Different countries and industries often have their own specific regulations when it comes to data storage. To comply with this, market research companies need to give careful consideration to where their respondent data is stored.

For example, countries such as Russia and Singapore and industries such as finance and healthcare require personal and research data to remain within the country, sometimes even within local premises.

It’s therefore no surprise that data storage location is the primary concern for 53% of IT decision makers when it comes to cloud adoption, according to IDG’s 2016 Cloud Computing Survey.

To satisfy the need for compliant survey data storage, we have been working with Microsoft and other parties to develop a suitable solution for users of Nfield Online and CAPI.

Achieving compliant local data storage

Nfield Online and CAPI surveys are already deployed from four different Microsoft Azure cloud environments – Hong Kong SAR (serving Asia Pacific, except the Chinese mainland), Amsterdam (serving Europe and Africa), Virginia (serving the Americas) and Beijing (serving the Chinese mainland) – to facilitate speedy operation.

To enable data storage compliance alongside this, we have developed the ability to separate survey deployment from storage of respondent data. This means it is now possible, for example, to deploy a survey from the Hong Kong SAR Microsoft Data Center and store the respondent data in the Singapore Microsoft Data Center.

This locally compliant data storage is being achieved through utilizing the Azure cloud Infrastructure and, where this is challenging, setting up local facilities.

Whatever requirements Nfield Online and CAPI users have, we can quickly configure a suitable solution which strikes a balance between a whole raft of considerations, including security, investment, ease of maintenance and system monitoring, ISO 27001:2013 compliance, speed of delivery, customer preference and potential for growth.

Nfield local data storage applies to the following information:

• Open and closed answer data
• Media capture during an interview
• GPS location data
• Other paradata – including quota information, appointment, address, interviewer’s device)
• Respondent data

Questionnaires and associated media files used during interviews remain stored within the survey engine in one Nfield’s four deployments.

Contact us

Contact us to find out more about local data storage compliance and ask for a quote. Check here to see existing Azure locations. If no Azure location is available where you require one, ask us about other local data storage solutions.

At this moment Nfield is using different Manager interfaces for CAPI and Online. This may be confusing for customers using both channels and inefficient for NIPO because the basic features must be built and tested in both Managers. In these Academy sessions we will present the steps in which the two Managers will be merged into one.

In these Academy sessions we introduce a new document on paradata, tell you how to get to the paradata and give you a few practical examples on how you can use this data.

In an exciting development for researchers who survey respondents in China, NIPO is proud to announce the release of a new Nfield deployment from Chinese mainland. This makes Nfield the only international market research platform approved as an Internet Content Provider (ICP) by the Chinese authorities. Researchers and respondents alike can now enjoy a uniquely superior experience with Nfield, as data no longer needs to pass through the Great Firewall of China.

Why Chinese mainland deployment matters: The performance of outbound internet traffic in China is impacted by what is known as the Great Firewall of China. This firewall actively checks all connections to the outside world, including cloud-based online interviewing platforms. For Nfield Online users in Chinese mainland connected to the Nfield deployment in the Azure data center in Hong Kong SAR, this previously meant unpredictable delays in load times for new questions and thus a poor respondent experience, with high drop-outs as a result. This was not only the case for NIPO’s Nfield, but for all CAWI interview systems hosted from outside Chinese mainland.

The new Nfield China deployment has both its primary and backup locations hosted in Chinese mainland. This has been made possible through the Chinese Government’s full approval of the deployment and granting of an Internet Content Provider (ICP) filing. This gives Nfield a unique status within the international market research industry and enables us to provide an unrivalled level of service.

As well as the obvious benefits for online surveys, the China deployment also means improved interface responsiveness when setting up survey projects and managing fieldwork. And Nfield CAPI interviewers will benefit from faster synchronization with tablets.

Final stress tests were carried out in January 2019 with a group of pilot users. Following the successful completion of those first projects, the domain is now available for use and we are delighted to have already welcomed our first new customers on board. Existing customers operating in China will be invited to switch to the local deployment.

The Nfield China deployment is running the latest Nfield version and will remain in sync with updates applied to other regions.

This series of Academy sessions introduces a new CAPI sampling method, sampling points with addresses and quota, and an improved voice over question type in our template.

