Muhlenberg College Teams With HCD Research To Conduct National E-Surveys And Ad Testing
Muhlenberg College and HCD Research will join forces to conduct national, on-line surveys and advertising testing studies using sophisticated research techniques and advanced programming methodologies.Monday, April 5, 2004 10:22 AM
Muhlenberg College and HCD Research will join forces to conduct national, on-line surveys and advertising testing studies using sophisticated research techniques and advanced programming methodologies.
"When HCD Research approached us with the idea of working together, we viewed it as a great opportunity to offer our students some real-world experience," said Christopher P. Borick, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO). "What made it even more enticing was the fact that HCD Research has conducted hundreds of surveys for some of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies," Borick commented.
According to Glenn Kessler, co-founder and managing partner, HCD Research, the partnership enables HCD Research to align itself with a well-respected academic institution to conduct studies in areas that are outside of their expertise. "Our alliance allows us to play a role in surveys and advertising testing studies that involve social and political issues, which can be controversial and very interesting," explained Kessler.
To date, Muhlenberg and HCD Research have conducted two surveys -- a national flu poll of physicians to assess physicians' views and treatment patterns with respect to this year's flu epidemic, and a national political poll. The political survey was conducted to obtain physicians' opinions regarding the repositioning of Governor Howard Dean as Dr. Dean, which was conducted prior to the Iowa caucus.
Muhlenberg and HCD Research currently use HCD AdverTest, a web-based ad testing methodology, to track voters' opinions of democratic and republican political advertisements. Research participants are asked to review an on-line advertisement on their monitor three times. The first time they are only asked to review the advertisement. During the second viewing, they are asked to signal their level of interest. Through advanced programming techniques, participants can use the mouse to identify, for example, which parts of the ad generated high levels and low levels of interest. The ad is shown a third time to allow participants to indicate their levels of believability using the mouse. The participants are then asked a series of questions, to which they respond with the click of a mouse.
The quantitative data that are obtained from research participants are automatically coded and tabulated, and can be viewed on a real-time basis by the sponsor of the study or by other participants on a secured link.
Founded in 2001, the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) has become a respected source of public opinion data on local, statewide and national issues. Headquartered in Flemington, N.J., HCD Research is a pioneer in Internet health care marketing and advertising research.
