ESOMAR 37

Company Profile

1. What experience does your company have in providing online samples for market research?

Areté Market Research is led by professionals with 30+ years of combined experience in healthcare market research, specializing in high-quality sample provision for research purposes. We focus entirely on market research, with no involvement in direct marketing.

2. Do you have staff with responsibility for developing and monitoring the performance of the sampling algorithms?

Our project and field teams have extensive experience in managing complex healthcare research projects. We continuously refine our sampling methodologies and provide rigorous training to ensure high standards across all operations.

3. What other services do you offer?

Areté Market Research specializes in high-quality sample provision for qualitative and quantitative data collection services. We also offer survey programming and project management, providing end-to-end research solutions, from sample sourcing to data delivery.

Sample Sources and Recruitment

4. Using the broad classifications above, from what sources of online sample do you derive participants?

We source participants from a combination of proprietary healthcare panels and trusted third-party networks in regions outside our proprietary reach. All samples are recruited through vetted channels to ensure quality and relevance for healthcare market research.

5. Which of these sources are proprietary or exclusive?

Areté Market Research relies on proprietary healthcare panels for most of our samples. In areas where our reach is limited, we utilize trusted third-party networks through exclusive agreements, ensuring access to high-quality participants.

6. What recruitment channels are you using?

We use direct invitations and targeted outreach for recruitment, primarily relying on invitation-only channels. We do not use affiliate networks or referral programs. The channels we use vary by geography to ensure relevance for specific healthcare populations.

7. What form of validation do you use in recruitment to ensure participants are real and unique?

We employ technologies such as proxy server detection, digital fingerprinting, address validation, and IP geofencing. We cross-reference participant data with publicly available records, such as medical directories, and use secure authentication methods to verify healthcare professionals before they join our panel.

8. What brand (domain) and/or app are you using with proprietary sources?

Our platform is accessible via www.aretemarketresearch.org. Participants access surveys primarily through email invitations and can complete them on either desktop or mobile devices, offering flexibility to healthcare professionals.

9. Which model(s) do you offer to deliver sample?

Areté Market Research provides a fully managed service, handling all aspects of sample delivery, from recruitment to data collection, to ensure the highest quality outcomes for healthcare research projects.

10. What level of transparency do you offer over the composition of your sample?

We provide full transparency regarding the use of third-party vendors. Vendors are selected based on project needs, and must meet internal qualifications, pass compliance, and adhere to GDPR, privacy, and security standards. Vendors must also be listed in accredited directories such as ESOMAR or EphMRA.

11. Of the sample sources you have available, how would you describe the suitability of each for different research applications?

Areté Market Research’s sample sources are well-suited for both quantitative and qualitative healthcare research. Our panels are versatile, allowing us to support a wide range of research applications, ensuring high-quality and relevant data collection for diverse study needs.

Sampling And Project Management

12. Briefly describe your overall process from invitation to survey completion. What steps do you take to achieve a sample that “looks like” the target population? What demographic quota controls, if any, do you recommend?

Areté Market Research follows a detailed process, starting with carefully targeted invitations to healthcare professionals who have been identified as fitting the specific criteria required for participation in a study. Invitations are distributed via personalized emails, ensuring relevance and engagement. Given the finite nature of healthcare sampling, we prioritize flexibility over strict demographic quotas, while continuously monitoring sample composition to ensure accurate representation throughout the project.

13. What profiling information do you hold on at least 80% of your panel members plus any intercepts known to you through prior contact? How does this differ by the sources you offer? How often is each of those data points updated? Can you supply these data points as appends to the data set? Do you collect this profiling information directly or is it supplied by a third party?

Areté Market Research collects key profiling information on healthcare professionals, including specialty, qualifications, years of experience, and work setting. This core data, along with other relevant secondary profiling questions, is collected directly during recruitment. Secondary profiling enhances the depth of our participant profiles and is regularly updated through panelist engagement. We ensure consistency across all profiling data to meet stringent internal standards for healthcare research.

