Respondent Order of Operations

When a respondent starts a survey, we will:

1. Check if they have previously taken the survey, either through your panel, or through another.  If they are a duplicate, they will be redirected back as ps_rstatus=15 (ps_quality).

1. Then check if the respondent has taken a survey within the exclusion group, within the given exclusion period.  If they have, they will be redirected back as ps_rstatus=32 (ps_grouping_termination).

If we have previously seen this respondent, we will load their known qualification criteria and ask only what is not known.  If we haven't seen the respondent before, we will ask all of the necessary questions, and run through the following operations:

1. Check that the respondent matches the list of qualifications.  If they mismatch a qualification, they will be redirected back to the supplier as a termination, status code ps_rstatus=13 (ps_termination).  This will not count against the buyer's incidence rate.

1. Check that the respondent 

does not match any quotas where currently_open=0.  

• If remaining=currently_open=0, this quota is full, and the respondent will be redirected to the supplier as ps_rstatus=12 (ps_quotafull).  

• If remaining>0, but currently_open=0, then the respondent will be redirected to the supplier as ps_rstatus=24 (ps_unopened_quota_term).

• If remaining>0, but currently_open=0, due to too many people in progress then the respondent will be redirected to the supplier as (ps_throttling_term).

1. If a qualification set (like age/gender of child) has a quota - Check that the respondent matches 

at least one active quota within the qualification set .

If the respondent fails to match an active quota, then they will be redirected as ps_rstatus=35 (ps_no_matched_quotas)

As long as a respondent makes it through these steps, they will be able to complete and get credit for the survey, even if they would no longer qualify on return (e.g. quotas have been closed, filled).  The CPI is recorded at survey start - this will be the CPI paid to the supplier in case of survey completion.

Flow Chart:

Open