Nielsen CRE Study Aims to Improve Diary Samples

Nielsen funded client think tank the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) is to conduct a three-market study of response bias in address-based audience samples, with the aim of improving diary-based TV-audience measurement.

The SQ:L (Sample Quality: Local) Study will include Nielsen LPM-monitored Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque-Santa Fe, a standard Nielsen-meter market; and diary market Paducah, Kentucky-Cape Girardeau, Missouri-Harrisburg, Illinois.

In addition to different methodologies, the three have divergent characteristics in terms of ethnic make-up, number of over-the-air households and penetration levels of electronic data collection devices. The study will make comparisons of diary-based and meter-based measurement, and set-top-box information, with follow-up studies to examine non-responding and non-TV homes.

According to Ceril Shagrin, EVP of Univision Communications and CRE Chair, 'Some of our prior research has helped us realize we have many more questions that need to be answered in order to improve diary sampling. We need to learn whether expanded media-related equipment ownership can be obtained from diary samples, whether return-path data can improve diary measurement, and how much 'TV program' viewing is now done - and on what devices - in what are currently defined as 'non-TV homes.'

Data from the new study will be compared with Nielsen LPM, metered and diary market data to examine the impact on response bias of weighting, adjusting return path or set-meter data, geographic and demographic variables, TV ownership and land-line vs cellphone-only status. Findings from the study are expected to be made available by first quarter 2013.

Web site: www.researchexcellence.com .