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Careful Consideration

by @dm1n
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In the past thirty-nine (39) years Research Strategies, Inc. has seen the evolution of on-line list/panel research. When these individuals are solicited or attracted to these national panel research firms, the first step is for them to complete detailed questionnaires about themselves and their likes and dislikes.  In many cases, we have found these individuals to be on multiple lists and/or panels.  Even with a single list/panel research firm, they are highly likely to be used across multiple subject areas and/or used multiple times over a short duration of time. While the monetary rewards for these panel/list participants is their primary incentive, some use their participation as a distraction from their everyday life.  A game if you will, to becoming “research experts” and gaining a sense of power knowing that their comments are influencing the research results that could impact many other people.

When one looks carefully at the psychology of these type of methodologies, it is easy to realize individuals participating on online research panel/lists should be carefully critiqued, if not eliminated from a research sample.  They have a potential of thinking too much through the questions and more likely offering answers they consider more in-line to what the research company wants to hear.

Another factor that must be considered, is the difficulties in gaining a sufficient sample size in tight geographic areas.   Even with lists/panel boasting thousands of members, qualified research participants in a given state, county, city/town or even ZIP Code are likely to be limited. So, when research calls for accuracy, a random sampling methodology probably delivers a much better appraisal of your marketplace.  Properly structured research can and will answer your products or services’ critical unanswered questions, but research without logical sampling methodology can be expensive and misleading eventually.

Eugene A. Talbott
President

ALERT!

by Patricia Rhinehart
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Even though parents had to face Covid 19, the aftermath has been their education of the educational system.

One of the things Research Strategies, Inc. does is educational research, to determine the enrollment impact still being felt after the Covid 19 operational interruptions. Parents have taken even a harder look at public education as to:

  • Administration use and non-use of discipline actions
  • Accountability of parents with disruptive children
  • Over-crowding/distractions classrooms
  • Teacher training
  • Teacher quality and spirit-de-corps
  • Classroom disruptions/safety
  • Sundry services (Athletics, foodservice, transportation)

Based on parents’ rethinking of the public schools, the areas’ student bodies have come under fractionalization attacks at the city, county and state levels. Boosting the appeal and transfer of students to:

  • Charter Schools
  • Magnet Schools
  • Montessori Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Home Schooling
  • Special Needs Schools

This is impacting school system’s future funding, justifying primary research through Research Strategies, Inc. Changing public-school’s operational/marketing thinking.

2020 Random Alabama Senatorial Campaign Voter Poll (February 13, 2020)

by Patricia Rhinehart
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Methodology

From February 9 through February 12, 2020 Research Strategies, Inc. randomly sampled 365 Alabama qualified voters having voted in the 2016 and 2018 Alabama elections.  The sample used a Stratified Sample Matrix[1] that proportionately sampled 23 of Alabama’s largest population counties representing over 79.57% of Alabama’s population. Each county not included in the sample represents less than 1.30% of Alabama’s population[2].  This research methodology delivers an accurate demographic and geographic representation of the Alabama voters, with a 95% confidence level and 5.13 percentage point interval.

The research was solely funded by Research Strategies, Inc. for the purpose of voter’s clarity and accuracy in reporting.

[1] Research Strategies, Inc.’s proprietary sampling methodology that weights the sample by population within the designed market area.

[2] U.S. Census Bureau, 2019

Research Conclusions:

 

  • The average age of Alabama voters is 56 years.
  • 18 Days prior to the Alabama Senitorial Primary election 46.30% of Alabama voters are undecided.
  • Doug Jones, Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville are within 3.55 percentage points of each other if Alabama voters voted tommorrow.
  • 50.00% of Doug Jones’ potential voters are democrat and 29.17% are independent.
  • 19.83% of Jeff Session’s potential voters are republican and 8.33% are independent.
  • 18.99% of Tommy Tuberville’s potential voters are republicans and 8.33% are independent.

Ya’ll Come Back Now

by Gene T
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I wanted you to know that the clients on the case in Manhattan were thrilled, absolutely thrilled, with the jury recruit!  Magnus has been working for these clients for 20 years and until Tuesday, we have never, ever, had a 100% show rate in NYC.  Not only did we have a 100% show rate, but the clients were delighted with the high quality of the people who came.  They complained to me recently that we usually have “low life” mock jurors instead of upscale Manhattan residents and this recruit had exactly the type of people they wanted.

