How InFact’s method works
Have you received an SMS from InFact inviting you to take part in a survey? Or are you wondering how a web survey can be conducted without recruiting participants from an existing panel?
InFact conducts surveys by sending a personal link to a web survey to a random sample of registered phone numbers in Sweden and Norway. This allows us to combine broad telephone sampling with the flexibility of a web based questionnaire.
Why do we use random telephone samples?
An important consideration in any survey is who gets the opportunity to participate.
Many web surveys are conducted using panels, where people have signed up in advance to participate in surveys. This is an established method that works well for many types of studies.
InFact can also take a different approach. By using registered phone numbers as our starting point, we can draw a random sample from a broader section of the population. This means that people do not need to be members of a survey panel or have previously expressed an interest in taking part in surveys to have the opportunity to participate.
A random sample does not in itself guarantee that the final results will be representative. Who chooses to respond, how different groups are represented among respondents and how the results are processed also matter. However, this approach to recruitment allows us to reach people beyond the groups that typically participate in survey panels.
Why have I received an SMS from InFact?
If you have received a survey invitation from InFact, it does not mean that we already know anything about your opinions, habits or experiences. Your phone number was included in the sample selected for that particular survey.
The phone numbers used for our random samples come from sampling data providers. The source may vary depending on the survey and the sampling method used.
Participation is always voluntary. If you choose to take part, simply follow the personal link in the SMS to access the survey. You do not need to create an account, and you can choose to leave the survey at any time if you do not wish to complete it.
Telephone sampling with the flexibility of a web survey
The SMS is simply the way into the survey. The questions themselves are answered through a web based questionnaire, usually directly on your mobile phone.
This provides considerable flexibility in how a survey can be designed. In addition to standard response options, the questionnaire can include images, visual material and a variety of question types. More complex survey flows can also be created, where participants receive different questions depending on their previous answers.
For respondents, this means the survey can be completed at a time that suits them. For the organisation commissioning the survey, it provides greater flexibility to tailor the questionnaire to what they actually need to find out.
A complement to automated telephone interviews
InFact has long worked with IVR, automated telephone interviews where respondents answer questions directly using their phone keypad. It is an efficient method for shorter opinion polls, for example, and other studies where the questions are well suited to telephone interviews.
SMS to web survey does not replace this method. It gives us another option.
If a survey requires images, a wider range of response options or a longer and more flexible questionnaire, a web survey may be the better choice. In other cases, IVR may be more appropriate. The choice of method should be based on the target group, the questions being asked and how the results will be used.
This means that data collection can be adapted to the needs of each individual project, rather than having to adapt the research questions to a particular method.
How are my data and responses handled?
We process personal data and survey responses using appropriate security measures and never sell personal data. Clients always receive results in aggregated or anonymised form.
How data is handled may vary depending on the survey. Information specific to the survey you are participating in can be found in the invitation or at the beginning of the survey.
You can read more about how we collect, use, protect and store personal data in our Privacy Policy for Survey Participants.
The right method for the right question
There is no single data collection method that is best for every survey. Sometimes an automated telephone interview is the most efficient way to collect responses. In other cases, the greater flexibility of a web survey is needed.
With SMS to web survey, we can combine random telephone sampling with the ability to ask questions in a wider variety of ways. For respondents, this means having the opportunity to participate without being a member of a survey panel. For our clients, it provides another way to tailor data collection to the target group and purpose of the survey.
If you have received an SMS from InFact and have questions about the survey, you are welcome to contact us.
If you are planning a survey and would like to discuss which method would be most suitable, we are happy to help you explore the options!
Josephine Larsson
Senior Analyst & Project Manager
