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Abstract:

Publicity surrounding recent outbreaks of food-borne illness has raised concern among American consumers about the microbial safety of produce delivered through food marketing channels. In 2006 an E. coli outbreak was traced to spinach, resulting in millions of dollars in losses for the produce industry; in early 2008 a large salmonella scare linked to tomatoes also dampened industry profits. To investigate the effects of these concerns, a large random survey of American consumers from the Gallup Panel was performed in October 2008 to investigate the extent to which consumers were concerned about the microbial safety of produce and how they coped with those concerns in the food marketing channel. Read more

Abstract:

Survey response rates have been declining over the last several decades, particularly for random-digit-dial (RDD) telephone surveys (see de Leeuw, et al., 2002; Steeh, 1981). This trend affects research panels such as the Gallup Panel, which uses RDD methodology to recruit its members. If significant improvements in panel recruitment response rates are to be achieved, new approaches must be considered. This paper presents the findings of an experiment conducted by the Gallup Panel to analyze the individual and combined effects of incentives, advance letters, and follow-up telephone calls on the panel recruitment response rate. Read more

Abstract:

A growing number of Americans are considering cutting their landline telephone cords in favor of becoming cell phone-only. To date, survey researchers have begun to understand that cell phone-only users tend to be “heavy users” of cell phones compared with those who have both landlines and cell phones. Recent studies on cell phones (either in conjunction with/without a landline phone) have explored behaviors such as types of plans (individual/family), type of usage (sharing,/personal) and frequency of usage (most/some calls, emergency calls). Read more

Abstract:

The Gallup Panel recruits members randomly using Random Digit Dial (RDD) methodology and assigns members to receive surveys either through the mail or web. Since both of these modes are self-administered, there is no interviewer to motivate respondents to answer carefully. The only communication of the researcher with the respondents is through the instructions, question wording, and design. The Gallup Panel surveys often include many long lists of questions that use the same response options. When respondents answer long batteries of questions such as these, they may be more likely to change their response patterns towards the end of the battery as they become fatigued, resulting in measurement error. Read more

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been an increase in the proportion of U.S. households that use cell phones exclusively or extensively. This trend presents a challenge to consumer research panels such as The Gallup Panel that use random digit dialing (RDD) methodology to contact U.S. households at random by landline phone in order to represent the entire U.S. population with their research. Included in this trend is a growing percentage of Americans who are considering giving up their landline phone access at home and planning to use cell phones exclusively. Read more