I explained that our wonderful jury recruiters are in Mobile, Alabama, and their Southern accents combine with their professionalism to entice people in NYC to participate!

We were working with a new client in Miami-Dade County for the first time and they were delighted. They indicated that the mock jurors were just like the jury pool. And, that’s what we do; we match the jury pool in whatever market you need research services.

According to a Trial Lawyer who attended a mock trial in New Orleans, he said, “I’ve held many mock trials in New Orleans, but this is the best representation of a jury pool in this area I’ve ever seen.”

According to a Trial Consultant:  I wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how great this is to hear. I know we were strict on the recruiting (and we always will be), but Judy just got to work and was very open in communicating with us. Awesome job by Judy and the rest of the recruiting team and thank you for the open communication early on. We are very much looking forward to working with you all again in the future. Have a nice day.

The mock went very well, and your recruit reflected a reliable sample/cross section of racially diverse jury eligible adults demographically matched to the Wilmington, DE state court venue.  All 38 jurors were engaged and worked hard throughout the exercise.

Thoughts to Ponder

by Patricia Rhinehart
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How many of you in business have experienced a slow period, not the normal highs and lows of previous years but a complete drop off in business, only to be followed with an immense onslaught of business that pushed everyone in the business to the brink! And, to confuse the issue, other varying types of businesses in or out of your immediate area, also experience these same up and down waves. Are we all tied together in some way and if so, what is it?

At RSI we have to be adaptable to our clients’ needs! That means to be able to “jump through hoops” to get the research done when it is absolutely needed to move your business ahead.

Pass Through

by Patricia Rhinehart
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Research Strategies, Inc. was recently involved with a legal case that required substantial effort on everyone’s part to be highly successful.

You see, Research Strategies, Inc. is known for its ability to accomplish difficult legal recruiting, whether the stakes are high or not! In this case, the stakes were very high, and it required many days and hours of diligent dedication and focus to maintain the course, so the outcome of the two legal events, that comprised this study, were immensely successful.

We were challenged with meeting recruiting qualifications for the largest part of the case, that consisted of: mostly homeowners and mostly working individuals. There were six counties involved in this recruit, with distances of 50-100+ miles each way, and a couple of counties 30 to 10 miles each way. It was imperative we find creative ways to encourage people to attend giving the driving distances, which were accomplished.   

The second portion of this case required people to be available for two full weeks, Monday – Friday, using the same criteria as the first portion, but limited in the counties we needed to recruit.

We were rewarded in our recruit with what we call “A Pass Through,” a bonus for helping our clients win the case!

“Regurgitated” Potential Jurists

by Patricia Rhinehart
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For almost eighteen (18) years Research Strategies, Inc. has provided Mock Trial Recruiting for some of the most difficult and critical court cases throughout the United States. Our legal market research methodologies have been accepted by over seventeen (17) federal district courts. Research Strategies, Inc. started with DecisionQuest and Trial Graphics; and our reputation has spread with trial consultants and national law firms from coast-to-coast.

Recently one of our legal clients referred to getting “regurgitated” potential jurists when they previously used Focus Group facilities for their Mock Trial recruits. The term is descriptive and true! Most Focus Group facilities recruit from lists. Their potential recruits are familiar with a variety of research methodologies. They become conditioned on how to answer screeners and questionnaires. This includes not admitting to having previously attended legal Focus Groups, Mock Trials, Community Attitude Studies, Shadow Juries, etc. Many times in frequently sampled markets, these potential jurists have signed up with multiple Focus Group facilities and legal recruiters. And after time they refer to themselves as research experts. Plus recruit lists are typically weighted with college students, unemployed, underemployed, disabled, etc. In short they follow the money!

