To be of real value, market research has to be cleaned of invalid responses, such as non-genuine answers and submissions from outside a required geographic region. While you can’t (yet!) put responses through a lie detector test, there are still many ways to identify rogue submissions.

Following the Quality Control tips below will help you catch responses that are deliberately or accidentally invalid. And, thanks to recent improvements to Nfield’s Quality Control feature, taking action is easier than ever.

Here are measures you can take to safeguard survey response quality, followed by a guide to using Nfield’s improved Quality Control feature.

Best practices for identifying invalid survey responses

Set clear data quality benchmarks
Establish predefined criteria for acceptable completion durations, location accuracy, and logical consistency within sets of answers. See below for examples.

Check completion durations
Check for questionnaires that have been completed within an unreasonably short time. For example, if a survey is estimated to take 10 minutes, any that are completed in under two minutes should be flagged for review.

Leverage location data
Verify that respondents are within the target geographical area. For example, if a CAPI survey delivers responses from Birmingham when the target area was London, those responses should be flagged for further review.

Monitor response patterns
Identify anomalies such as straight-lining (choosing the same answer for all questions), contradictory responses, or unusual answer distributions. For instance, if a respondent selects both “Strongly Agree” and “Strongly Disagree” for similar questions, their responses should be reviewed.

Use attention checks and red herring questions
Embed control questions to detect (unintentionally or deliberately) inattentive respondents. For example, a question could instruct, “Select ‘Strongly Agree’ as your answer for this question.” If a respondent fails this check, their survey submission can be flagged as potentially low quality.

Review open-ended responses
Ensure meaningful engagement by analyzing open-text answers. Responses like “asdasd” or “12345” indicate respondents are not making an effort to answer properly.

Combine automated and manual reviews
For optimum results and efficiency, use a mix of manual and automated Quality Control techniques. For example, automated tools can be developed to detect questionnaires that were completed too quickly, while researchers can manually verify the status of flagged responses.

Act fast on low-quality responses
Ensure unreliable responses are filtered out before finalizing data analysis. Removing inconsistent data promptly prevents derivation of misleading insights and improves overall research quality.

Discover Nfield’s enhanced Quality Control feature

With Nfield’s updated Quality Control feature, market researchers can drill down into each interview to see details such as responses, location, duration and other key insights. Any interviews that appear suspicious can easily be flagged for further quality control checks and possible removal.

• Detailed question responses – show how each respondent answered every question, making it possible to identify inconsistencies or suspicious patterns.

• Survey location data – makes it possible to verify whether survey responses satisfy geographical criteria. See Academy #57 for GPS Location Fix.
• Interview duration – reveals completion times, making it possible to identify responses that are likely to be of poor quality due to surveys being completed too quickly.
• Other key metadata – provides access to timestamps, respondent details and more in one centralized location.
• Flag for review – Researchers can flag specific interviews inside the questionnaire script for additional quality checks. Setting the system variable “TTInterviewQuality” to 5 assigns an interview with a “Needs to be checked” status. This is useful for flagging straight-liners (respondents answering too predictably) or speedsters (respondents completing the survey too quickly). Flagged interviews can then be reviewed directly on the Quality Control page without downloading data files.

How to use Nfield’s Quality Control feature

1. Navigate to the Quality Control page in Nfield.
2. Click on any interview to expand the details.
3. Review responses, location (CAPI only), duration, and key metrics.
4. Use the flagging feature inside the questionnaire script to mark responses that require further review.
5. Apply the best practices (described earlier in this article) to refine data collection strategies or optimize survey design.

NOTE: Nfield doesn’t currently include automated Quality Control tools. However, custom scripts for these can be inserted into Nfield.

Elevating Quality Control in Market Research

This latest enhancement reflects NIPO’s commitment to helping market researchers collect and manage the highest-quality data. With greater transparency into individual interviews, you can improve data integrity, identify potential issues faster, and enhance the reliability of your research.

Try the new Quality Control feature in Nfield today and experience the difference! If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to reach out to our support team!

Nfield has introduced new capabilities for conducting quality checks on interviews, allowing users to approve or reject interviews based on quality status. While the development of these features is ongoing, they are already available for user feedback, with options for additional features upon request. This series of NIPO Academy sessions will guide users through the new quality states, paradata for checks, and accessing interview answers directly from the Nfield Manager.

