Smart survey with progressive discovery

1. A method for collection of data or information from a dynamic and adaptive target group selection, the method comprising:

selecting a set of experts that each have higher value metric scores relative to value metric scores of other unselected experts of a population of known experts and that are indicative of an expertise relevant to at least one question in a plurality of survey questions;

sending the plurality of survey questions to the selected set of experts;

automatically updating the value metric scores of the set of experts via a programmable device as a function of at least one of a timeliness of a response received from an associated expert, and a degree of correlation of an answer within said response received from the associated expert to an expected answer;

updating the plurality of survey questions by removing questions satisfied by a threshold number of response answers that are received from the selected set of experts and that are within a threshold variance of an expected answer to the satisfied question; and

repeating the steps of selecting an updated set of experts that each have higher value metrics scores relative to value metric scores of other unselected experts of the selected set and that are indicative of an expertise relevant to at least one question in the updated plurality of survey questions, sending the updated plurality of survey questions to the updated set of experts, and automatically updating the value metric scores of the expanded updated set of experts via the programmable device as the function of the at least one of the timeliness of the responses received and the degree of correlation of the answers to the expected answers, until each question in the updated plurality of survey questions is satisfied by the threshold number of response answers that are received from the selected set of experts and that are within a threshold variance of an expected answer to the satisfied question and removed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the automatically the updating value metric scores of the expanded set of experts via the programmable device as the function of the timeliness of the response received from the associated expert comprises:

increasing the value metric score of a first expert as a function of an elapsed time of a response of the first expert to a sent survey question that is less than a normal response time; and

decreasing the value metric score of a second expert in response to a failure to receive a response to a sent survey question from the second expert within an allowable time for response to the sent survey question.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

sending a reminder to the second expert in response to the failure to receive the response to the sent survey question from the second expert within the threshold allowable time for response; and

removing the second expert from the updated set of experts in response to a failure to receive a response to the reminder within an allowable time for response to the reminder.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the automatically updating value metric scores of the expanded set of experts via the programmable device is further a function of a number of referrals to an expert from other experts, further comprising:

increasing the value metric score of a third expert if multiple experts refer to the third expert as an appropriate person to answer a given question of the survey; and

decreasing the value metric score of a fourth expert relative to a fifth expert if the fourth expert has relatively fewer references to the given question of the survey relative to the fifth expert.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expected answer is a hypothesis answer or a mean answer of a totality of answers received from the experts with respect to a sent question, the method further comprising:

determining that an answer received from a sixth expert has a degree of correlation to the expected answer that is outside of an acceptable variance; and

labeling the sixth expert an outlier expert; or

decreasing a value metric score of the sixth expert.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the updating the plurality of survey questions by removing questions satisfied by response answers from the selected set of experts comprises:

determining that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer upon receiving a total number of responses that meets a threshold number of responses; or

determining that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer if an answer to a question is within a threshold variance of correlation to the expected answer.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer upon receiving a response from a non-outlier expert and a response from an outlier expert.

8. A system, comprising:

a processing unit, computer readable memory and a computer readable storage system;

first program instructions to select a set of experts that each have higher value metrics scores relative to value metric scores of other unselected experts of a population of known experts and that are indicative of an expertise relevant to at least one question in a plurality of survey questions;

second program instructions to determine a degree of correlation of an answer from an associated expert, within a response received in response to questions of a plurality of survey questions sent to the selected set of experts, to an expected answer;

third program instructions to update the value metric scores of the experts as a function of at least one of a timeliness of the response received from an associated expert, and of the determined degree of correlation of the answer; and

fourth program instructions to update the plurality of survey questions by removing questions satisfied by a threshold number of response answers that are received from the selected set of experts and that are within a threshold variance of an expected answer to the satisfied question, and to send out the updated plurality questions to the selected expert sets until each question in the updated plurality of survey questions is satisfied and removed as determined by iterative repetitive application of the first, second and third instructions; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage system for execution by the processing unit via the computer readable memory.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts are further to:

