You can't just develop a new product without understanding the need or interest for it in the market. So how do begin with such research? Which research should you even conduct?

This brings us to the topic of exploratory research. Exploratory research helps us gain an understanding of a topic, defines the variables of the problem, and establishes a basis for a more specific research question.

Read the article to learn what exploratory research is, its characteristics, & the methods used to perform it.

What is Exploratory Research?

Exploratory research investigates problems that are not clearly defined. It is conducted to gain insight into the existing problem, however, exploratory research does not provide a conclusive answer to these problems.

A researcher starts with an idea that is general in nature and uses this as a means to recognize issues that can become the focus of future research. An important feature of exploratory research is that the researcher should keep an open mind and be willing to change the direction of their research as they collect more and more insightful data.

Exploratory research uses the grounded theory approach, also known as interpretive research. It aims to answer questions such as: “What is happening?” “Why is this happening?” “How is this happening?”

For example, if a researcher wants to know how the target audience of their app perceives a particular filter, they can first find out which section uses their app. Then proceeding to find out which filters are most used, why they are used, and decide whether adding an additional filter similar to the existing ones will be a good idea.

What are the Characteristics of Exploratory Research?

Now that we have defined exploratory research, it is important to be familiar with its attributes. Exploratory research has several features that researchers need to learn to understand when to use it.

The following are the characteristics of exploratory research:

1. They are not structured in nature.

2. Exploratory research design is interactive, open-ended, and usually accessible within the budget of the organization.

3. It helps researchers uncover answers to questions such as: what is the problem being studied? What is the need for this study? What topics should be included in the study?

4. It is time-consuming and thus requires patience and persistence on the part of the researcher.

5. Exploratory research is broad, flexible, and adaptive in nature.

6. The researcher needs to go through all the information and data collected through the research.

7. Exploratory research needs to have an important cost or value; if not, it is ineffective.

8. The researcher should have some theories that will help in supporting the findings uncovered during the exploratory research.

9. Exploratory research generally produces qualitative data.

10. In some instances, where the study sample is large, and data is collected through surveys and experimentation, explorative research can be quantitative.

Now, that we have cataloged the characteristics, the question is how to go about collecting the data for your exploratory research. The following section explains the two methods you can use to conduct your research.

What are the Types of Exploratory Research?

Carrying out research on something that one has limited information about sounds and feels difficult. However, several methodologies can help you decide the best research design, how to collect data, and the variables to study.

There are two main methods of conducting exploratory research - primary research and secondary research. Under these two broad types, various methods can be used depending on the nature of your study.

The data can be of quantitative or qualitative nature. Let’s look at each of the research methods in detail.

1. Primary Research Methods

In the primary research, the information is collected directly from the respondents. This data can be collected from a group of people or just an individual.  It is usually done to explore a problem that needs in-depth analysis.

A) Surveys:

Surveys or polls can gather large amounts of data, usually from a predetermined group of respondents. They are one of the most popular quantitative research methods. Surveys or polls are used in exploratory research to explore the opinions, trends, or beliefs of the target population.

Surveys can now be conducted online and thus be made more accessible, thanks to technology! Nowadays, organizations have started offering shorter surveys and rewards to the respondents who fill them to increase the response rates and gain more insights. Short surveys can be sent to respondents through text messages right after they make a purchase and are asked to fill it for a coupon/discount in return, so organizations can understand their views on the product under study.

Voxco lets you conduct omnichannel surveys to gather insightful market research data anywhere, anytime.

B) Focus Groups:

Another widely used methodology in exploratory research is focus groups. In this method, a group of respondents is chosen and asked to express their opinions on the topic of interest. One important consideration when making a focus group is choosing people with a common background and similar experiences to get unified and consistent data.

An example of a focus group would be when a researcher wants to explore what qualities consumers value when buying a laptop. This could be the display quality, battery life, brand value, or color. The researcher can make a focus group of people who buy laptops regularly and understand the dynamics a consumer considers when buying electronic devices.

C) Observation:

Observational research can be quantitative or qualitative. It involves observing an individual and making inferences from their reactions to certain variables.

This research does not require direct interaction with the participants. For instance, a researcher can simply record the observations of how people react at the launch of a new product.

D) Interviews:

Surveys provide huge amounts of information in a relatively short period of time, but an interview with one person can provide in-depth information that can otherwise be overlooked in surveys. Interviews are a methodology for collecting data for qualitative research.

You can conduct the interview face-to-face or even on the telephone. For example, an interview with an employee about their job satisfaction can offer valuable insights that would otherwise go unnoticed in the closed-ended questions asked in a survey.

2. Secondary Research Methods:

In secondary research, information is gathered from primary research that has been published before. For instance, gathering information from case studies, newspapers, online blogs or websites, or government sources.

A) Online Resources:

The quickest way to find information on any topic is through the internet. A huge amount of data is available on the internet that you can download and use whenever you need it. One important factor to consider when acquiring data online is to check the authenticity of the sources provided by the websites.

For example, a researcher can find out the number of people using a preferred brand of clothing through a poll conducted by an independent website online.

B) Literature review:

Reviewing the existing literature on a particular topic from online sources, libraries or commercial databases is the most inexpensive method of collecting data. The information in these sources can help a researcher discover a hypothesis that they can test.

Here, sources can include information provided by newspapers, research journals, books, government documents, annual report published by organizations, etc. However, the authenticity of the sources needs to be considered and examined.

Government sources can provide authentic data but may require you to pay a nominal price to acquire it. Research agencies also produce data that you can acquire at a nominal cost, and this data tends to be quantitative in nature.  

C) Case studies:

Another way researchers can gather information for their exploratory research design is by carefully analyzing the cases that have been through a similar problem the researcher wishes to study. These cases are important and critical in the business world, especially.

The researcher should be cautious in reviewing and analyzing a case that is similar to the variables of concern in the present study. This methodology is commonly used in the health sector, social sciences, and business organizations.

For example; let’s assume that a researcher is interested in understanding how to effectively solve the problems of turnover in organizations. While exploring, he came across an organization that had high rates of turnover and was able to solve the problem by the end of the year. The researcher can study this case in detail and come up with methods that increase the chances of success for this organization.

[Related read: Primary Vs. Secondary Research]

What are the Steps to Conduct Exploratory Research?

Let’s explore the practical aspect of how you can conduct exploratory research from design to data analysis. Follow the steps as per your research requirements to uncover insights and validate your research question.

1. Identifying the problem area -

The very first step is for the researcher to identify the area of research and the problem can be addressed by finding out ways to solve it.

2. Creating a hypothesis -

If the researcher is aiming to solve a problem for which there are no prior studies or the problem has not been resolved efficiently in previous research, then the researcher creates his/her own problem statement. This problem statement, also called a hypothesis, will be based on the questions that the researcher came up with while identifying the area of concern.

3. Determining data collection methods -

While planning your research design, it is important to select the proper data collection methods. In this blog, we have explored the various methods of data collection so you can determine which method aligns with your objective.

Consider the nature of your research goal and identify the source of data you want to explore. Determine the data collection tools you need, which may include an online survey tool or a phone survey tool.

4. Choosing sampling method -

In order to ensure your research findings represent the target population, you need to choose the appropriate sampling method or leverage a market research panel. This step will help you gather data from the audience who have knowledge or experience about the subject, thus allowing you to gather relevant and accurate insights.

5. Analyzing data and identifying patterns -

Leverage a survey software that enables you to store and analyze data seamlessly. Conduct quantitative data analysis, text, and sentiment analysis to identify patterns, reveal trends, and discover key findings. By utilizing a robust tool, you can unveil meaningful insights to guide your future research.

6. Advancing future research -  

Once the data for the current problem has been obtained, the researcher will continue the study through a descriptive investigation. Generally, qualitative methods are used for a detailed study of the data to find out if the information gathered through exploratory research is true or not.

When to Use Exploratory Research?

Exploratory research design helps you investigate a subject that is vague, new, or poorly understood. Often referred to as grounded theory research, the insights help strategies the foundation of future research.  

1. Define a vague topic:

This research design is an ideal choice when you have a poorly defined research problem. The exploratory method helps you gain clarity on the subject before you dive deeper.

2. Explore unexplored topics:

The research method helps brands delve into emerging or new markets with limited prior data. It helps identify variables, trends, and characteristics.

