Annual technology survey

The Annual Market Research Technology Survey provides 14 years of insights into technology and methodology across the global market research industry. It gives a snapshot of usage and predictions from market research professionals around the world, and identifies numerous trends, some of which track back to 2004. Each year, the survey also includes questions that explore three or four themes of current interest.

It is an independent survey, conceived and designed by meaning but financially supported each year by a third-party sponsor. In 2017/18, it was sponsored by Dapresy, in the three years before that FocusVision was the sponsor and prior to that included Confirmit and Globalpark.

2017/18 survey

The respondents were asked to report on 2017. We conducted the fieldwork  in late 2017/early 2018 and published the report in 2018, so we named it ‘2017/18’.

  • Making surveys mobile friendly (update from 2014)
  • Results delivery methods and how research clients consume data
  • Automation
  • Developing a digital strategy

Plus research technology trends.

2016 survey

  • The evolution of data visualisation, dashboards and infographics (update from 2011 and 2014)
  • MR’s embrace of storytelling in communicating data
  • Use of Big Data, social media data and other non-research data by research companies
  • The issues and barriers encountered in keeping up to data with developments in MR technology

Plus research technology trends.

2015 survey

•  Innovation within the market research sector
•  Blending qualitative and quantitative research
•  Research Communities – update on last review in 2012

Plus research technology trends.

2014 survey

•  Mobile participation in online surveys
•  Data visualisation and Dashboards
•  Use of external technology and ‘Shadow IT’ plus Research technology trends

2013 survey

•  Smartphone and Tablet devices in research
•  Voice of the Customer (VoC) and Customer Experience Management (CEM)
•  Ten Years of Technical Innovation – taking the long view plus Research technology trends

2012 survey

•  Panel quality and the use of incentives
•  Survey length for different interviewing modes
•  Preferences for browsers versus apps for mobile surveys
•  Technology considerations for online communities (MROCs) plus Research technology trends

 2011 survey

•  New MR methods
•  Dashboards and advanced visual representations of data
•  Unstructured text analysis
•  Unintentional smartphone respondents in online research
plus Research technology trends

2010 survey

•  Social media research
•  Survey routers
•  Big data and alternative data sources used in market research
•  Survey testing procedures plus Research technology trends

2009 survey

•  Mobile research Online communities (MROCs)
plus Research technology trends

2008 survey

Technology challenges faced
CATI diallers
Social media or ‘Web 2.0’ user-generated content
plus Research technology trends

  • Results of the 2008 Confirmit MR Software Survey, meaning ltd, London, February 2009, Report (PDF 552K)

2004-2007 surveys

Prior to 2008, the survey focused exclusively on technology trends, with a core series of tracking questions.

  • Results of the 2007 Confirmit MR Software Survey, meaning ltd, London, February 2008. Report (PDF 1.7MB)
  • Results of the 2006 Confirmit MR Software Survey, meaning ltd, London, January 2007. Report (PDF 1.0MB)
  • Results of the 2005 Confirmit MR Software Survey, meaning ltd, London, January 2006, Report (PDF 1.0MB)
  • Results of the 2004 Confirmit MR Software Survey, meaning ltd, London, January 2005, Report (PDF 1.0MB)

How we research the survey

The survey is of around 220-250 unique companies each year. The interview is aimed at senior professionals, directors or business owners, and is asked only of those who are responsible for technology, or are influential in technology decision-making within their organization. The survey consists of a 15-minute online interview. Invitations and reminders are sent by email. In addition, we work with the professional associations and specialist publications in some countries, to which invitations and an open link are issued by those organisations. Results are presented unweighted. We advise caution when projecting these figures, as the survey cannot be considered scientifically representative and we are not able to estimate the margin of error for the survey. However, the results appear to be highly indicative of current trends, and although it is largely a different sample drawn each year, considerable consistency can be observed in the tracking questions, year on year.

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