Are professional survey-takers a bad thing?

Online surveys are a fantastic way to get lots of data quickly and relatively inexpensively. That's why there has been such huge growth in the online research industry. But lots of companies are concerned about the quality of the data from online surveys. Are all those folks taking those surveys real? And are the answers they give just as real?

We're one of the companies who uses online surveys and have asked our share of questions to ensure the validity of the results. There are a few ways you can make sure the data you're getting from online surveys is solid. (more on that in a separate post).

But here's a slightly different take on 'professional survey takers' that might make you appreciate those folks. A study from Advertising Research Foundation (http://www.research-live.com/news/are-professional-respondents-really-so-bad?-arf-investigates/3004923.article) found that those who are doing the most surveys tend to provide some of the most considered and reliable answers. So, as long as your survey taker is real and answering questions honestly, don't worry if they're a 'professional' - in fact, it's a good thing.