3. Conduct market research:

Brands can utilize exploratory research to gauge market trends, customer preferences, behaviors, and needs. You can use the feedback to guide your marketing strategies and product/service developments.

4. Study diverse population:

The research method is valuable in gathering knowledge on diverse cultural groups. It can help you understand the nuances of different cultures, behaviors, needs, and more.

Advantages of Exploratory Research

Exploratory research provides the researcher an opportunity to keep an open mind and explore the variables affecting their area of interest. Some of the advantages of exploratory research are:

• It allows researchers to be flexible and change their stance on the problem being studied as the research progresses.
• It is cost-effective.
• It lays a foundation and structure for future research.
• It can help researchers find out the causes of the problem being studied, which can be elaborated on in future studies.
• It allows you to adapt the method of data collection as required by the research.

Now that we have listed the benefits, we can’t forget the limitations. It is important to learn about both before you jump into the research mode.

Limitation of Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is not without its limitations.

• The research findings are usually inconclusive.
• Some of the data collected can be biased or subjective as it is mostly qualitative in nature.
• Since exploratory research has a smaller sample size, there is hesitancy in generalizing the findings to the whole population.
• If data is collected through secondary sources, there is a chance that the data will be old or outdated.

Wrapping up;

Exploratory research helps you form the foundation of your research project. It lays down the groundwork for a research question you can explore in the future. Exploratory research design is best used when you need insights into a problem or phenomenon before you begin to conduct further research.

Field research is an approach to qualitative data collection that involves observing the behaviour of individuals, groups, or organizations in their natural settings. Although there are many different social research methods categorized under field research, it generally always begins in a specific setting relevant to the social context of the study.

The objective of field research is to observe and analyse the behaviour of a subject in their natural setting. Field research is often tough to analyse because when studying variables in their natural environment, there may be many extraneous variables that could have an effect on the relationship being studied. This, in combination with the relatively small sample sizes used in field research, makes it hard to establish a cause-and-effect relationship. For this reason, most data collected in field research is used to establish correlation rather than a causation.

Why Conduct Field Research?

There are many different reasons to employ the use of field research, the most pivotal being that it allows researchers to access different types of information that may not be easily accessible to outsiders, and that may not be obtained through other methods of research.

Additionally, it is a very useful method of investigation when trying to fill an information void relating to the research problem being investigated as it provides pivotal data on the social contexts being studied. Field research can help obtain data that cannot be observed through other methods of research and can provide an empirical basis to test a research question or hypothesis, opening new frontiers of knowledge. Using field service management software makes the process easier and more organized, helping researchers work more efficiently.

What are the Methods used to Conduct Field Research?

There are 5 common methods of field research, and they are:

• Qualitative Interviews

Qualitative interviews generally involve gathering information through one-on-one interviews that have open-ended and conversational communication. In open-ended questions, researchers pose questions without providing answer options, allowing respondents to present their answers in their own words. This method can be used to collect extensive data as it allows researchers to gain a perspective on “what” people think, as well as “why” they think so.

• Direct Observation

In direct observation, researchers employ the observational method to study subjects in their natural environment without influencing the outcome of the study. This method is very useful in studies where contextual data is highly relevant to the outcome of the study. However, although this method provides a high degree of ecological validity, it also has a very low degree of experimental control resulting in low internal validity.

• Participant Observation‍

In this method of field research, the researcher not only observes the subjects being studied but also immerses themself in the subject’s environment and actively engages in the same activities. Researchers will often take on the very role they are trying to study so that the research participants don’t feel like they’re being studied and are therefore less likely to modify their behaviour in front of the researcher.

• Ethnography

Ethnographic research is conducted using direct observation to research participants in their natural environment. It is used when trying to understand the social dynamics and interactions of participants within a specific social or cultural context. It provides an in-depth insight into participants’ actions and views and how these relate to their social context.

• Case Study

Case study research comprises an in-depth investigation of a specific phenomenon within a real-life setting. This method is also sometimes referred to as a “naturalistic” design in contrast to the “experimental” design of scientific experiments. There are three main types of case study research; intrinsic, instrumental, and collective.

Advantages of Field Research

• High External Validity: Data collected through field research often has high external validity as subjects are studied in their natural settings making the results of the study more generalizable to the real-world.
• Comprehensive Data: Field research allows for the collection of detailed, accurate, and comprehensive data due to the proximity researchers have to subjects.
• Provides Social Context: Field research emphasizes the role and relevance of social context, allowing researchers to uncover social facts that participants may themselves have been unaware of. Therefore, It can be used to collect data that may not be obtainable through other methods of data collection such as interviews and questionnaires.

Disadvantages of Field Research

• Time Consuming: Field research is extremely time-consuming and can sometimes take years to conduct. This is significantly more time consuming than other methods of data collection such as interviews or questionnaires.

• Expensive: Field research is extremely expensive as it involves many different costs such as travel costs, field station fees, wages for field assistants, research equipment purchases, and more.

• High Risk of Researcher Bias: As researchers immerse themselves into the environment being studied, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to distance themselves from the study, creating a high risk of researcher bias.

FAQs on Field Research

What is Field Research?

Field research is a qualitative method of data collection that involves observing the behaviour of subjects in their natural settings.

What are some methods of field research?

There are five distinct methods of field research:

• Direct Observation
• Particapant Observation
• Case Study
• Ethnography
• Qualitative Interviews

What are the advantages of using field research?

Some advantages of field research are that the data collected using this method is comprehensive and has high external validity. Field research also provides a strong social context to the variables being studied.

What Is CATI Software?

CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) software is a tool used to conduct phone surveys efficiently by guiding interviewers through a structured questionnaire on a computer or mobile device. The software enables interviewers to record responses in real-time, capture open-ended feedback, and ensure consistency in survey administration.

Modern CATI systems streamline survey execution by automating question sequencing, enforcing skip logic, and providing interviewers with on-screen prompts. These platforms also integrate with telephony systems for seamless dialing, call recording, and real-time monitoring, helping organizations improve data quality and response rates.

By eliminating the need for manual data entry and question navigation, CATI software allows interviewers to focus on engaging respondents and capturing accurate insights.

The Importance of Choosing the Right CATI Software

Selecting the right CATI software is crucial for ensuring high-quality data collection, efficiency, and scalability in phone survey research. With various solutions available, it’s essential to consider the specific needs of your organization, whether you’re conducting market research, customer feedback surveys, or public opinion polls.

When evaluating CATI software, here are the key factors to consider:

• Ease of Use & Scalability – The software should offer an intuitive interface for interviewers and the ability to handle both small and large-scale projects.
• Automation & Productivity Tools – Features like auto-dialing, call scheduling, and workflow automation improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.
• Data Security & Compliance – Look for encryption, access controls, and TCPA compliance to protect respondent data.
• Integration Capabilities – The best CATI software should work seamlessly with IVR, CRM, and online survey tools to create an omnichannel research strategy.
• Real-Time Monitoring & Supervision – Live call tracking, whisper/barge-in functionalities, and interview statistics help maintain quality and adherence to survey protocols.

Choosing the right CATI platform ensures seamless data collection, improved interviewer performance, and accurate insights, making it easier to make data-driven decisions.

Top CATI Software in 2025: Compare the Best Solutions

Here we have compiled 15 CATI software to help you evaluate the software available in the market.

• Voxco 
• Forsta
• IdSurvey
• Askia
• NIPO
• Survox Inc
• Rotator Survey
• Nebu
• MRDC
• The Survey System
• GreatBlue Research
• Sawtooth Technologies
• Issues & Answers
• Marketing Systems Group (MSG)
• Precision Opinion

1. Voxco CATI Survey Software

Voxco CATI is a leading solution for large-scale phone survey data collection, trusted by research centers worldwide. Designed for high-performance and reliability, it can seamlessly integrate with IVR and auto-dialer software to boost productivity.

Voxco CATI also connects seamlessly with Voxco Online and Survey Analytics, allowing organizations to manage online, offline, and phone surveys from a single unified platform. Available in both on-premise and cloud-based deployments, it ensures easy access for remote teams and distributed call centers.

