Initiative #1: Universal Black List
Each member of The Trust Alliance has kept a list of past research participants who have been found to be potentially fraudulent responders by meeting one of the criteria below to be added to the list. Members of The Trust Alliance are merging the individual blacklists into one Universal Black List that will be used to improve the quality of all research programs conducted by any member of The Trust Alliance.
Trust Alliance Definitions
- Black List – A list of people as defined by their email address who are not allowed to participate as a panel member in any form of marketing research activity.
- Panel Fraud – An intentional action to deceive others by unjustifiably claiming to have participated in a marketing research study for personal or financial gain. Example: a person who assumes the identity of another person and completes a survey.
- Speeder – A person who completes a marketing research activity faster than the guideline established in a marketing research study. The rate a person completes a survey is largely dependent upon the design of the survey but as a general guideline a speeder takes less than 50% of the average LOI for all responders. The act of speeding through a marketing research study alone is not Panel Fraud.
- Bad Responder – A person who consistently does not give thoughtful answers for a survey. Example: a person straight lines the questionnaire or does not fill in intelligible answers to open questions.
- A person who found to be a Speeder or a Bad Responder repeatedly (i.e., three times) will be considered to have committed Panel Fraud.