Radio Presurvey Bulletin,
Winter 2007
Service Enhancement
"eDiary" Offered as Diarykeeper Option
About the eDiary
Effective with the Winter 2007 survey, radio survey participants in diary-based markets will have the option to use an Internet-based, electronic diary in place of the standard paper survey tool.
The eDiary is a Web-based version of the Arbitron paper diary that consists of five primary types of pages: welcome/introduction pages, an instructions page, radio diary pages, a quick questions page, and a submit page. Additionally, there are various error messages designed to reduce the likelihood of diarykeeper error.
Based on its tests of the electronic diary, Arbitron expects that at least one out of every 20 survey participants will choose the electronic diary. In Arbitron tests, the largest demographic group of eDiarykeepers was between the ages of 25 and 34. Arbitron’s tests also showed that there is no significant difference in the number of quarter-hours of listening or the number of stations entered into the eDiary versus the paper diary.
How Respondents Access the eDiary Option
Every phone call to survey households will include a mention of the option to complete either the paper or the online version of the diary. Letters sent to survey households also will include a mention of the eDiary and references to being able to mail back a diary or submit it online.
An insert explaining how to access and log into the eDiary will be included in each diary sleeve mailed to consenting households. This insert instructs respondents to go to the eDiary Web site and log in by using the respondent’s diary ID as a username and zip code as a password. Once logged in, the respondent can choose a new username and password that would be more easily remembered.
On the page on which a new username and password is created, the respondent is asked to provide an e-mail address. If a valid e-mail address is provided, the respondent will receive up to four messages from Arbitron reminding of the need to complete and submit the eDiary.