Powerful Telephony Features:

• Call Management – Streamline survey calls with automated controls.
• Click-to-Dial – Reduce manual dialing errors and increase efficiency.
• Automated Workflows – Improve interviewer productivity with pre-set call flows.
• Whisper & Barge-In – Enable real-time coaching and supervision.
• 4-in-1 Dialers – Choose from Power, Predictive, Preview, and Hybrid dialing modes.
• Skill-Based Call Routing – Match respondents with the best-suited interviewers.
• Real-Time Interview Monitoring – Track interviewer performance with live statistics.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) – Optimize inbound and outbound call handling.
• Inbound & Outbound Calls – Conduct flexible, multi-channel phone surveys.

Built for compliance, Voxco TCPA Connect ensures manual dialing for survey call centers across the U.S., helping organizations adhere to TCPA regulations.

With its scalable, centralized approach, Voxco CATI empowers organizations to run high-quality phone surveys efficiently—whether for market research, social research, or customer insights.

2. Forsta

Forsta (formerly Confirmit) is a powerful CATI software solution designed to help organizations conduct large-scale telephone surveys with efficiency and precision. It offers a comprehensive survey platform that supports multi-mode research, allowing users to combine CATI with online and face-to-face methodologies.

Key Features:

• Advanced Sample Management – Optimize respondent targeting and quota control.
• Integrated Dialing Modes – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Real-Time Interview Monitoring – Track interviewer performance and ensure quality control.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct global research with built-in localization tools.
• Seamless CRM Integration – Sync survey data with business intelligence platforms.

Forsta is widely used by market research firms and enterprises looking to collect high-quality, structured telephone survey data while maintaining compliance with industry regulations.

3. IdSurvey

IdSurvey is a web-based CATI platform that allows organizations to conduct telephone interviews directly from a browser. Designed for flexibility and ease of use, it’s a great choice for call centers, research agencies, and institutions managing remote interviewers.

Key Features:

• Browser-Based CATI – No software installation required, works on any device.
• Predictive Dialer – Automates call handling to maximize interviewer efficiency.
• Quota & Sample Management – Easily set and track respondent quotas.
• Call Recording & Monitoring – Ensure high-quality data collection.
• Multi-Mode Compatibility – Conduct online, offline, and telephone surveys in one system.

IdSurvey’s cloud-based approach makes it an excellent option for organizations looking to scale their CATI operations while ensuring seamless remote access and multi-language support.

4. Askia

Askia is a feature-rich CATI software that enables researchers to optimize call center performance with robust management tools and an intuitive interface. Its Askiavoice module is designed specifically for telephone interviewing, offering multi-mode capabilities for a seamless transition between phone, online, and in-person surveys.

Key Features:

• Advanced Call Routing – Skill-based routing to match respondents with the best interviewers.
• Flexible Dialing Modes – Includes preview, power, and predictive dialing options.
• Real-Time Supervision – Whisper, barge-in, and monitoring features for live coaching.
• Quota & Sample Management – Maintain data integrity with automated quota controls.
• Scalable Deployment – Supports both on-premise and cloud-based environments.

Askia is trusted by market research firms and survey call centers worldwide for its customizable and highly scalable CATI solutions.

5. NIPO

NIPO is a high-performance CATI software built for large-scale telephone surveys. It provides research agencies and call centers with a centralized, cloud-based solution to manage complex survey projects efficiently. NIPO is known for its automation, scalability, and integration capabilities, making it a top choice for global market research firms.

Key Features:

• Flexible Dialing Options – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Cloud-Based & On-Premise Deployment – Choose the setup that fits your business needs.
• Automated Interview Scheduling – Optimize calling times for higher response rates.
• Multi-Mode Survey Capabilities – Seamless integration with online and face-to-face surveys.
• Quota & Sample Management – Ensure targeted data collection with automated quotas.

NIPO’s reliable infrastructure and automation tools make it an excellent choice for organizations looking to streamline their CATI operations and enhance survey accuracy.

6. Survox Inc

Survox Inc provides enterprise-level CATI software designed for high-volume call centers. It specializes in survey automation, improving interviewer productivity, and enhancing response rates through real-time call management.

Key Features:

• Predictive & Preview Dialing – Increase efficiency and reduce interviewer downtime.
• Real-Time Sample & Quota Management – Adjust survey quotas dynamically.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct interviews globally with built-in translation tools.
• AI-Powered Call Routing – Automatically connect the right interviewers to respondents.
• Live Call Monitoring & Coaching – Ensure quality and compliance with whisper/barge-in features.

Survox is a great fit for market research agencies, customer experience teams, and government surveys, offering a powerful and flexible platform for scalable telephone interviewing.

7. Rotator Survey

Rotator Survey is a cost-effective CATI software designed to simplify telephone survey execution. It is widely used by academic researchers, social research firms, and small-to-medium-sized call centers due to its user-friendly interface and affordability.

Key Features:

• Intuitive Interface – Minimal learning curve for interviewers.
• Multi-Mode Data Collection – Conduct online, offline, and phone surveys in one system.
• Customizable Call Scripts – Adjust surveys in real-time for dynamic research.
• Real-Time Interviewer Statistics – Monitor performance and response rates.
• Automated Data Export – Easy integration with analytics and reporting tools.

Rotator Survey is ideal for organizations that need a budget-friendly yet efficient CATI solution, offering strong customization and monitoring capabilities.

8. Nebu

Nebu offers a versatile CATI platform designed to support remote and in-house call centers. With its web-based interface, it enables researchers to conduct surveys from any location, making it a great fit for decentralized research teams.

Key Features:

• Cloud-Based CATI System – No installation required; accessible from any device.
• Advanced Call Management – Includes automated callbacks, appointment scheduling, and quota control.
• Seamless Multi-Mode Integration – Connects with online and mobile survey platforms.
• Speech-to-Text Capabilities – Transcribe open-ended responses for deeper analysis.
• AI-Driven Sample Management – Optimize respondent targeting and engagement.

Nebu is a highly scalable solution that helps global research firms, enterprises, and government agencies execute large-scale telephone surveys with precision and efficiency.

9. MRDC

MRDC provides flexible and user-friendly CATI solutions designed for market research agencies and corporate research teams. Its QPSMR CATI software is known for its cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and ability to handle complex survey logic with minimal technical expertise.

Key Features:

• Intuitive CATI Interface – Requires minimal training for interviewers.
• Automated Call Management – Efficiently handle outbound and inbound calls.
• Multi-Mode Support – Conduct phone, web, and face-to-face interviews.
• Advanced Survey Logic & Routing – Customize surveys with skip patterns and conditional logic.
• Data Export & Analysis – Seamless integration with reporting and analytics tools.

MRDC is a great choice for smaller research firms and organizations that need a cost-effective, scalable CATI solution.

10. The Survey System

The Survey System is a comprehensive CATI solution that supports multi-channel survey deployment across phone, online, and mobile research methods. It is widely used by government agencies, businesses, and universities for structured data collection.

Key Features:

• VoIP & Auto-Dialer Integration – Reduce call handling time and improve efficiency.
• Click-to-Dial Functionality – Increase interviewer productivity.
• Customizable Call Scripts – Tailor survey scripts for specific research needs.
• Real-Time Data Collection – Ensure accuracy and reduce post-survey processing.
• Detailed Performance Reports – Monitor interviewers and response rates dynamically.

The Survey System is ideal for researchers who need a versatile, all-in-one CATI software with strong automation and customization options.

11. GreatBlue Research

GreatBlue Research is not just a CATI software provider but a full-service research firm that specializes in customized telephone survey execution. It leverages advanced CATI technology to conduct accurate and compliant phone interviews for clients in government, healthcare, utilities, and business sectors.

Key Features:

• Dedicated Call Center with CATI Integration – In-house interviewers ensure quality responses.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct research in diverse linguistic markets.
• 100% TCPA Compliance – Adheres to strict U.S. dialing regulations.
• Live Interview Monitoring – Maintain quality control with real-time supervision.
• Advanced Data Analysis & Reporting – Get actionable insights from collected responses.

GreatBlue Research is an ideal choice for organizations that need a hands-on, full-service research team rather than a standalone software platform.

12. Sawtooth Technologies

Sawtooth Technologies provides WinCATI, a feature-rich CATI system designed for large-scale market research and academic surveys. It is widely used in healthcare, social sciences, and customer satisfaction studies due to its customizable and scalable approach.

