Canada (English)As a member of the Ipsos iSay panel, you may have noticed that we sometimes ask personal questions. Our surveys might ask you about your age, where you live, or even about your lifestyle. It might seem nosy, but these questions are really important for good research. Here, we’ll explain why Ipsos wants to know more about you, as well as what you think.
Asking personal questions during surveys helps us ensure that our sample accurately represents the real world.
Demographics in Market Research
Firstly, personal questions help Ipsos confirm that the people we are surveying are a good mix of demographics that represents the real world. By looking at age, gender, location, and lifestyle, we can compare our results to statistics about the general population of Canada or specific region that we’re looking at. If the mix of people to whom we’re asking questions accurately matches the population, then our survey results are more likely to be right.
We can also use the answers to those personal questions to understand more specific points about the topic of the survey. For example, if we run a survey about shopping, we might be able to find different trends for people from different age groups, or who live in different places. Without asking demographic questions, we would only be able to draw conclusions about everyone as a whole. We might miss interesting things about niche groups within the Ipsos iSay panel.
Finally, we often run surveys that are meant for smaller groups of the population. If we’re asking about products for young adults, we want to know that we’re interviewing young adults. The personal questions that we ask help us to confirm this.
Safeguarding your Privacy in Surveys
Of course, we understand that it can sometimes feel uncomfortable to answer these personal questions. Ipsos iSay understands how important privacy is and we follow some very strict rules. The personal data you give us can never be used to identify you as a single person. We tend to report our findings in big groups – for example, saying that 25% of people told us they liked to shop in a certain way – so your individual answers aren’t seen by themselves.
Additionally, you can often choose not to answer a certain question in a survey - and if you think the questions are too personal, you can stop taking part at any time.
In summary, even though it might feel like we’re snooping, personal questions help us do better research! Why not take a look at the surveys that are available to you now?
FAQs
FAQs
Why does Ipsos iSay ask personal questions in their surveys?
Ipsos iSay asks personal questions in their surveys to ensure that the survey participants represent a diverse and accurate cross-section of the real world.
What is the importance of demographic data in Ipsos iSay's surveys?
Demographic data is vital as it allows for the comparison of survey results with national or regional population statistics, enhancing the reliability of the research.
What measures does Ipsos iSay take to respect and protect the privacy of survey participants?
Ipsos iSay takes survey privacy very seriously. We strictly safeguard the privacy of participants, ensuring that personal data can never be used to identify individuals, and results are reported in large groups, rather than on an individual basis.
What happens if I choose not to answer a personal question in an Ipsos iSay survey?
This is perfectly fine! If you choose not to answer a personal question in an Ipsos iSay survey, you have the right to do so, and you can also stop participating in the survey at any time.