This series of Academy sessions is about launching our new training and certification program.

This series of Academy sessions is on how Nfield can support you in your GDPR compliance.

Trust is critical in market research, especially with regards to raw data. Your respondents trust you with all kinds of sensitive data about their lives, you need to be able to trust us to keep that data safe. That is why NIPO is committed to offering the most secure survey solutions for the professional market research industry. Our ISO 27001:2013 certification is strong and independent proof in how we are leading the area of data security.

Nfield includes features to assist you in your efforts to address GDPR controls. Such features include the ability to search cross surveys for respondents, to delete or pseudomize interviews and to anonymize data in surveys.

Our goal is simple: To provide functionality in nfield so our customers can address GDPR controls without having them compromise on data collection efficiency.

For this we created a booklet, we call it our Nfield GDPR toolkit, that highlights the Nfield features that can help you to address GDPR. A guide like this can never be 100% complete, so please feel free to reach out to your sales representative with any questions you might have around Nfield and its functionality.

Please note that this toolkit is not a replacement for legal advice. We recommend that, in case you have not done so yet, you seek legal advice on how GDPR applies specifically to your organization, and how best to ensure compliance.

A request we often get is about support for surveys in waves. That is to say surveys that are done repeatedly with the same respondent. Nfield offers several processes that can help you reach these goals. In this academy we will go over these processes and talk about how they could help you and what the pitfalls of these processes are.

This series of Academy sessions put focus on efficient scripting in Nfield, when using long lists. We introduced a new method to store the answers. Requiring less positions so you will not reach the “maximum positions” as easily as you do now when using the large list multiple times in a script.

Cyber attacks are continuing to increase globally in both number and scale, impacting all kinds of organizations in all kinds of industries. Every company is a potential target. Which means market researchers need to be as aware as anyone about the possible threats and take the necessary preventative action. This calls for being armed with the relevant knowledge and having a system which robustly protects survey data and, with that, company reputation.

A single “NotPetya” ransomware attack in June 2017 led to Nurofen maker Reckitt Benckiser taking an estimated EUR 110 million hit in revenue*. 

*source: the Guardian 6 July 2017

Just think about what would happen if your company falls victim to malware which compromises your entire fieldwork operation, causing irretrievable loss of your fieldwork and respondent data. Not to mention the damage done to your client relationships.

We did, which is why NIPO’s Nfield survey systems are designed to keep cyber attackers out. But optimal cyber security also depends on good human awareness of the threats, so people themselves do not become the vulnerable weak link. We therefore held a webinar about cyber security to educate our customers and help them protect their interests.

In this, NIPO explains why IT security in market research matters to you, provides guidance on what you can do to keep cyber attackers out and answers questions such as: 

• What are the probable external and internal cyber threats, and how could they damage your market research business?
• What is the correlation between the different types of infrastructure (on premise, hosted or cloud) and data security vulnerability?
• What is ISO 27001-2013 certification, and why is it so important and indispensable for your research business?
• Is there such thing as a “checklist” to run business securely?

Find out more
For more details on how NIPO ensures cyber security in its solutions and business, see the Nfield security factsheet. 

So what’s next?
If you would talk about whether your current solution meets the required security standards, then let us know. You can contact us at sales@nipo.com.

Sending interviewers to targeted locations requires specific distribution options within the software itself, all of which can be found within Nfield CAPI. Have you already heard about sampling points?

​Sampling points help you organize the fieldwork

In face to face interviewing, we refer to sampling points when talking about survey distribution. So what are sampling points?

From a technical perspective, sampling points are a way of categorizing interviews into certain groups (points). Categories could literally be anything: streets, areas, cities, or even experienced interviewers in one sampling point and less experienced interviewers in another.

In practice, sampling points are commonly used for a geographical distribution of interviews. The usage of sampling points helps you

• assure a geographical representativeness of the survey
• simplify the quota frame
• control the fieldwork and targets better.

Thanks to sampling points it’s easy to assign interviewers to interviews and control your fieldwork!

The geographical categorization helps to divide and manage the fieldwork and survey targets because interviewers may live in different areas or because you need to find respondents across a number of areas. 

For example, when working on an international project involving many countries (offices worldwide), one sampling point could be one country (one office) with many interviewers.