Key Features:

• Multi-Mode Interviewing – Supports CATI, online, and mobile surveys.
• LAN & Cloud-Based Deployment – Work on-premise or remotely.
• VoIP Integration – Reduce operational costs and improve call quality.
• Call Scheduling & Auto-Callbacks – Increase response rates with follow-ups.
• Custom Reporting & Analytics – Gain in-depth insights from collected data.

Sawtooth Technologies is best suited for organizations that need a powerful and highly customizable CATI platform with advanced sampling and reporting tools.

13. Issues & Answers

Issues & Answers is a full-service research firm that specializes in telephone surveys using advanced CATI technology. With decades of experience, the company offers custom research solutions for government, healthcare, and corporate clients.

Key Features:

• In-House CATI Call Center – Ensures high-quality, professionally managed interviews.
• Multi-Language Interviewing – Reach diverse respondent groups.
• Automated Sample & Quota Management – Improve survey efficiency.
• TCPA-Compliant Manual Dialing – Ensures adherence to U.S. regulations.
• Live Call Monitoring & Quality Control – Supervisors can listen, barge-in, or provide coaching.

Issues & Answers is an ideal partner for organizations that need end-to-end CATI survey execution, offering a full research team alongside powerful CATI capabilities.

14. Marketing Systems Group (MSG)

Marketing Systems Group (MSG) offers PRO-T-S CATI software, a robust and scalable solution designed for high-volume survey research. It integrates seamlessly with multiple survey platforms, making it a preferred choice for market research firms and polling organizations.

Key Features:

• PRO-T-S Dialing Integration – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Sample & Quota Management – Real-time tracking of survey progress.
• Multi-Mode Interviewing – Combine CATI with online and mobile surveys.
• Silent Monitoring & Call Coaching – Improve interviewer performance.
• Automated Call Disposition – Streamlines call handling and response tracking.

MSG’s CATI solution is ideal for organizations conducting large-scale telephone research, offering powerful automation tools and multi-mode flexibility.

15. Precision Opinion

Precision Opinion is a leading research firm and technology provider specializing in high-volume CATI surveys. With a state-of-the-art call center and AI-powered survey management, it is used for political polling, market research, and social research.

Key Features:

• AI-Powered CATI Management – Optimizes call efficiency and data accuracy.
• Multi-Mode Data Collection – Integrates CATI, SMS, and online surveys.
• TCPA-Compliant Manual Dialing – Ensures legal compliance for U.S. call centers.
• Real-Time Analytics Dashboard – Monitor interviewer performance and survey progress.
• Large-Scale Call Center Capabilities – Supports thousands of calls daily.

Precision Opinion is a great fit for organizations that need a high-capacity CATI solution with AI-driven optimizations and real-time monitoring tools.

Selecting the Best CATI Survey Software for Your Needs

The best CATI solution is one that enables you to engage respondents effectively and collect high-quality data with ease. With a wide range of options available, it’s essential to consider factors such as usability, scalability, compliance, integration capabilities, and cost-effectiveness when making your decision.

Ultimately, the right phone survey software should align with your research objectives and organizational needs. Voxco CATI provides a powerful, flexible, and scalable solution for both small and large-scale research projects, ensuring seamless data collection, enhanced survey accuracy, and actionable insights to drive informed decision-making.

Over time dialers have evolved to ease the flow of work for contact centers. Traditionally, businesses had to upload contact lists for outbound campaigns. However, auto dialer software dials the number automatically which helps streamline the workflow of outbound contact centers.

What is Auto Dialer Software?

Automated dialer software makes outbound calls automatically by pulling telephone numbers from a list of contacts. The dialer then connects the recipient with a live agent or a pre-recorded message.

Auto dialers eliminate the need to manually dial each phone number from the list. This spares the contact center agent to focus on other tasks and on the content of the message. A wide variety of industries make use of auto dialer software such as – sales & marketing, health care, hospitality, and education.

What are the important Auto Dialer functionalities?

Auto dialers often require hardware such as a computer, active telephone line, and a voice modem. Some software providers allow businesses to host hardware into their product for free or a subscription. Other providers require them to buy and host the hardware themselves.

Auto dialer software can

• integrate directly with existing CRM software of the center; or
• built into telecom services or infrastructure software of the contact center

Auto dialer software offers an array of functionalities to take the load off of the representatives. Some of these features are common such as managing lists, initiating calls, and reporting data. Some other features that you should look for when selecting Auto Dialer Software are:

Call Disposition: to track and report the result of a call

Call Recording: to assure the quality of call conversation

Answering Machine Detection: to screen and filter out calls that go to voicemails

Call Scripting: to help agents with responses for commonly asked queries

Local Caller ID: to display local ID to contacts by setting desired location and caller ID when making calls

Top 15 Auto Dialer Software

• Voxco
• Talkdesk
• Matrix
• Genesys Cloud
• Dialpad
• Five9
• RingCentral
• PhoneBurner
• ChaseData
• CallHub
• Voicent
• contactSPACE
• Nice inContact
• Nextiva
• Aircall

#1 – Voxco

With 25+ years of experience, Voxco is the leading Research Cloud software that provides Cloud-based and On-premise dialers to help you generate successful leads and provide excellent customer experience. Moreover, Voxco’s state-of-the-art telephony system can be integrated with Voxco’s CATI phone survey software.

Voxco’s Dialer assures an improvement in the productivity of your call center by 50%. Be it work-from-home or call center agents Predictive dialing adjusts the pace of your call volume to match the availability of the agents.

The software is built to handle the workload on any scale. It is TCPA compliant which enables your agents to reach customers on the telephone as well as mobile devices. You can easily integrate with the platform’s IVR to empower the callers with self-serve options.

Voxco capabilities confirm a seamless flow of work – call recording & monitoring, call detection, intelligent call routing, and a blend of inbound & outbound calls. There are more advanced features that users can enjoy and take advantage of in Voxco.

Single-system efficiency: Voxco dialer begins dialing depending on the rules set. There is no requirement for third-party dialer integration.

4-in-1 Dialer: Preview, Power, Predictive, and Hybrid dialing modes improve the quality and speed of the calls. The 4 modes of dialing also enable you to schedule the pattern of calls per project.

Quality Control: You can monitor live calls for the purpose of quality assurance. You can also record calls to review them in the future.

• DNC numbers are also immediately filtered out of the list.
• Dialer dashboard allows supervisor to monitor productivity of each agent. You can track no. of calls handled, wrap-up time, pause and more.

Advanced Telephony Features: It is a flexible outbound calling powerhouse that comes with features like call transfer, conferencing, and audio playback.

• Call blending
• Skill set routing
• Transfer and return calls

Compatible with Protocols: Voxco Dialer supports VoIP licenses and telephony cards. The dialer supports analog and IP phones. It also connects to SIP trunks or standard T1 or E1 lines.

Flexible Pricing Options: Voxco offers flexible pricing models which are based on the requirements of organizations

#2 – Talkdesk

Talkdesk offers solutions through a single platform and helps contact centers reduce customer support costs. The software empowers a contact center with its customizable and future-proof design, helping businesses to improve customer satisfaction.

The platform has an intuitive interface and offers more than 60 integrations all in one place. It provides features such as: AI, analytics, workforce engagement, customer engagement and enterprise collaboration.

Talldesk offers multiple features to help you support your agents in the best way possible:

• Talldesk uses IVR (interactive voice response), ACD (automatic call distribution), and skill-based routing to ensure that calls only get routed to the most qualified agents who can meet the customer’s needs.
• The platform empowers the agent by displaying the caller’s name, contact history, and all relevant data on the agent’s screen in real-time. This way contact centers can support their agents to deliver a personalized experience.
• The software automatically sets up a new profile when a new customer calls.
• Talldesk comes with all needed features – call monitoring, call recording, and real-time reporting.

With its value for money, the software is easy to use for the agents. It offers three packages – Professional, Professional Plus, and Enterprise.

#3 - Matrix

Matrix auto dialer is built to suit contact centers of any size. The auto dialer software integrates with tools like CRM applications, landing pages, contact lists, and affiliate sites to improve productivity. You can also integrate your business tools using the platform’s API.