High-volume publicly launched surveys are always at risk from traffic spikes that overload servers and impede performance. And when bots try to get in on the action, the problem is amplified. Worse still, is if these bots succeed in entering a survey, and their activity contaminates results.

A typical method for avoiding overload has long been to buffer responses via custom-made landing pages on separate servers. While effective, this approach adds layers of work that are both time-consuming and technically demanding.

But now, there is a new solution!

Nfield’s new built-in Landing Page feature takes the effort out of gatekeeping your surveys by automatically generating a protective landing page.

What Nfield Landing Pages do

Nfield Landing Pages incorporate mechanisms that identify and block suspicious activity. They are integrated into surveys and act as the first point of contact for incoming traffic, with functionality that:

• reduces strain on the survey by handling connection requests.
• prevents bots from entering the survey by processing and filtering connections before allowing participants through. 

This management of inbound traffic feeds legitimate participants into the survey. Server resources are thereby preserved and optimized, which helps maintain fast response times and ensure a seamless participant experience.

Traffic filtered at source → Bots removed.

✅ Server performance protected + Survey integrity preserved

✅ Smooth participant experience + Higher quality results

How to set up Nfield Landing Pages

Creating and customizing Landing Pages is as straightforward as configuring your Nfield survey settings.

The Landing Page feature is integrated in the Nfield workflow and picks up on survey branding to ensure consistent aesthetics along with a smooth user experience.

To explore how Landing Pages work, log in to your Nfield account and go to Sample and Invitations >> Settings >> Use a landing page for your next survey.   

✅ Simple to set up, no additional infrastructure or technical expertise required

✅ Automatically aligns with survey goals and campaign aesthetics

Benefits of Nfield Landing Pages

Nfield Landing Pages empower your market research operation by preserving survey integrity and delivering a smooth user experience. This simple-to-use, in-platform solution frees you to focus on what truly matters: collecting high-quality data and making impactful decisions.

Get started today 

The Landing Page feature is now available to all Nfield users.

This new feature is just one of the many ways we’re making survey research simpler, smarter, and more powerful for you.

For any questions or assistance, our support team is here to help. Let’s make your next survey launch the most successful one yet!

With the *ID command you can add an extra (descriptive) id to ODIN questions and codes; and then use this identifier in your script and/or reporting instead of question/code numbers.

You can also use this *ID on *PAGE and *MATRIX which makes it possible to directly refer to this *PAGE or *MATRIX, which means that you can now directly translate these too.

In this series of NIPO Academy sessions we will take you through all the details of this new command.

At NIPO, we’ve always prioritized the principles of security, privacy, compliance, and transparency in everything we do. These values form the foundation of the Nfield platform, ensuring every user can confidently entrust us with their data. The Nfield Trust Center supports our commitment to these principles by providing access to all relevant documentation. 

What is the Nfield Trust Center? 

The Nfield Trust Center is a central repository for all information related to our practices around security, compliance, and privacy. It facilitates full transparency into how we handle and protect our users’ data, providing documentation that can also be shared with market research clients to demonstrate Nfield’s reliability. 

The Nfield Trust Center provides access to essential documents and resources covering: 

1. Security: Insights into the robust measures we employ to protect data. 
2. Compliance: An overview of how Nfield aligns with global and regional regulations. 
3. Privacy: Details about our commitment to safeguarding sensitive information. 

Benefits for market researchers 

The Nfield Trust Center is a practical resource that market researchers can turn to for information, reassurance and guidance. It provides transparency which can be shared with clients, to breed the trust that is a cornerstone of successful partnerships and supports business growth.  

Confidence-building transparency 
Providing centralized access to all key documents and information, the Nfield Trust Center ensures researchers can obtain everything needed for building client confidence. Whether it’s a security policy, compliance certification, or privacy guidelines, it’s all here to view and share. 

Authoritative reassurance 
When market research clients have questions about data security, compliance, or privacy, the Nfield Trust Center equips Nfield users with clear and authoritative answers. As well as providing reassurance, this helps market research businesses demonstrate their own commitment to ethical and secure research practices. 

Alignment with global standards 
The Nfield platform is designed to meet or exceed international standards for data protection, including GDPR and ISO certifications. The Nfield Trust Center enables market researchers to confidently navigate and comply with these regulations, thereby reducing risk and fostering compliance. 

