the audience you are looking for.

2. Think one sample provider, not many. In this case, less is more.  Farming out to multiple vendors can lead to respondent duplicates, of which you might not even be aware, thus skewing your data. Even with the latest tech, respondents can get into a survey more than once if they are invited by multiple panel providers and log in from different IP addresses.

3. Pay appropriate honoraria.  Like many other things in life, with healthcare research, you often get what you pay for.  When healthcare professionals participate in a poorly-compensated survey, they might speed through or be less engaged in open end questions.

4. Ask where the sample is coming from.  If you decide not to manage the sample on your own, then be sure to ask who the DIY platform is using, whether multiple panels are involved, what the process is for de-duping, and how much each panel provider is paying the HCPs.