Matrix also offers many features to streamline the workflow:

• The software allows you to prioritize and improve your agent’s productivity with its reminders and callback calendars personalized for individual agents.
• The real-time dashboard allows managers to track the agents and their performance. You can see which agents are on call, duration, or waiting on calls.
• The automated triggers allow you to set up triggers to inform you whenever a lead converts into a customer.
• Matrix also provides features such as internal chat, call recording, blended inbound & outbound calls, warm transfers, wrap-up time, and more.

#4 – Genesys Cloud CX Software

Genesys Cloud is designed as an all-in-one cloud contact center to ensure that your agents can serve the customers with an exceptional experience. The auto dialer software is easy-to-use and with its intuitive interface, it helps boost agent’s performance.

Genesys Cloud offers several features to prioritize customer’s experience and agent productivity;

• Voice and digital channels allow agents to contact customers on their preferred channels.
• IVR empowers callers with a self-serve option like speech recognition and touch.
• Outbound calling – predictive, power, preview and more dialing mode- assures that agents can reach more customers and generate successful leads
• It also empowers your agents with multichannel recording, workforce management, quality management, and more features.

#5 – DialpadSupport

Dialpad is a cloud-based contact center that uses AI to empower agents with real-time customer insights. The software offers integration with Salesforce, ServiceNow, Zendesk, and more to help users onboard quickly.

Dialpad uses Voice Intelligence to monitor conversation with call transcription and live customer sentiment.

Dialpad Support offers free calls to Canada and the US. There are two packages- Pro and Enterprise

See Voxco survey software in action with a Free demo.

Book a Free Demo

See Voxco survey software in action with a Free demo.

Book a Free Demo

#6 - Five9

Five9 is a cloud contact center software providing solutions to over 2000 businesses worldwide. The platform is powered by Practical AI which enables your agents to provide customer experience via preferred channels – phone, chat, social media, email, and more.

• The auto dialer software supports a wide variety of dialing modes- predictive, preview, progress, power dialing mode, and more.
• Five9 pulls callers' information from your CRM and displays it on the agent’s screen before and during the call to help the agent offer personalized communication.
• The platform integrates with leading CRM packages like Salesforce, NetSuite, and Oracle. It also supports a blending of inbound and outbound calls.

Pricing in Five9 depends on the number of users, seats, and features used. Moreover, you can choose an annual or a month-to-month plan.

#7 – Ring Central

RingCentral is a cloud-based communication that offers communication across multiple channels to streamline the workflow. The platform ensures that agents can provide a personalized experience to every caller.

You can integrate any CRM or other back-end system with the software’s API to receive detailed information on the caller. The platform enables automatic display of caller’s past interactions, purchase history, ticket status, and more.

• Powered by inContact it offers ACD, IVR, CTI, auto dialer, and PBX.
• It also offers advanced routing to allow customers to self-solve their issues and skill-based call routing.
• You can track agent’s performance, KPIs, and customer experience with real-time dashboards.
• Leverage its Workforce Management, and schedule each agent’s schedule according to traffic, volume, training, and vacations.

RingCentral offers four packages based on per user for every month: Essential ($19.99), Standard ($27.99), Premium ($34.99), and Ultimate ($49.99).

#8 – PhoneBurner

PhoneBurner is a cloud-based software and can be accessed from anywhere by using its VoIP dialing. You can log in from your own computer and contact customers from the connected phone.

PhoneBurner offers various features to empower remote employees:

• Power Dialer
• Lead management
• Workflow management
• Email follow-up
• Dedicated admin portal
• Real-time reports and leaderboards

PhoneBurner makes it easy for you to manage contact lists and campaigns with its integrated sales CRM. It can also integrate your own CRM with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zapier, and more. The platform also offers a wide range of features such as call recording, call transfer, voicemail drop, one-touch emails, local ID tracking, email tracking, and many more.

There are three packages, price per user and per month: Standard ($126), Professional ($152), and Premium ($169).

#9 – ChaseData

ChaseData is built to support outbound, inbound, and blended contact centers. It is a cloud-based standalone contact center with customer support and service pre-built in the software.

• ChaseData includes different dialing modes – auto, predictive, preview, and progressive dialing. It also includes ACD to ensure that calls are routed based on language preference, skill, and training of the agent.
• The software offers security settings at the management level which allows managers to track campaigns.
• The auto-dialer software catalogs digital calls on the server for at least 90 days. This enables agents to review the calls later if required. The admin also has access to all the calls.

ChaseData offers three packages per user/month: Small Business ($89), Professional ($139), and Enterprise ($169).

#10 - CallHub

CallHub offers four auto-dialing modes to match requirements for every call – Predictive, Power, Preview, and Robo Dialer. Along with contact center solutions, it also offers Voice Broadcasting software and SMS Marketing software.

CallHub offers the following features to make the most out of the auto-dialer software:

• Local Caller ID
• Schedule follow-ups at a convenient time
• Monitor and join the live call for quality assurance
• Enable DNC or modify DNC list
• Skip over answering machine
• Screen and eliminate outdated and non-existence numbers.
• Segment telephone and mobile numbers

CallHub allows you to pay as you go, the pricing starts at $0.021 per call.

# 11 – Voicent

Voicent is a cloud-based call center that comes with a built-in CRM. The auto-dialer software supports both inbound and outbound calls.

It comes with an automation feature that helps streamline the workflow and track calls, campaigns, and customers.

• The auto dialer software enables your agents to deliver pre-recorded audio messages to your contact lists.
• Agents can also leave messages on answering machines in their own voice or computer-generated voice.
• Voicent also consists of features that involve text to speech to send out personalized messages. It offers – auto, predictive, preview, and progressive dialer- for the call requirement of your agents.

Voicent presents a package that begins with $19 for unlimited calls based on per user per month pricing.

#12 – contactSPACE

The contactSPACE, a cloud-based call center, is easy to deploy that comes with three dialing modes-predictive, progressive, and preview- to make outbound calling more efficient.

It is a flexible software that contains target filtering to allow agents to sort call recipients. It also allows admins to categorize prospective customers to match the skill of the agents. With its Dashboard designer, you can monitor the agent’s performance in real-time.

contactSPACE presents four packages for its clients:

• Siler tier $105 per user/month
• Gold tier $139 per user/month
• Platinum tier $175 per user/month
• Diamond tier $239 per user/month

#13 – Nice in Contact

Nice inContact helps contact centers to maximize the quality of leads and put customers first. The cloud-based contact center displays features for inbound support requests. It helps agents to communicate with the customers using multiple channels – calls, emails, chats, social media, and more.

Nice inContact offers other features such as:

• Automatic Call Distribution
• Blended Predictive Dialing
• Call Recording
• CRM integration
• IVR
• Analytics and Reporting
• The platform also offers workforce optimization – e-learning, workforce management, and hiring.

Any information for the pricing package is not available on their website.

#14 – Nextiva

Nextiva uses Go Integrator to help connect your CRM with its software. The platform supports integration with popular CRMs such as Hubspot, Salesforce, Zendesk, etc. that helps streamline outbound calls for your contact center.

While Nextiva is not a true auto dialer software provider, you can still take advantage of effective tools to streamline your outbound calls.

Nextiva offers tools that match the capabilities of auto dialers, such as;

• Its flagship VoIP platforms allow voice & video calling, texting, faxing, and team chat, to improve performance and results.
• Click to Dial: Your reps can dial directly from the contact list uploaded in your CRM. Moreover, because of the flawless data harmonization with your CRM, your reps receive detailed information on each call they handle.
• Contact Popping: The feature displays all the relevant details of the caller by pulling it out from your CRM.
• You can easily segment lists in your CRM or you can split lists in other CRMs offered by the software to streamline outbound calls.

Nextiva’s Professional package costs depending on the number of users ranging from $21.95 to $27.95 per user every month. For contact centers using CRM like Oracle or Service Now, you should opt for the Enterprise package.

See Voxco survey software in action with a Free demo.

Book a Free Demo

See Voxco survey software in action with a Free demo.

Book a Free Demo

#15 – Aircall

Aircall is an easy to set up and use, cloud-based business phone for sales and customer support teams.

The auto dialer software helps reduce agent’s workload with its Power Dialer, click-to-dial, and more cloud features. With its skill-based routing, IVR, and live call monitoring capabilities it ensures that you offer an exceptional customer experience.

