Written by Melanie Courtright on August 2, 2017

In the recent Q1-Q2 2017 GRIT Report, participants were asked how they prioritize methods for research projects, and an overwhelming majority chose quality as the most important factor. This is a true indication that, even in times where cost-cutting strategies are widespread across all industries, quality cannot be compromised – quality both in terms of survey participants’ experience and overall data.

Regarding survey participant experience, I recall reading a section of the GRIT Report that hit the nail on the head: “People have a choice on how they spend their time. If we don’t make it a good experience, we run the risk of becoming like that friend or family member who is always asking for a favor of some kind (that we don’t want to do), so we just start ignoring them as much as possible.” To echo the call-to-action from the GRIT CPR report, we as researchers must start putting participant experience at the heart of all research because it is critical to the companies’ ultimate decision-making and the investments they make.

Without proper precautions in place to safeguard research participants’ experience, we are ultimately heading down a path that taints overall research quality. As the lifeblood of research, if respondents have negative experiences while participating in research, then what’s to entice them to continue to be part of studies, or, even worse, take the time to answer questions openly and honestly?

As I mentioned in my latest blog, preserving data quality should be a priority for all of us – those who do market research and those who use market research.

This blog is part 7 of a 7-part blog series by Research Now. To check out parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, click the hyperlinks.

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