Screening and survey selection system and method of operating the same
View Patent ↗A screening and survey selection system, method of screening and selecting for a survey and a computer system employing the system and method. In one embodiment, the screening and survey selection system includes a survey queue having a plurality of queue slots, each of the plurality of queue slots including a survey available for a respondent. The screening and survey selection system also includes a random number generator that generates a number pertaining to a selected one of the plurality of queue slots as a function of at least one characteristic associated with the respondent. The screening and survey selection system still further includes a screener block question generator that develops a plurality of screener block questions that determine if the respondent is qualified to participate in a survey corresponding to the selected one of the plurality of queue slots.
1. A screening and survey selection system, comprising:
a master screener configured to identify a subset of surveys from among a set of surveys based on characteristics of a respondent;
a survey queue having a plurality of queue slots, each of said plurality of queue slots including a survey from said identified subset of surveys;
a weighted random number generator adapted to generate a number that corresponds to a selected one of said plurality of queue slots and that is dependent upon at least one characteristic associated with said respondent; and
a screener block question generator adapted to:
relate one or more screener block questions to said survey included in said selected queue slot, and
enable presentation of said survey included in said selected queue slot to be conditioned upon a received response from said respondent to said one or more screener block questions.
2. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising an access and control subsystem adapted to determine access rights of said respondent.
3. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a control database that contains attributes associated with said respondent.
4. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 3 wherein said attributes are selected from the group consisting of:
a screenname of said respondent,
a login identification of said respondent,
category codes for past surveys and completion dates of said past surveys taken by said respondent, and
a last entry date to said screening and survey selection system by said respondent.
5. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 wherein the master screener is adapted to develop questions that determine said characteristics.
6. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 wherein said characteristics are selected from the group consisting of:
a zip code of residence of said respondent,
an age of said respondent,
a gender and ethnic background of said respondent,
occupational information and composition of a household of said respondent, and
decision making criteria of said household of said respondent.
7. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a quota subsystem adapted to determine an availability of said survey corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of queue slots.
8. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a survey quota file that contains status information regarding surveys located in said survey queue.
9. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a survey engine adapted to monitor a number of respondents accessing said screening and survey selection system.
10. The screening and survey selection system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a crediting file that contains benefit information associated with said respondent.
11. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to associate weights of varying level with each of a first queue slot and a second queue slot, wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to realize a level of difficulty in qualifying for a first survey included in the first queue slot and a level of difficulty in qualifying for a second survey included in the second queue slot and distinguish a level of a weight to be assigned to the first and the second queue slots based on the realized levels of difficulty associated therewith.
12. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to assign a level of weight to the first queue slot that is greater than the level of weight assigned to the second queue slot when the level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey is greater than the level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey.
13. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the screener block question generator is adapted to develop a plurality of screener block questions after the weighted random number generator generates the number.
14. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the screener block question generator is adapted to develop a plurality of screener block questions that correspond to a subset of all screener block questions associated with the subset of surveys included in the plurality of queue slots.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein all weights used by the weighted random number generator are non-zero.
16. A computer system for effecting a screening and survey selection system over a computer network, comprising:
a database coupled to said computer network and including a survey queue; and
a server associated with said database, including:
a master screener that identifies a subset of surveys from among a set of surveys available for a respondent based on criteria related to said respondent;
a weighted random number generator that:
associates each survey in said subset with a survey queue slot in said survey queue, and
generates a number that corresponds to a selected one of said survey queue slots as a function of at least one characteristic associated with said respondent; and
a screener block question generator that:
relates one or more screener block questions to said survey associated with said selected one of said survey queue slots, and
enables presentation of said survey associated with said selected one of said survey queue slots to be conditioned upon a received response from said respondent to said one or more screener block questions.
17. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said server further comprises an access and control subsystem that determines access rights of said respondent.
18. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said database further comprises a control database subsystem that contains attributes associated with said respondent.
19. The computer system as recited in claim 18 wherein said attributes are selected from the group consisting of:
a screenname of said respondent,
a login identification of said respondent,
category codes for past surveys and completion dates of said past surveys taken by said respondent, and
a last entry date to said screening and survey selection system by said respondent.
20. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said master screener is configured to develop questions that determine said criteria.
21. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said criteria comprise characteristics of the respondent and are selected from the group consisting of:
a zip code of residence of said respondent,
an age of said respondent,
a gender and ethnic background of said respondent,
occupational information and composition of a household of said respondent, and
decision making criteria of said household of said respondent.
22. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said server further comprises a quota subsystem that determines an availability of said survey corresponding to said selected one of said plurality of queue slots.
23. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said database further comprising a survey quota file that contains status information regarding surveys located in said survey queue.
24. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said server further comprises a survey engine that monitors a number of respondents accessing said computer system.
25. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein said database further comprises a crediting file that contains benefit information associated with said respondent.
26. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to associate weights of varying level with each of a first queue slot and a second queue slot, wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to realize a level of difficulty in qualifying for a first survey included in the first queue slot and a level of difficulty in qualifying for a second survey included in the second queue slot and distinguish a level of a weight to be assigned to the first and the second queue slots based on the realized levels of difficulty associated therewith.
27. The computer system as recited in claim 26 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to assign a level of weight to the first queue slot that is greater than the level of weight assigned to the second queue slot when the level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey is greater than the level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey.
28. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein the screener block question generator is adapted to develop a plurality of screener block questions after the weighted random number generator generates the number.
29. The computer system as recited in claim 16 wherein the screener block question generator is adapted to develop a plurality of screener block questions that correspond to a subset of all screener block questions associated with the surveys included in the plurality of queue slots.
30. The computer system of claim 16 , wherein all weights used by the weighted random number generator are non-zero.
31. A screening and survey selection system, comprising:
a master screener configured to filter a subset of surveys from among a set of surveys based on criteria related to a respondent;
a survey queue having a plurality of queue slots, each of said queue slots including a survey from said subset of surveys; and
a weighted random generator adapted to select one of said surveys in said subset of surveys at random by generating a number that corresponds to selected one of said plurality of queue slots and that is dependent upon at least one characteristic associated with said respondent.
32. The system of claim 31 , wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to associate weights of varying level with each of a first survey and a second survey, wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to realize a level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey and a level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey and distinguish a level of a weight to be assigned to the first and the second surveys based on the realized levels of difficulty associated therewith.
33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to assign a level of weight to the first survey that is greater than the level of weight assigned to the second survey when the level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey is greater than the level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey.
34. The system of claim 31 , wherein all weights used by the weighted random number generator are non-zero.
35. A computer system for effecting a screening and survey selection system over a computer network, comprising:
a database coupled to the computer network and including a survey queue having a plurality of slots each of said queue slots including a survey; and
a sever associated with the database, including:
a master screener configured to identify a subset of surveys from among a set of surveys based on criteria related to the respondent; and
a weighted random number generator configured to select one of said surveys in said subset of surveys at random by generating a number that corresponds to selected one of said plurality of queue slots and that is dependent upon at least one characteristic associated with said respondent.
36. The system of claim 35 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to associate weights of varying level with each of a first survey and a second survey, wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to realize a level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey and a level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey and distinguish a level of a weight to be assigned to the first and the second surveys based on the realized levels of difficulty associated therewith.
37. The system of claim 36 wherein the weighted random number generator is configured to assign a level of weight to the first survey that is greater than the level of weight assigned to the second survey when the level of difficulty in qualifying for the first survey is greater than the level of difficulty in qualifying for the second survey.
38. The system of claim 35 , wherein all weights used by the weighted random number generator are non-zero.