It also enables call centers to integrate with CRM, Helpdesk solutions, and other required applications. Moreover, the cloud-based system keeps the remote teams connected with the call center. It allows agents to work from anywhere in the world.

Research serves as an important input of data in the decision-making processes of multiple organizations. Given this integral role of research and data collection, building a research panel becomes absolutely necessary for any organization looking to gather comprehensive market data to find answers to their research questions.

Not everyone has the aptitude and knowledge base to answer peculiar research questions. With advanced automation and a plethora of research tools to choose from, it has become an easy task for any organization to look for individuals with the capacity to provide them with accurate information that will fuel informed decisions.

In this blog, we’ll learn all the steps for building a research panel, the benefits of an online research panel, and more.

What is a Research Panel?

Research Panel is a group of well-suited people who aptly meet the criteria of eligibility to become a respondent for a particular research topic. The task of building such a panel of individuals is basically comprised of separating targeted respondents from the rest of the market and using them as research participants for nuanced market research.

The focus here is on quality and not quantity. Your panel of respondents must include specifically those individuals who can speak volumes and make a legitimate contribution to increasing your know-how about the market in the current scenario.

Including a large number of irrelevant members as respondents, on the other hand, is a compromise that hinders research quality and has no value addition. This can make decisions based on such input have minimal to no impact and can even cause a downfall as a worst-case scenario.

The benefits of using a research panel

There are certain benefits that set apart panel research from any other research style. These benefits justify the use of a research panel to carry out effective and targeted data collection.

1. Highly reliable

The use of a research panel makes the research data gathered using such a panel highly reliable and dependable. The people who provide such data have up-to-date information about the market. Such information can be used to make impactful decisions as well as the same information can be replicated as input for other relevant studies.

2. Valid information

Data collected through research panels are highly accurate. The inputs that are gathered provide a cohesive overview of the research subject, which makes the analysis actionable.

3. Quick data collection

Panel research provides organizations with the freedom to use a small sample to gather all the data they need. The rigorous selection and screening of the panel members make them highly representative of the actual target market.

This eliminates the need for organizations to look for a large number of panelists. Moreover, the distribution and collection through online channels allow the collection of responses within hours.

4. Unbound research

With experts and professionals as panelists, organizations have the freedom to dive into technicalities to narrow the field of study. The use of jargon and field-specific terms can easily be done without causing ambiguity or confusion among the respondents. With this level of research, organizations are easily able to conduct nuanced research, identify pain points and come up with optimal solutions to complex problems.

5. Cost savings

Conducting research using a research panel is more pocket friendly than using any other sample of the population that might or might not provide you with the correct information. Organizations can choose to minimize sample size due to low sampling bias.

Moreover, brand-related surveys use brand advocates as respondents who volunteer for research without any requirement of incentives or rewards. Their general interest levels in the brand and its products generate authentic data without any additional cost.

How to build an online research panel?

The process of building an online research panel is quite detailed and involves several steps. In order to build an effective research panel, all the steps must be followed carefully.

Steps for building a research panel

1. Defining your research objectives
2. Recruiting participants
3. Screening and qualifying participants
4. Establishing communication channels
5. Incentivizing participation
6. Conducting research studies
7. Analyzing and reporting data

Let’s deep dive into all the steps to build an online research panel:

Step 1: Define your research objectives

Before you begin building your panel, you need to define your research objectives. What kind of data do you want to collect? Who is your target audience? What research methods do you plan to use? This information will help you identify the characteristics and criteria you need for your panel.

Step 2: Recruit participants

Recruiting panel participants is a meticulous activity.

You can recruit participants for your panel through various channels, such as social media, online advertising, and email campaigns.

Let’s review some of the most common channels of panel recruitment:

1. Email

This is one of the most common and effective channels of recruiting panel members. Emails generate a lot of commercial traffic, which can be contacted for creating panels. With automated email services, emailing potential panelists and enquiring for relevant information is easier than ever. It generates good leads as well as prompt replies that make it a highly efficient and viable option to be used as a panel recruitment channel.

2. Social media

The reach of social media has expanded far and wide. The worldwide user base of social media platforms such as Facebook, with over 2 billion users, and Twitter, with over 200 million users, is indicative of the kind of reach that can be generated using such platforms.

Organizations can engage with specific individuals using such platforms where the frequency of activity is very high. This makes these platforms highly reliable for generating quick responses. Maintaining an active social media presence and monitoring can go a long way in filtering users that show a designated behavior and in boosting the online brand imag

3. SMS

Short messaging services are the most widely used facility. It is a great medium to catch user attention and lure them to be a part of research panels. Survey links and invites can easily be shared among a large mass of audience through SMS facilities. It does not ask for an online presence and can be shared with anyone owning a mobile device. Brief introductions about the company and the research can be given using the multi-language functions that are provided in survey software platforms. This enhances user understanding and reduces chances of confusion.

4. Website

Website traffic can be scrutinized and nudged to join research panels. Companies have a large amount of direct and indirect traffic that visits their websites to accomplish multiple objectives such as customer service, increasing awareness, registering complaints, or addressing queries.

Using targeted landing pages and website pop-ups, companies can effectively push this online audience to join research panels. This will also have the additional benefit of recruiting brand advocates and customers as panel members, thus increasing authenticity and minimizing the need for incentivizing.

Voxco panel members are recruited through different means from trusted institutions that provide verified people best suited for any research requirement.

You can also use panel management software to help you automate this process.

You can also use panel management software to help you automate this process.

Step 3: Screen and qualify participants

Once you have recruited potential participants, you need to screen and qualify them based on specific criteria.

This step involves defining the criteria that each individual must meet in order to be qualified as a panel member for a particular study. This may include demographic information, interests, and behavior.

These criteria are then converted into a concise survey that is sent out to multiple databases of panelists. On the basis of their answers, a limited number of well-suited individuals get qualified as fit respondents.

It is imperative that all aspects are carefully deliberated over and covered to narrow down the eligibility criteria. This way, it will be easier to choose respondents who are more representative of the target population.

Step 4: Establish communication channels

You need to establish communication channels with your panel members to keep them engaged and informed. This can include email, social media, or online messaging platforms.

Step 5: Incentivize participation

Offering incentives, such as cash rewards, gift cards, or other prizes, can help encourage panel members to participate in research studies.

Step 6: Conduct research studies

You can use various research methods, such as online surveys, focus groups, and product testing, to collect data from your panel members.

Step 7: Analyze and report data

Once you have collected data, you need to analyze it and report your findings. This can involve using analytics software and data visualization tools to identify patterns and trends.

Overall, building an online research panel requires careful planning and execution. By following these steps, you can build a high-quality panel that meets your research objectives and provides valuable insights into your target audienc

Panel Management

Once you’ve selected your panel members, it is very important to keep them engaged. After building a research panel, you need to update it using a custom online research panel constantly. Panel management software is associated with the continuous creation and maintenance of panels. Customized profiling, continuous interactions, provision of timely incentives, and other activities all come under the purview of panel management.

Panelists, esp. customers, are interested in two-way interactions with the organizations. There is a need to come up with new and innovative practices to maintain panel members so that they don’t lose out their interest and the quality of research can be maintained.

FAQs

What is a research panel?

A research panel or custom online research panel is a group of dedicated respondents who agree to contribute their feedback and insights to a particular research. The members of research panels, also called panelists, are recruited by research firms via social media, websites, emails, etc. Most market research firms use research panels to gather accurate and reliable data for product development, social welfare, health infrastructure, etc.  

Research panelists are often given incentives such as cash rewards or gift cards to keep them invested in the process of research and boost active participation.

What are some common uses of research panels?

The most common use of online research panels is to gather accurate data for a study from a targeted group of customers that have been recruited based on various factors. This data ensures that the findings of the study are statistically significant and representative of the population they are studying.

Here are some of the common uses of a market research panel:

1. Gathering feedback on new products or services: Before launching any new product or service to the public, companies can use research panels to test their appeal. By doing so, they can get feedback on features, pricing, packaging, and other aspects of the product or service.

2. Understanding consumer behavior: Companies can also use research panels to better understand consumer behavior by collecting data on things like purchasing habits, brand preferences, and consumer attitudes. Then, they can use this information to build marketing strategies and accelerate product development.