14. What information do you need about a project in order to provide an estimate of feasibility? What, if anything, do you do to give upper or lower boundaries around these estimates?

Areté Market Research requires essential details to assess project feasibility, including the target audience, sample size, geography, and specific criteria. We analyze these factors using our deep expertise and knowledge of healthcare sampling to determine project viability and provide clear feasibility estimates. We offer upper and lower boundaries based on sample availability, study complexity, and recruitment timeframe, refining our estimates to provide clients with realistic projections for project success.

15. What do you do if the project proves impossible for you to complete in field? Do you inform the sample buyer as to who you would use to complete the project? In such circumstances, how do you maintain and certify third-party sources/sub-contractors?

If a project becomes unfeasible, Areté Market Research promptly informs the client, providing clear reasoning and offering alternative solutions. If third-party sources are required, we ensure they adhere to our stringent quality and compliance standards through thorough vetting. All third-party vendors undergo compliance checks, meet data privacy and security regulations, and are selected from accredited directories such as ESOMAR or EphMRA.

16. Do you employ a survey router or any yield management techniques? If yes, please describe how you go about allocating participants to surveys. How are potential participants asked to participate in a study? Please specify how this is done for each of the sources you offer.

Areté Market Research does not employ survey routers. We rely on a carefully managed recruitment process to match healthcare professionals to studies based on their expertise and the specific needs of the project. Invitations are sent directly to participants via email, ensuring relevance and engagement. Our recruitment strategy is focused on targeted, direct communication rather than automated allocation.

17. Do you set limits on the amount of time a participant can be in the router before they qualify for a survey?

Since Areté Market Research does not utilize a survey router, no time limits are set for participants to qualify for surveys. Instead, participants are carefully selected through direct invitations based on their qualifications and the specific needs of each study, ensuring relevance and efficiency.

18. What information about a project is given to potential participants before they choose whether to take the survey or not? How does this differ by the sources you offer?

Areté Market Research provides participants with key project details, such as the topic and estimated time for completion, ensuring they can make an informed decision before taking part. This information is consistently communicated across all recruitment sources. We operate in line with the code of conduct of major industry bodies, such as BHBIA and EphMRA, to ensure ethical standards and transparency in all communications.

19. Do you allow participants to choose a survey from a selection of available surveys? If so, what are they told about each survey that helps them to make that choice?

At Areté Market Research, healthcare professionals can view relevant studies available to them via their account dashboard. They are presented with basic details, such as the topic and estimated time commitment, to help them choose the studies that best fit their expertise and availability. This allows participants to make informed decisions while ensuring they are matched to appropriate research opportunities.

20. What ability do you have to increase (or decrease) incentives being offered to potential participants (or sub-groups of participants) during the course of a survey? If so, can this be flagged at the participant level in the dataset?

Areté Market Research has the flexibility to adjust incentives based on how the study progresses in the field. Any adjustments to incentives are transparently communicated to clients to ensure they remain informed throughout the process.

21. Do you measure participant satisfaction at the individual project level? If so, can you provide normative data for similar projects (by length, by type, by subject, by target group)?

Areté Market Research measures participant satisfaction at the individual project level through post-survey feedback. This allows us to continuously refine the participant experience and advise our clients on survey design and execution, ensuring improved engagement and data quality for each project.

22. Do you provide a debrief report about a project after it has completed? If yes, can you provide an example?

Areté Market Research provides comprehensive debrief reports at the conclusion of each project. These reports include key findings, participant feedback, data quality assessments, and any insights regarding participant engagement and survey design. While specific examples depend on the project, each debrief is tailored to the client’s needs and offers actionable recommendations for future research.

Data quality and Validation

23. How often can the same individual participate in a survey? How does this vary across your sample sources? What is the mean and maximum amount of time a person may have already been taking surveys before they entered this survey? How do you manage this?

