FAQs

What experience does Decision Point have with providing online samples for market research?

We are a specialty research company. The partners of the organization are the pioneers of panels in Canada. Our panel has been gathering opinions from Canadians across the country at a rapid pace since its birth in 2013.

Is your panel/database used solely for market research?

Yes, our panel is used solely for market research purposes. The privacy and security of our panellists’ data are protected with strict adherences.

How do you source groups that may be hard-to-reach on the internet?

We have the unique ability to reach these segments using an offline approach of face-to-face/intercept methodology to complement our panel. Unique to all other suppliers, Decision Point does not outsource any offline work.

What is the size and/or the capacity of your database based on active members?

As of September 2016, our total panel size was over 75,000 active members.

What data protection/security measures do you have in place?

All data is stored on well-protected servers and sampling is carried out through highly encrypted links to the database servers. All survey data stored is de-personified and is linked to the panel database using numeric IDs so the identity of the end-user (panellist) is always protected.

Database back-ups are taken regularly and proper security is applied in all stages.

Do you use data quality analysis and validation techniques to identify inattentive and fraudulent respondents?

Some of the various methods we employ include:

  • Racing/speedsters
  • Repeat patterns
  • Scrutinizing extreme values
  • Nonsensical answers
  • Answers conflicting with respondents’ database information
  • Illogical answers to open ended questions
  • Trap questions to assess panel quality
  • If the budget allows it (client’s decision), random telephone validation of a percentage of surveys