3. Tracking trends: Another thing that research panels can help companies do is track trends in consumer behavior and changes in preferences over time. This can be valuable for companies that want to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing market conditions.

4. Identifying market opportunities: Online consumer research panels can help companies identify new market opportunities by gathering information on consumer needs and preferences. This can help companies develop new products or services that meet unmet needs in the market.

5. Conducting competitive analysis: Another amazing use of research panels is analyzing the competition. Gathering information on competitors, including their products, marketing strategies, and customer base can help companies identify areas where they can differentiate themselves and gain a competitive advantage.

What is panel management software?

Panel management software is a type of software used by organizations to manage and maintain their research panels. It is designed to automate many of the tasks involved in panel management, such as participant recruitment, screening, communication, and data collection.

Also known as online consumer research panels, panel management software typically includes a range of features, such as:

1. Participant recruitment: Panel management software can help organizations recruit participants for their research panels through various channels, such as email campaigns, social media, and online advertising.

2. Screening and qualification: Panel management software can screen potential participants and assess their eligibility based on specific criteria, such as age, gender, location, and interests.

3. Communication: Panel management software can help organizations communicate with their participants through various channels, such as email, SMS, and social media. This can include sending notifications about new research opportunities, updates on study progress, and incentives.

4. Data collection: Panel management software can automate the process of data collection through various methods, such as online surveys, focus groups, and product testing.

5. Reporting and analytics: Panel management software can generate reports and analytics based on the data collected, helping organizations gain insights into their research panels and make informed decisions.

Panel management software can be used by a wide range of organizations, including market research firms, academic institutions, and government agencies. Automating many of the tasks involved in panel management can save organizations time and resources while ensuring that their research panels are well-managed and productive.

The process of collecting market intelligence is a crucial one , especially when the organizations carrying it out rely on it to make informed business decisions. As a result , gathering market data in a quick and efficient manner becomes the need of the hour. Companies need to optimize their approaach to data collection in way that reduces their effort and provides them with qualitative input that assist intelligent follow-up actions.This can be easily achieved through internet panel surveys that not only provide organizations with the ability to gather quick data points within specified time frames but also recruits individuals with the right knowledge that increases the efficacy of the research process. This fast research mechanism even lets companies take advantage of opportunities that present itself in the market before the ccompetition , hence , allowing them to develop a stronger footing and cash in on growth opportunities.

Internet panels : The right respondents to your questions

Internet panels are specialized individuals who are equipped with the relevant information to answer specific research questions in the best possible manner. These people have high experience and intelligence in particular fields of organizational interest. This makes them highly eligible to provide prompt answers and deep insights that can serve as an impetus to the functioning of organizations. For example: for concept studies of products such as Kindle’s Fire tablet , the internet panel is likely to consist of low income working employees or students with a need for a tablet ,to carry out their day to day activities , within an affordable price range. Regular e-book readers and Amazon members wishing to integrate all their entertainment and work related actvities is another niche market that the product will appeal to and so , they must be consulted for authentic feedback that can be used to tailor make the product for the target audience.Internet panels allow organizations to hand pick the individuals that they'd like to carry survey for specific information. This allows the organisations to conveniently select the right people in the right number without any geographical restrictions. These answers then get combined into a cohesive overview of the topic of research through useful analytical tools that are designed to treat and summarize different types of information .

Advantages of using internet panel surveys

The benefits listed below make a good case for using internet panel surveys :

Convenience :

Internet panel surveys are meant to offer convenience with quality. Surveys are designed and distributed through multiple channels with vast audience traffic that engage high number of relevant respondents while collecting intelligence in a quick manner. Organizations are not required to put in extra resources or effort to look for eligible respondents . Information gets sourced through multiple respondents without much hassle . Internet panel surveys , in this sense , provide a great deal of insights at minimal effort.

Highly representative :

The respondents in an Internet Panel Study are highly aware about the current market trends and customer preferences . Their answers and suggestions are much more representative of the actual market sentiment. This allows organizations to extract maximum information using a sample of participants. This reduces sampling bias and makes the implementation of modifications much more easier as it helps gain ready market acceptance . Organizations need not search for specified individuals that meet the eligibility criteria as such work can be feasibly outsourced

High-quality responses :

The high expertise of the respondents in the study helps gain quality insights . By quality insights , we mean that respondents are able to answer based on up to date market information and their own experience as well as researchers get to explore additional areas without worrying about the respondent's levels of understanding. The feedback provided by such respondents is authentic and can be trusted to deliver in terms of market results.

Economical :

As American author Seth Godin puts it : Everyone is not your customer. By spending on surveying large samples of data that might or might not help , you skim through the crowd to identify respondents that are fit and eligible to answer your questions. Moreover , you get to reach these individuals not through traditional methods that make the data collection process slow and tedious , but by accessing data throughout the world without being restricted by geographical barriers. This results in increased saving and increased earnings as a result of less cost and increased revenue from products modified to meet customer expectations , designed and improved using meticulous research .

Technical research :

Business research and market studies require respondents who can answer questions regarding consumer behaviour , customer psychology , market trends and many more highly technical areas of functioning which not any person with a generalized familiarity can answer. For specific studies , there is a requirement of experts in specialized fields who have been studying brand or customer specific behaviour for long periods of time and can back up claims with hard facts and figures . Traditional methods may not be able to provide you with professionals that make your research more concentrated. The researcher can easily dive into deeper aspects and use technical jargon without running the risk of confusing the respondent.

Panel Management

You've recruited a panel of individuals best suited for a particular research topic. Is it fair to contact them only when the organization is looking for answers?Maintaining panels of respondents is all about engagement. Panelists are interested in engaging in a dialogue with the organizations they are assisting. Sometimes , this lack of engagement forces the respondents to drop out of studies even when such studies are accompanied by incentives and rewards . This is particularly true for brand related studies where respondents volunteer to take part in research to help out the brand that they love or have shared a long journey with. Naturally , these people becomes the first choice for becoming a part of the respondent panels . But the lack of interaction can turn these brand advocates into passives or even detractors if the brands fail to meet their expectation levels in terms of generating engagement .So apart from surveying customers to know what they think about you , ask them to furnish you with information about them. This helps in creating database of panels. Further , using a feedback or open messaging mechanism makes panelists feel valued as well provides them with an open platform to express themselves freely . It sends a message that the organization is actually interested in listening and acting upon what their customers have to say which prompts these customers to put their best foot forward and be as comprehensive as possible while participating in the research.

How to recruit survey panels using Voxco?

Voxco actively surveys and manages panel of respondents using Voxco Panel management system that integrates seamlessly with Voxco online . Selection and screening takes place that gathers 90 data points from each individual panelist. Research is distributed and collected within hours through an efficient distribution and collection process. Logic functions ensure error minimization to maintain the accuracy and authenticity of data. These specializef panels are carefully selected to meet the peculiar needs of organizations in the best possible manner.Explore Voxco Survey Software

Before starting with what Textual Analysis is, let’s first start with understanding what “Text” actually means. We use the word text very often in our lives when it comes to sending messages on social media or when we see something written somewhere we process it as a “text”. But it would be safe to say that the meaning behind the word text actually run deeper than most of us ever thought.

Text, when we talk in academic terms, is basically anything that presents meaning to someone who is studying it. So when we say text, we can only think about newspapers, books, billboards, magazines and even our messages on the phone. But in reality, text can also include movies, songs, videos, painting, maps, a view, animations and literally everything that you can see with your very own eyes. That’s true! As long as we are looking at something, studying it, processing it in our brains, and deriving conclusions out of it, we can go ahead to call all those things a TEXT.

What is Textual Analysis?

This is where Textual Analysis comes into the picture. Textual Analysis is a term used to study and understand texts. It includes exploring the languages, symbols, patterns, pictures in the text.

Textual Analysis helps us understand and have a detailed idea about how people communicate their ideologies and thoughts and experiences through texts. Most of the time, texts such as a video interview, a newspaper article, or a voice message tells a lot about how a certain topic is being influenced by a certain group of people.

Example: A politician is giving a speech on television.

Textual Analysis will help understand the way he is preaching his historical, cultural, social, political points of view and the people who are listening to him may have a similar way of perceptions and this can really come in handy with the analyst when he is exploring a big theory.

What are the approaches of Textual Analysis?