Areté Market Research carefully monitors participation frequency to avoid respondent fatigue and overuse. While participation limits vary depending on project needs and respondent availability, we ensure a balanced approach by tracking individual activity. Participants are rotated to maintain data quality, and we strive to ensure individuals aren’t over-surveyed. This process is managed across all sample sources to ensure diversity and fresh perspectives in every study.

24. What data do you maintain on individual participants such as recent participation history, date(s) of entry, source/channel, etc? Are you able to supply buyers with a project analysis of such individual-level data? Are you able to append such data points to your participant records?

Areté Market Research maintains data such as recent participation history, date(s) of entry, and recruitment source. This information is used to monitor engagement and balance participation. We can provide clients with project analysis based on these data points, excluding any personal data, ensuring transparency while protecting participant privacy.

25. Please describe your procedures for confirmation of participant identity at the project level. Please describe these procedures as they are implemented at the point of entry to a survey or router.

Areté Market Research verifies panel members at the time of joining the panel. At the project level, we use advanced methods, including deduplication, bot detection, Geo-IP validation, and RelevantID technology, to ensure participants are real, unique, and meet the required standards. Any suspicious activity, such as multiple device use or inconsistent locations, is flagged for review.

26. How do you manage source consistency and blend at the project level? With regard to trackers, how do you ensure that the nature and composition of sample sources remain the same over time? Do you have reports on blends and sources that can be provided to buyers? Can source be appended to the participant data records?

Areté Market Research primarily uses proprietary healthcare panels but works with vetted partners when necessary. We operate in full transparency, informing clients when third-party sources are used. For trackers, we ensure consistency by monitoring sample composition over time. Detailed reports on the blend of sources can be provided, and source data can be appended to participant records if required.

27. Please describe your participant/member quality tracking, along with any health metrics you maintain on members/participants, and how those metrics are used to invite, track, quarantine, and block people from entering the platform, router, or a survey. What processes do you have in place to compare profiled and known data to in-survey responses?

Areté Market Research enforces stringent validation and verification measures from the moment members register or are opted into our panels. We track participant quality through metrics such as participation history, engagement levels, and response consistency. Fraud detection tools like Geo-IP validation and RelevantID are used to identify and block suspicious activity. Profile data is regularly cross-checked against in-survey responses to ensure accuracy, with flagged participants quarantined or blocked to maintain data integrity.

28. For work where you program, host, and deliver the survey data, what processes do you have in place to reduce or eliminate undesired in-survey behaviours, such as (a) random responding, (b) illogical or inconsistent responding, (c) overuse of item nonresponse (e.g., “Don’t Know”), (d) inaccurate or inconsistent responding, (e) incomplete responding, or (f) too rapid survey completion?

Areté Market Research employs fully automated processes to mitigate undesired in-survey behaviors. We monitor survey completion time, apply logic checks for consistency, review open-end responses for coherence, and track for behaviors such as flatlining, speeding, and inconsistent responses. Participants exhibiting these behaviors are flagged and removed to ensure high data quality.

Policies and Compliance

29. Please provide the link to your participant privacy notice (sometimes referred to as a privacy policy) as well as a summary of the key concepts it addresses. (Note: If your company uses different privacy notices for different products or services, please provide an example relevant to the products or services covered in your response to this question).

Areté Market Research’s participant privacy notice can be found at Privacy Policy. Our privacy policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect participant data in compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations. It covers areas such as data collection methods, participant rights, data retention, and how participants can manage their data preferences, including opting out of communications or requesting data deletion.

30. How do you comply with key data protection laws and regulations that apply in the various jurisdictions in which you operate? How do you address requirements regarding consent or other legal bases for processing personal data? How do you address requirements for data breach response, cross-border transfer, and data retention? Have you appointed a data protection officer?

Protecting the privacy of our respondents is paramount to Areté Market Research. We comply with key data protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and other applicable regulations across the regions where we operate. We secure explicit consent where required and ensure transparency in how we process data. Data breaches are handled with established protocols, including notifying relevant authorities when necessary. For cross-border data transfers, we use lawful methods like standard contractual clauses to ensure data protection. Our data retention practices meet legal requirements, and we have a Data Protection Officer responsible for overseeing our compliance with these regulations.