Research Strategies, Inc. is one the largest national RDD recruiters. We offer the capabilities of reaching every ZIP Code, town/city, county, parish, providence and state in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean with precise geographic and demographic accuracy. Our Research Analysts are very capable of sharing our collective experience in writing recruiting screeners to offer a clear synopsis of each potential jurist’s profile. These Research Analysts can also offer you assistance in finding the most convenient location for your Legal Focus Group/Mock Trial recruits. Research Strategies, Inc. has experience with over 800 suitable locations for Legal Focus Groups/Mock Trials from Missoula, Montana to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Our seasoned Telephone Researchers are well versed in getting recruits to answer the most difficult of screeners. Their entry is essential in providing your Legal Focus Group/Mock Trial with a good mix of full-time employed, part-time employed and owner/self-employed recruits. Research Strategies, Inc. screens against previous research participants, offering your case a true representation of the jury pool. Our recruits are more likely to tell you “what they think” and “not what they think you want to hear.”

Research Strategies, Inc. offers your case the best practical, common sense means to provide your Legal Focus Group or Mock Trial with the best representation of the potential jury pool. We deliver accuracy; the best risk reduction tool for your case!

Eugene A. Talbott
President

Bringing Light to a Shadow Jury

by Patricia Rhinehart
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Shadow jury refers to a group of mock jurors paid to observe a trial and report their reactions to a jury consultant hired by one of the litigants. The shadow jurors provide counsel with information about the jury’s possible reaction to the trial. Shadow jury acts as a surrogate for the real jury.

Research Strategies, Inc. was recently asked to assist in a quickly pulled together Shadow Jury Recruit, where we used RDD and the other recruiting company used Database recruiting. The difference in the outcome of the recruiting was stark.
To properly explain the primary differences, it is necessary to further outline our approach to recruiting. We first must have the zip code where the facility for said event is located. This enables Research Strategies’ analysts to accurately pinpoint zip codes approximately 15 miles from the event facility. We have learned, after 20+ years of recruiting, that 15 miles is a reasonable distance, potential respondents will consider traveling to an event. This range also gives Research Strategies, Inc. the potential to match the demographics of the market. What enhances this process is that we can accurately match income and ethnicity to each zip code and can subsequently, based on U.S. Census data, call potential interested respondents thus accurately matching the demographics. As an added bonus to the client, we always attempt to recruit gainfully employed individuals first and then fill in as needed with non-working people.
Now the reasons we are so different are…
Research Strategies is one of the country’s best-unknown RDD (Random Digit Data) samplers. This technical process ensures our clients that the research is being conducted with individuals who have not been preconditioned by being a part of national research panels or previously subjected to other qualitative and quantitative research methodologies as found with individuals queried from research lists. The advantage gained by RDD is that the research participants are “fresh” and do not have any preconceived opinions about a product or service or have not formulated a perception of themselves as being legal research experts.

AND Research Strategies uses a Stratified sampling methodology to provide our clients’ telephone research with an accurate geographic and demographic representation of the marketplace on either a micro or macro level, thus enabling us to match the jury pool. Based on United States Postal Service data, Research Strategies can sample street-by-street or by residential ZIP Codes for a town, city, county, state or the entire United States. This assures the sample weighting is accurate to current residential populations, data that is updated every six (6) months versus United States Census Bureau data that is recalculated every ten (10) years. Our stratified sample delivers an accurate representation by:
• Education mix
• Age mix
• Gender mix
• Other demographic requirements of the trial venue market

As mentioned previously, the outcome of the recruit was starkly different using RDD versus Database recruiting. Their approach was to contact people in their database from the area in question and to quickly locate individuals who were capable of going at the last minute, almost without regard to employment and or background. Our RDD approach yielded quality respondents who were gainfully employed at a rate of 62.5% versus the database recruiter, which was 25%.

Patricia Rhinehart
Vice President
Research Strategies, Inc.

A blink of an eye

by Patricia Rhinehart
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Within a blink of an eye, less than one generation, geography has becomes history! Brick & mortar has given way to websites, lap-tops, IPads, smart phone etc. Business has changed, forgetting personalized customer service to opt for immediate customer gratification. Consumers have changed, forgetting senses like sound, feel and smell for non personalized communication that is now limited to the size of your smart phone screen and the speed of your thumbs when texting. And yet we have information overload on Baby Boomers, Millennial, Generation X, Generation Z, etc., but media fractionalization makes them even harder to reach. At some point you have to get back to common sense business. Make a product/service that has appeal and get it in the hands of consumers so that they bond with it. Research is the beginning of that path!