Looking forward 

NIPO is committed to continually enhancing the Nfield Trust Center, ensuring it remains a valuable resource for researchers worldwide. As we expand and refine our offerings, you can look forward to even greater transparency and support.  Take a moment to explore the Nfield Trust Center and find out for yourself how it can benefit your market research business.

In this series of NIPO Academy sessions we will take you over all the available test capabilities that Nfield covers, with an emphasis on the new “Create A Test Survey” feature.

Longitudinal surveys are the way to go for monitoring how consumer preferences, behaviours, and attitudes change over time. This is the ideal research method for obtaining insights into things like customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, product usage, market trends, and advertising effectiveness.

Longitudinal market research involves repeatedly tracking the same variables over an extended period, by sending out multiple waves of similar questionnaires. It therefore makes sense to be able to work from a single core structure which can easily be adjusted for each subsequent wave. And that’s exactly what Nfield Online’s new Tracker capability lets you do!

A more efficient way to conduct ongoing market research

Nfield Trackers support longitudinal surveys by combining creation of a core survey with flexibility to customize multiple iterations. This is complemented by shared survey settings which reduce administration and ensure consistency.

Here’s a brief summary of how Trackers can be set up to bring ease, efficiency and flexibility to longitudinal surveys.

• Tracker survey: A core survey acts as the parent to subsequent waves.

• Multiple waves: Add as many waves as you like for each new round of data collection.

• Customizable waves: Different scripting and logic can easily be applied to each wave. Individual survey questions can be adjusted without affecting the core survey framework.

• Individual quota management: Specific quotas can be set for each wave, so every round of data collection can be targeted at appropriate demographics or responses as the survey evolves. This enables control over data quality and sample composition at every stage of the market research.

• Shared survey settings: While each wave can have distinct characteristics, the overarching survey settings – such as response codes, button configurations, and other key settings – are shared across all waves. This reduces the need to repeat administrative tasks and ensures ongoing consistency.

Improve workflow and increase accuracy of online longitudinal surveys

Nfield Online’s Tracker capability utilizes several cutting-edge capabilities to save time, enhance workflow and ensure more accurate longitudinal surveys. It is designed to make repeated data collection as efficient and organized as possible, bringing ease to long-running research while enabling flexibility and control through streamlined management.

Learn how to implement Trackers: Watch our NIPO Academy session

On 8 and 9 October 2024 , NIPO Academy sessions were held on how to use and make the most of our Tracker capability. This included a live demonstration, tips for maximizing its potential, and a Q&A session with our product experts.

A recording of the session is now available for you to watch:

Discover how this game-changing Nfield Online capability can transform the way you conduct longitudinal market research!

NIPO has introduced a new Trackers feature to improve the support for surveys in waves for Nfield Online. In this series of NIPO Academy sessions we will take you through all the details of this new option.

Market research and the technology that supports it are evolving fast, which means versatility is key. That’s why Nfield’s leading SaaS survey platform is designed with open architecture, so users can adjust it to every need. Both robust and flexible, Nfield’s extensive integration capabilities revolutionize how market researchers can gather, process, and utilize data.

From leveraging APIs to taking advantage of our centralized data repository and ability to integrate with panel providers, here are a few examples of what Nfield’s open architecture makes possible.   

Task automation through the Nfield API

One of the features that really sets Nfield apart is its own powerful API, which can enable any manual action in Nfield Manager to be automated. This API opens the door to numerous opportunities for streamlining market research workflows and boosting efficiency.

Benefits of task automation via the Nfield API

1. Time-saving and efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks such as survey deployment, respondent management, and data collection frees up valuable time for researchers to focus on analysis and insights.
2. Accuracy and consistency: Automation of manual processes minimizes the risk of human errors, which ensures data integrity and consistent execution of tasks.
3. Scalability: Operations can be scaled without proportional increases in manual workload. Automation ensures smooth and efficient management of surveys of any size, from small local studies to extensive international research.
4. Custom workflows: Workflows can be tailored to specific project needs.

Check out these examples of how the Nfield API can be used:

• Five Ways No-Code Automation Can Improve Efficiency in MR Operations: Nfield API + Microsoft Power Automate
• How to Automate Sending of Quota Progress Reports: Nfield API + Microsoft Power Automate, No Coding Required

Integrate and enhance using external APIs

Nfield’s ability to call external APIs within scripts is a game-changer for integrating and enhancing data collection processes. It means market researchers can seamlessly retrieve data from and update external systems, to benefit from a more comprehensive and connected research environment. For a deeper understanding of this feature, watch Academy 48 – Request command.