31. How can participants provide, manage, and revise consent for the processing of their personal data? What support channels do you provide for participants?

Participants at Areté Market Research can provide, manage, and revise their consent for the processing of their personal data through our secure online portal. This platform allows them to access and review their personal data, update their preferences, or cancel their membership at any time. Additionally, we offer support channels, including email, where participants can request changes to their consent preferences, ask questions, or withdraw consent entirely. All requests are processed promptly, and participants are informed about how their data will be handled.

32. How do you track and comply with other applicable laws and regulations, such as those that might impact the incentives paid to participants?

Areté Market Research tracks and complies with applicable laws and regulations by adhering to the guidelines set forth by industry bodies such as EphMRA, BHBIA and Insight Association. Regular training and updates keep our team informed about any changes in regulations, ensuring our practices remain compliant and ethical.

33. What is your approach to collecting and processing the personal data of children and young people? Do you adhere to standards and guidelines provided by ESOMAR or GRBN member associations? How do you comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations?

Areté Market Research does not conduct research with children and young people. However, if we were to be involved in such research, we would ensure that we obtain explicit parental consent and comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations. We adhere to standards and guidelines set forth by industry associations, including ESOMAR and COPPA, to ensure ethical practices in any research involving minors.

34: Do you implement “data protection by design” (sometimes referred to as “privacy by design”) in your systems and processes? If so, please describe how.

At Areté Market Research, we prioritize data protection by design as a fundamental aspect of our operations. This approach integrates data privacy and security into our systems and processes from the very beginning. Our leadership team collaborates closely with our compliance and IT departments to ensure that data protection measures are embedded throughout the lifecycle of personal data.

When designing new products or implementing technology that involves personal data processing, we conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to identify and mitigate potential risks. This proactive strategy ensures that privacy considerations are at the forefront of our decision-making processes, aligning with best practices and regulatory requirements. By doing so, we create a culture of compliance and responsibility, safeguarding our respondents’ data while enhancing their trust in our services.

35. What are the key elements of your information security compliance program? Please specify the framework(s) or auditing procedure(s) you comply with or certify to. Does your program include an asset-based risk assessment and internal audit process?

At Areté Market Research, our information security compliance program is centered around partnerships with trusted third-party IT firms, ensuring our network and database security meets the highest industry standards. Regular and continuous monitoring of our security systems allow us to maintain optimal system integrity and availability. We also utilize AWS for secure and scalable hosting solutions, benefiting from their advanced security protocols. Our compliance framework includes ongoing risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities, and any additional compliance information is available upon request.

36. Do you certify to or comply with a quality framework such as ISO 20252?

We are not ISO 20252 certified but remain fully aware of its requirements and consistently follow the best practices outlined in the standard.

Metrics

37. Which of the following are you able to provide to buyers, in aggregate and by country and source? Please include a link or attach a file of a sample report for each of the metrics you use.

Average qualifying or completion rate, trended by month
Percent of paid completes rejected per month/project, trended by month
Percent of members/accounts removed/quarantined, trended by month
Percent of paid completes from 0-3 months tenure, trended by month
Percent of paid completes from smartphones, trended by month
Percent of paid completes from owned/branded member relationships versus intercept participants, trended by month
Average number of dispositions (survey attempts, screenouts, and completes) per member, trended by month (potentially by cohort)
Average number of paid completes per member, trended by month (potentially by cohort)
Active unique participants in the last 30 days
Active unique 18-24 male participants in the last 30 days (if applicable)
Maximum feasibility in a specific country with national representative quotas, seven days in field, 100% incidence, 10-minute interview, provided on a project-by-project basis
Percent of quotas that reached full quota at time of delivery, trended by month

Need more details on our compliance practices?