Rhetorical Criticism:

It is a systematic study to describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate the messages that are hidden in the texts. The process of rhetorical criticism comprises of five steps:

• Purpose of the message
• The understanding of the historical, cultural and social context in the message.
• Using it to evaluate society.
• Can build a theory and its applications.
• Teaching people how effective persuasion works.

Content Analysis:

Is used to identify the messages occurring in the texts and enumerating them. It is generally not preferred by researchers as they work on the data that already exists rather than generating new data. The content analysis makes it hard due to the practice of coding the data and labelling them, which in turn includes training the researchers for the same.

• Qualitative content analysis- focuses on the actual meaning embedded in the message rather than the number of times the message has occurred.
• Quantitative content analysis- a step-by-step procedure where the research questions are answered in a proper manner.

Interaction Analysis:

It includes studies right from linguistic features like words and sentence formation to non-verbal factors like hand gestures and eye contact, topics that people discuss, the purpose of specific actions and speeches. Interaction analysis is viewed as a much more complex process that includes massive information on the topic and a strong ability to coordinate on the part of the researcher. It takes for a researcher to arrange for group meetings and observe the functional messages that are being exchanged during the discussion and the conversants’ actions.

Performance Studies:

Focuses on the richness of the text and its aesthetics while. A researcher puts up a performance using the texts to act out how it affects a conversation.

• Select: identify a text to examine.
• Play: try on different vocal and body language.
• Testing: conclude ways of understanding.
• Choosing: select a valid interpretation.
• Repeating: refine the chosen interpretation.
• Presenting: report of what has been discovered.

How and where is Textual Analysis helpful?

With the knowledge of all approaches, we can evaluate our text with Textual Analysis. Let's take a look at how textual analysis helps us to understand texts from different fields.

Textual analysis in Cultural and Media Studies:

In these fields, researchers consider music, videos, audio, images as text and use them for their evaluation. Hence researchers try to dig up the social and cultural context with these texts by evaluating the choice of words, location of the text, design, audience, etc. Textual Analysis here, therefore, is usually qualitative.

Textual Analysis is Social Sciences:

As the name suggests, it is about drawing social relations and understandings by analyzing texts in the form of interview videos, etc. It takes a more quantitative approach where the researcher might look at how many times a certain word or a phrase is repeated in the text.

Textual Analysis in Literary Studies:

This includes working on texts in the form of poems, novels, theatre, etc. and the researcher focuses on the narratives, rhymes, metaphors that are being used in order to draw out meanings from them. This application of textual analysis mostly focuses on unintended connections between the texts.

What is Inferential Statistics?

Inferential Statistics in quantitative research works in addition to Descriptive Statistics. Where descriptive statistics helps to summarize the characteristics of a sample population, inferential statistics focuses on using that summarized data and predict the characteristics for the larger population.

Hence, inferential statistics allows a researcher to make assumptions based on small populations, for the bigger populations. It uses measurements from the sample group and makes generalizations based on them for the larger groups. In essence to what is being said, if you want to identify whether the current statistics are descriptive or inferential, the key is that descriptive statistics works on your current sample data set and inference statistics work on concluding data in addition to your sample dataset which is comparatively huge.Example:You want to know the occupations of people in a village. You collect sample data from diverse villagers. After performing descriptive statistics on it, inferential statistics will give you an idea about what all occupations the rest of the villagers must be into.

What are the problems faced while collecting samples in Inferential Statistics?

• You have to make sure the sample data you select is diverse and random. This will avoid the results being biased. The sample data needs to be representative of the entire population for your assumptions to be accurate. 
• Errors in sampling can happen when you don’t cover some data from the population in your data. It creates a difference between the actual values of the population and the values that you have measured. This can happen irrespective of the first point. Nevertheless, there are various probability sampling methods to help avoid this like Systematic sampling, Cluster sampling, stratified sampling as Simple Random sampling. 

Ways of estimating population parameters from sample statistics:

It ideally tells us how to convert descriptive statistics to inference statistics. As the heading suggests, there are two characteristics:

• Parameter- Describes the entire population (mean of the population).
• Statistic- Describes the sample data (mean of the sample).

Inference statistics help us to use the sample statistic and describe the population parameter by taking sampling error into account and minimizing the difference between the two.

Types of estimating the population:

1. Point Estimate- It uses the sample data to calculate a single value or point, a statistic that is the best estimate of a population parameter. It identifies a point in some parameter space. 
2. Interval Estimate- Unlike point estimate, interval estimate gives a range where the parameter is expected to belong to. 

• Confidence Interval: Most common type of use of Interval Estimate. It is a range of values where the estimates are expected to fall on running the experiment again or on re-sampling. Hence, it is the mean of estimates which can fall on either on plus side or minus side of the variance (upper and lower bounds). Confidence level states the percentage of times we can expect the value to fall between the bounds. More the confidence level, the more the estimates are likely to fall in the same upper and lower bounds of the confidence interval. 

What is Hypothesis Testing in Inferential Statistics?

It is a statistically followed process to testing the assumptions made depending on The morris sample data. Let’s take an example along with the five steps to be followed while performing Hypothesis Testing;

Step 1) State Null hypothesis (H0):

It is an already accepted fact. Analysts try to eliminate or nullify the null hypothesis.

Step 2) State the Alternate hypothesis (Ha):

It the opposite of the null hypothesis and analysts try statistically to prove the alternate hypothesis right. If it is proved that the alternate hypothesis is right then the null hypothesis is automatically rejected. And vice versa.

Step 3) Determine Significance Level (α):

It is a determiner that states the probability of the alternate hypothesis being right. It uses a significance level which tells how confident you are in your conclusion. Generally it is 0.05 (5%) to start with. If α=0.05, then it will mean that you can 5% support the alternate hypothesis (meaning reject the null hypothesis). But it would mean that you were wrong to reject the null hypothesis.

Step 4) Calculate p-value:

It is a probability value in favour of the null hypothesis. Significance level supports the alternate hypothesis, p-value supports the null hypothesis.

• High significance level -> alternate hypothesis (null hypothesis rejected)
• High p-value-> null hypothesis (alternate hypothesis rejected)Step 5) Conclusion:

On basis of the above conditions, you can accept or reject the hypothesis by looking at the percentage of p-value and significance level.Example:(H0)- Obese people are insecure about their weight.(Ha)- Obese people don’t let their weight pull down their self-confidence. (α)- 0.05P-value- 0.02Conclusion- on interviewing several obese people you found out that many people are body positive and are comfortable in their skin. P-value is 0.02 which is way low than the significance level of 0.05, you failed to prove the null hypothesis and thereby accept the alternate hypothesis saying obese people don’t let their weight pull down their self-confidence.

What are Statistical Tests in Inferential Statistics?

Useful to test out predictions and hypotheses, it also eradicates sampling errors.Parametric statistical tests- more powerful due to their defect detection. It does so by making assumptions regarding the normal distribution of scores, the definition of the population by sample data, etc.Non-parametric statistical tests- do not make any assumptions and are distribution-free tests.

What are the types of Statistical Tests in Inferential Statistics?

Comparison tests-

It looks for the differences in mean and medians or scores. To know which test approach will suit the aim, you need to check if your data meets the conditions for the respective tests.Type of Comparison testParametric?What’s being compared?Samplest-testYesMeans2 samplesANOVAYesMeans3+ samplesMood’s medianNoMedians2+ samplesWilcoxon signed-rankNoDistributions2 samplesWilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-WhitneyU)NoSums of rankings2 samplesKruskal-WallisHNoMean rankings3+ samples

Correlation tests-

Tell the level of association between two variables.Type of Correlation testParametric?VariablesPearson’srYesInterval/ratio variablesSpearman’s rNoOrdinal/interval/ratio variablesChi square test of independenceNoNominal/ordinal variables

Regression tests-

They show if you change the predicted variables whether it causes the output variables to change or not. Depending on the number of variables you have, you can decide whether to take the regression tests or not.Types of Regression testPredictorOutcomeSimple linear regression1 interval/ratio variable1 interval/ratio variableMultiple linear regression2+ interval/ratio variable(s)1 interval/ratio variableLogistic regression1+ any variable(s)1 binary variableNominal regression1+ any variable(s)1 nominal variableOrdinal regression1+ any variable(s)1 ordinal variable