External API integration lets you achieve

1. Real-time data enrichment: Enhance survey responses with real-time data from external sources, to obtain richer and more contextual insights.
2. Dynamic questionnaires: Improve respondent engagement and data relevance by using external data to create questionnaires that adapt according to real-time information.
3. Centralized data management: Streamline processes by integrating with CRM systems, social media platforms, and other data repositories.
4. Automated updates: Keep all platforms synchronized and up-to-date by ensuring new data is automatically transferred.

Seamless data repository access for advanced analytics

Nfield stores collected survey data in a centralized repository, from where it can be directly retrieved for reporting and further processing. This offers significant advantages for data analysis and decision-making. For more details, see Data Repository feature delivers real-time survey insights  and watch Academy 35 – Standard and custom reporting.

Benefits of direct-from-database retrieval

1. Advanced reporting: Having direct access to raw data supports in-depth analysis using advanced statistical tools and techniques, to achieve deeper insights into research findings.
2. Custom dashboards: Visualizations can be customized to specific research needs, so data can be presented and interpreted in the most appropriate way.
3. Efficient data processing: Data processing is more streamlined, as there is less to transfer and convert.
4. Real-time insights: The ability to generate real-time reports and analytics enables quick decision-making and agile responses to emerging trends.

Integration with panel providers

Nfield’s ability to integrate with panel providers is another key feature that enhances its versatility and reach. It means market researchers can seamlessly access a broader and more diverse respondent pool, to collect better-quality data.

Benefits of panel provider integration

1. Expanded reach: Access to a bigger pool of respondents, for a more diverse and representative sample for your market research.
2. Streamlined recruitment: The respondent recruitment process is simplified, reducing the time and effort required to find suitable participants.
3. Higher-quality data: Ability to leverage panel providers’ expertise and quality controls leads to higher-quality, more reliable data collection.
4. Cost-effective: Research budgets can be optimized by leveraging existing panel providers’ infrastructures, which reduces the need for extensive in-house recruitment efforts.

For more information on how Nfield integrates with panel providers, see Integration between Nfield Online and Panel Providers.

Conclusion

Nfield’s open architecture empowers market research companies to conduct more efficient, accurate, and insightful market research.

From automating tasks with the Nfield API to enhancing data collection with external API integrations, and leveraging direct database retrieval for advanced analytics, Nfield offers a comprehensive solution tailored to modern research needs. Integration with panel providers further extends these capabilities, making Nfield an indispensable platform for any market research professional.

Embrace the power of Nfield to transform your market research processes today!

Session content:
– Why can’t I save/edit the quota targets?
– Why can’t I save/edit the quota structure?
– Why isn’t the quota behaving like I expect it to?

Session content:
– Selecting least filled quota.
– Finding “free” quota cells.
– API quota features.

Session content:
– How to combine minimum and maximum quotas.
– Quota evaluation.
– Using multi codes quota.
– Quota frame evaluation.

ISO 27001 is an international standard for managing information security, and a must-have for any organization that is entrusted with large amounts of user data, as we are here at NIPO.

Following an intensive 5-day audit which scrutinized both our Amsterdam and Madrid offices, we are pleased to share the news that NIPO’s ISO 27001:2013 certification has once again been extended. Performed by SGS, this audit was fully focused on NIPO’s ISMS.

NIPO has been certified to ISO 27001:2013 since 2016. We have retained this by undergoing re-certification audits every three years, along with two additional annual surveillance audits in between.

Continuous improvement is at the heart of both the ISO 27001 certification and NIPO. In line with this, we are now working on all the measures necessary to conform to the latest iteration, ISO 27001:2022, before October 2025.

Alongside ISO certification, we also implement many additional security measures to ensure every Nfield customer can use our market research platform with confidence. To learn about these, see Your data is secure with Nfield: here’s how.

ISO certificate

We recorded an additional session on quota, as an extension to the session wherein we explained the basics. In this webinar we explain the new feature of the *QUOTA command that can be used in ODIN survey scripts, allowing the quota in the Nfield Manager to be created automatically once the script is uploaded.

Session content:
– How to set up quota.
– How to check quota in the survey script.
– Handling quota overshoot.
– Changing quota targets during fieldwork.
– Changing quota structure during fieldwork.