Or in another case, when working on a local project, the town could be divided into parts with each one assigned to a different interviewer as a sampling point.

Nfield CAPI offers various scenarios

The following examples are theoretical and meant to explain you the main differences.

1. Surveys without sampling points and without quota
Non-geographical distribution is defined and your interviewers can ask anybody and anywhere.

Typical situation: polls

Example 1 without quota and sampling points actually means no table at all.

2. Surveys without sampling points and with quota
Non-geographical distribution is defined by sampling points, but please note that a quota frame can still be used for geographical distinction. The fieldwork is controlled through the total target that is placed in the software.

Typical situation: the interviewers who live in different cities interview people who are randomly passing by

Example 2 with quota, but no sampling points

3. Surveys with sampling points and quota
Geographical locations with the targets as the sampling points (Amsterdam East, Amsterdam West, Amsterdam South) need to be uploaded first, and then a quota frame with sample characteristics (female, male) should be set up. The fieldwork should be controlled through sampling points, not the total target. The sum of the sampling points targets is your total target, but having the total in the software does not help you control the fieldwork better.

Typical situation:  a complex set-up used for international or national projects when a detailed distribution is needed

Example 3.1. with sampling points and quota, less items

Example 3.2. with sampling points and quota, more items

We see more and more customers no longer employing fulltime survey programmers. The researchers themselves are responsible for making the survey. To enable this in Nfield we created the Nfield Composer, part of the Nfield suite. It is the first step into the creation of a full end-to-end solution for market research, soon to be followed by reporting capabilities. In this Academy session we explain all the details of the Nfield Composer.

Face-to-face interviewing is a complex process comprising interviewers, mobile devices and software. A multitude of elements within this process can make a project prone to mistakes, leading to a delay in the delivery or even data loss. Outlined below are our essential tips for some of the most common problems associated with face-to-face interviewing to help you ensure a smooth execution of all CAPI projects.

1. Select the right device

The Nfield CAPI app runs on all Android tablets and smartphones, though not every device will serve you accordingly. We recommend that you run through a checklist mapping the factors that come into play when selecting the right CAPI device.

2. Embrace the issue of security

Security of your data is an absolute priority to us. Rest assured that we do our utmost to keep your data safe, however you also have a crucial role to play in data security by following a few simple rules:

• Ensure that you can wipe a device remotely in the event that it gets stolen. If this is not a feature on the device itself, please consider acquiring such a service. Mobile Device Management (MDM) software will help you configure, manage and secure mobile devices. Never heard before? Please see http://www.air-watch.com.
• Create logins per interviewer; never set up logins per device. Nfield CAPI enables you to track activities taken by the interviewers through their unique user ID.
• Set strong password requirements in Nfield CAPI, and ask your interviewers to keep their logins confidential or even to change the password regularly. The downside is that the more complex password, the bigger chance the interviewers will eventually jot it down on a piece of paper.
• Apply a user role configuration that defines a scale of activities the user is allowed to perform in Nfield CAPI. When somebody leaves the company, don’t forget to remove them from Nfield CAPI immediately.
• Once the quota of interviews for your project is reached and the fieldwork concludes, press the STOP button on the Nfield CAPI interface to automatically remove the survey from all devices the next time interviewers sync.
• Un-assign interviewers who no longer work on the project.

3. Prevent possible trouble in your fieldwork…

… by informing your interviewers thoroughly about how to use the Nfield app. 

• Always log out of the app at the end of the day – never remain signed in the Nfield CAPI app.
• Sync regularly so that you work with the latest version of the survey and its information. Please bear in mind that transferring large volumes of data after various days of work may take you plenty of time.
• Ensure your internet connection is stable when you start syncing the data, and do not change your network connection as this can disrupt the data transfer.

• Activate the GPS on your mobile device if you receive a notification through the Nfield CAPI app.
• If you are assigned to a project which includes addresses and you share the device with more interviewers, don’t leave unfinished interviews in the Nfield CAPI app. When the next interviewer logs in and syncs his data on the device, your unfinished interviews will be removed.
• Use the device’s energy source wisely as you will be using it throughout the day to complete all interviews. Please see the recommendations how to prolong battery life.