increase the value metric score of a first expert as a function of an elapsed time of a response of the first expert to a sent survey question that is less than a normal response time; and

decrease the value metric score of a second expert in response to a failure to receive a response to a sent survey question from the second expert within an allowable time for response to the sent survey question.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts are further to:

send a reminder to the second expert in response to the failure to receive the response to the sent survey question from the second expert within the threshold allowable time for response; and

remove the second expert from the updated set of experts in response to a failure to receive a response to the reminder within an allowable time for response to the reminder.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts as a function of a number of referrals to an expert from other experts are further to:

increase the value metric score of a third expert if multiple experts refer to the third expert as an appropriate person to answer a given question of the survey; and

decrease the value metric score of a fourth expert relative to a fifth expert if the fourth expert has relatively fewer references to the given question of the survey relative to the fifth expert.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the expected answer is a hypothesis answer or a mean answer of a totality of answers received from the experts with respect to a sent question, and wherein the second and third program instructions are further to:

determine that an answer received from a sixth expert has a degree of correlation to the expected answer that is outside of an acceptable variance; and

label the sixth expert an outlier expert; or

decrease a value metric score of the sixth expert.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second program instructions are further to:

determine that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer upon receiving a total number of responses that meets a threshold number of responses; or

determine that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer if an answer to a question is within a threshold variance of correlation to the expected answer.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the second program instructions are further to:

determine that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer upon receiving a response from a non-outlier expert and a response from an outlier expert.

15. A computer program product for collection of data or information from a dynamic and adaptive target group selection, the computer program product comprising:

a computer storage device;

first program instructions to select a set of experts that each have higher value metrics scores relative to value metric scores of other unselected experts of a population of known experts and that are indicative of an expertise relevant to at least one question in a plurality of survey questions;

second program instructions to determine a degree of correlation of an answer from an associated expert, within a response received in response to questions of a plurality of survey questions sent to the selected set of experts, to an expected answer;

third program instructions to update the value metric scores of the experts as a function of at least one of a timeliness of the response received from an associated expert, and of the determined degree of correlation of the answer; and

fourth program instructions to update the plurality of survey questions by removing questions satisfied by a threshold number of response answers that are received from the selected set of experts and that are within a threshold variance of an expected answer to the satisfied question, and to send out the updated plurality questions to the selected expert sets until each question in the updated plurality of survey questions is satisfied and removed as determined by iterative repetitive application of the first, second and third instructions; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer storage device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts are further to:

increase the value metric score of a first expert as a function of an elapsed time of a response of the first expert to a sent survey question that is less than a normal response time; and

decrease the value metric score of a second expert in response to a failure to receive a response to a sent survey question from the second expert within an allowable time for response to the sent survey question.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts are further to:

send a reminder to the second expert in response to the failure to receive the response to the sent survey question from the second expert within the threshold allowable time for response; and

remove the second expert from the updated set of experts in response to a failure to receive a response to the reminder within an allowable time for response to the reminder.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the third program instructions to update the value metric scores of experts as a function of a number of referrals to an expert from other experts are further to:

increase the value metric score of a third expert if multiple experts refer to the third expert as an appropriate person to answer a given question of the survey; and

decrease the value metric score of a fourth expert relative to a fifth expert if the fourth expert has relatively fewer references to the given question of the survey relative to the fifth expert.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the expected answer is a hypothesis answer or a mean answer of a totality of answers received from the experts with respect to a sent question, and wherein the second and third program instructions are further to:

determine that an answer received from a sixth expert has a degree of correlation to the expected answer that is outside of an acceptable variance; and

label the sixth expert an outlier expert; or

decrease a value metric score of the sixth expert.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the second program instructions are further to:

determine that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer upon receiving a total number of responses that meets a threshold number of responses; or

determine that a question has been satisfied with a satisfactory answer if an answer to a question is within a threshold variance of correlation to the expected answer.