Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-27
2003-10-07
Metjahic, Safet (Department: 2171)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C434S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06631370
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The object of the invention is a method for collecting data from users of terminals connected to a data network, through the data network utilizing the terminals, for storing the collected data in a database and for processing the data stored in the database and for presenting the results by presenting to the users of the terminals one or more questions.
2. Description of Related Art
In traditional marketing and opinion surveys the desired data is collected by using telephone inquiries, letters or by using personal inquiries or interviews. In these are usually used questions that are prepared in advance and the data given by the respondents are entered to answer forms. With one inquiry data can be collected on several matters, which either are or are not in dependence of each other. The data to be collected is either qualitative, quantitative or both.
To ease the processing of the answers, the questions are usually formatted so that the respondent chooses one or more of the presented alternatives. The answer form can be a traditional form printed on paper, which is filled by the respondent or by the interviewer. The interviewer can have at his disposal a laptop computer in which the inquiry form is stored completely or partly and the interviewer enters the data given by the respondent to the memory of the computer. The surveys performed in these traditional ways are, however, slow, costly and labor intensive.
In traditional questionnaires can also be used conditional questions, whereby the question or questions to be presented next is dependent on the answer given to this conditional question or on the chosen answer alternative.
When all the answers are received or answers are obtained sufficiently with regard to the object of the inquiry, the answers are collated and processed by using various methods, e.g. by computing various statistical characteristics from them. Based on the results and the analysis of them, conclusions are drawn from the studied subjects. The answers are processed usually at one time or in a few batches. In processing the answers various statistical methods are used on the basis of which the reliability and significance of the results and the conclusions drawn can be assessed.
In practice the inquiries can be directed to the whole target group only very seldom. For obtaining data, different methods are used for selecting the group of respondents from the target group in such a way that the selected group of respondents would represent as well as possible the target group, whereby also the received answers would reflect the attitude of the target group. While the collecting of the data e.g. by interviewing is expensive, the selection of the sample size has a very important meaning. The defining of the sample size is studied very much e.g. in the literature and scientific articles.
The statistical reliability of the results computed from the answers and of the conclusions based on these is ascertained after the whole material has been processed. The inquiries cannot usually be completed without endangering the reliability especially when the questions refer to actual matters.
Besides the traditional inquiring methods with letters, telephone and interviews, the use of the Internet has in the last years also come along, whereby the respondents give their answers through e-mail or directly to the questions shown on the display. By using the Internet substantial advantages are achieved compared to the traditional methods, because the data is received directly in suitable form for the processing equipment of the results.
One such method, in which the e-mail is utilized, is disclosed in the US-publications U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,098 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,195. In these publications is described i.e. a method for constructing the survey form. In the publication is also disclosed the use of branching questions, in other words, the following question or questions are determined based on the answer given by the respondent. In the publication is nothing disclosed on the way of selecting the respondents. In the publications is nothing disclosed either on it that to different respondents would be sent different questions or different number of questions in other case than basing on the given answers to the branching questions. In the publication is nothing disclosed either on defining the sample size in real time and/or individually and separately to each question according to certain criteria for reliability.
A typical data collecting by using the Internet comprises the following steps:
1. A visitor of the visitors of the Internet site is chosen e.g. randomly.
2. To the chosen visitor is presented an invitation to be a respondent in the inquiry e.g. with a window appearing on the display and in which window the respondent is given the opportunity to accept or reject the invitation.
3. When the visitor accepts the invitation, the questionnaire, loaded from the server of the author of the study, is opened in the browser window.
4. After giving his answers the respondent accepts the submitting of the given answers e.g. by clicking a button in the questionnaire, whereby the data given on the form are stored to the database of the author of the study.
The said invitation to the inquiry in the step 2 and the said questionnaire in the step 3 can also be shown in the same window, which opens up in presenting the invitation. Even in this alternative the visitor has the possibility of declining from the participation to the inquiry.
Instead of the random selection, the questions can be presented to all visitors or every visitor can participate to the inquiry according to his choice. If the visitor is identifiable, to the same visitor is not usually presented new invitations to participate within a certain time in spite of the answer of the visitor to the invitation to participate.
In inquiries by using the Internet the answers are received in real time to the database, which makes possible also the processing of the answers in real time. Also the reporting of the answers to the customers can take place in real time, even after the arrival of each answer.
The experiences from the use of the Internet show that the answering percentages are very high compared to the traditional inquiries done by letters, telephone or interviews. It can be expected, however, that when the inquiries performed through the Internet increase, the willingness to participate or answer will decrease. The users of the Internet may get irritated from the invitations appearing on the display and are not willing to give their opinions in spite of different incentives such as contests, lotteries, prizes etc.
The answering percentage is significantly influenced by the extent of the questionnaire. The shorter the questionnaire is, the smaller the disturbance of the inquiry is regarded and the higher is the answering percentage. The answering percentage has been observed to decrease strongly when the questionnaire has more than 15 questions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a method, with which data is collected from the users of the terminals connected to a data network, preferably e.g. to the Internet, through the data network using the terminals, in such a way that the disturbance level caused by the data collection to the user of the terminal is as low as possible and at the same time statistically reliable results are achieved. The method comprises also the storing of the data to the database and the computing of one or more statistical characteristic based on the stored data.
It is characterizing to the method that the method comprises steps:
the questions to be included in the inquiry are chosen from a store of questions,
the number of the questions to be presented to the user of the terminal is chosen,
the chosen number of questions is chosen from the questions included in the inquiry,
the chosen questions are sent to the user of the terminal to be answered,
the answers given by the user of the terminal are received,
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Al-hashemi Sana
InterQuest Oy
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