4. Monitor updates

There are two types of software updates that you need to be aware of:

1. Nfield CAPI app updates
2. Android operating system updates

Nfield CAPI app updates (NIPO)

The Nfield CAPI app is managed by NIPO, and any updates are designed solely to augment the features of the app. Every release automatically updates the backend of Nfield CAPI but requires the manual intervention of the interviewer to take effect on the device.

Android operating system updates (Google)
All Android operating system updates are managed by a third party – Google. These updates impact the software that the whole device runs on; they are not primarily calibrated to Nfield CAPI functionality.

The Android operating system update usually starts by a window which automatically opens on the screen asking for permission to update the operating system.  The interviewer will need to consent to this before any updates can take place. In other words, the update doesn’t happen automatically.

Whilst we thoroughly test all major updates of the Android operating system to examine whether Nfield CAPI features have not been affected, due to the diversity of mobile devices available and the number of versions of the Android operating being used at any one time, it makes in-depth testing on a large scale impossible.

5. Consider training options

Experienced researchers and fieldwork executives dive into Nfield CAPI without any hurdles. The same applies to scripters who are already familiar with the ODIN language. For those users who require full scale onboarding, we offer introductory and tailored training.

Quality control is a process when fieldwork executives look into various source files to evaluate whether the interviews have been conducted with honesty and accuracy. It is in the researchers’ best interests to ensure that the data delivered to customers comply with the highest quality standards.

Nfield CAPI for smart quality control

In Nfield CAPI you can use location tracking and silent recording with ease to verify data and the credibility of your interviewers.

Silent recording enables you to record either the whole interview or parts of it without the interviewer’s knowledge. It is set up via scripting by inserting a simple command.

Location tracking means collecting unbiased information about the locations where your interviews have been conducted. To allocate an interviewer, the device has to be equipped with:

• the GPS receiver which is the most popular and more accurate option and/or
• Wi-Fi and mobile network – GSM, 3G or 4G which, on average, provides less accuracy than the GPS.

Things to remember about GPS

• The interviewer can activate both the GPS and Wi-Fi and mobile network options in device settings, and let the system decide which one will capture the location best given the current conditions. It is very convenient, though activating both options consumes battery life very quickly.
• How accurately the GPS is able to capture a location depends on various factors: number of satellites in view, mountains and ionospheric disturbances, signal interference caused by buildings and number of channels on the receiver. Specifications for most GPS receivers indicate their accuracy will be within 5-15 meters, 95% of the time. This assumes the receiver has a clear view of the sky and has finished acquiring more than three satellites. If the conditions are not ideal then the accuracy declines rapidly.
• Nfield CAPI automatically attempts to capture the current location of an interviewer when the survey is started. This process happens discreetly in the background and without interviewer intervention. If the required accuracy is not achieved, the interviewer will need to confirm the best available location match manually after completing the interview. The location is saved in paradata and only persons with assigned rights are permitted to download this to view the locations of the interviews.

More options: measure twice, cut just once

In addition to the aforementioned methods, you can utilize Nfield CAPI for:

• Speeding – measure the average time needed to take the survey and check if some interviews have been completed way faster than is realistically possible. You can download the interview duration easily.
• Straightening – analyze the data to see if the same answer category for a series of questions appears too frequently.
• Pictures – look into the data and view the pictures snapped during the interviews.
• Call back – use the gathered contact information of respondents to conduct random calls to verify the data.

You can reject interviews that do not meet the quality standards in Nfield CAPI which will then  eliminate them from the complete target counts and exclude their data from the overall survey data.

Care about the best quality for your customers

False or insincere interviews provide useless data that cannot be delivered to customers, nor do they support the researchers’ objectives. The situation can even tarnish your reputation if the wrong data is used for expensive, important analyses that influence customers’ business decisions. Whilst the majority of interviewers respect their job and the nature of their work, there will always be a small percentage who will try and find shortcuts.
 
A lack of quality control usually results in more cases of false interviews. Pen and Paper researchers struggle with quality the most. Based on our experience, a few dishonest interviewers are revealed at the start when switching from Pen and Paper to CAPI, and as soon as the interviewers realize that the quality of their work is being thoroughly checked, the number of unfortunate incidents decline. Further features of the quality control system then prevents a come-back of dishonest practices.