A Netherlands University Uses SurveySolutions® Enterprise to Collect Data to Help Resolve Social Issues
ITS: Institute for Applied Social Sciences
Customer Background
ITS is an independent institute connected to the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It specializes in social scientific research, policy advice, company research and knowledge transfer. With many years of research experience in the areas of education, healthcare, labor, mobility and social security, ITS' mission is to use social scientific research and knowledge transfer to help resolve social issues.
The Challenge
As a research institute charged with influencing public policy, data collection is a vital part of ITS' work. Most of the surveys ITS conducts are triggered by social issues or questions brought to them by clients. Data collection is conducted primarily to back up scientific assumptions. As a research institute, ITS is always striving to be more effective, constantly adding new survey methods. In addition to traditional face-to-face, telephone, and written surveys, researchers began experimenting with web survey tools, in order to be able to conduct more research more quickly and accurately.
The Solution
The Data Collection department at ITS researched and tested a number of web survey systems. They found, however, that none of the available systems featured the functionality necessary for true scientific analysis. This included performing complex routing, layered randomization, inserting master- and sublists and applying statistical validation models.
At the recommendation of the Data Collection Department, the Institute's Board of Directors chose to implement Perseus SurveySolutions®, based primarily on its user-friendly interface as well as its unique ability to publish a complex questionnaire in a very short timeframe.
Working with Perseus' technical support staff, ITS' version of SurveySolutions was customized with external scripts to provide additional functionality unique to their institution.
Results
Most of the surveys conducted by ITS are triggered by social issues or questions. SurveySolutions has allowed the institute to respond with surveys and data more quickly, enabling it to fulfill its mission of helping to resolve social issues. According to Raymond Overmars of ITS, the institute's researchers are very satisfied with SurveySolutions, and most surveys are successful.
Because conducting surveys is such a vital part of its work, ITS plans to continue to use SurveySolutions for a wide variety of projects in the future. "Given the nature of our activities, our research is problem/issue driven - it's hard to predict what the applications will be," Overmars says. "But we have been pleased with SurveySolutions and understand its value for future research."
About Perseus
Perseus is leading the transition from web survey software to Enterprise Feedback Management (EFM) solutions that help organizations better understand their world. Organizations worldwide rely on Perseus solutions to better identify and meet employee, customer and partner needs, and increase profitability by creating loyal relationships. Perseus products enable business professionals to quickly and easily obtain, analyze, and manage sophisticated enterprise feedback using intuitive web-based software. Perseus SurveySolutions® is a recipient of PC Magazine's Editors' Choice award for web-survey software, and is used by over 22,000 customers worldwide including over twenty percent of the Fortune 100. Perseus is a 2003 and 2004 Inc. 500 company and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 company, and a four-time Deloitte Technology Fast 50 company. Visit perseus.com for more information.
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