Ronaldo Iachan, PhD
ICF, Calverton, Maryland
Dr. Iachan, a senior statistician, has 30 years of experience in statistical methods and applications, particularly in the areas of survey sampling design and analysis. For ICF, Dr. Iachan provides statistical expertise across divisions in projects in the areas of health, education, and social studies. He was a professor at Iowa State University and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has served on ICF’s IRB for 12 years, and has been a statistical editor for the Journal of the American Medical Association for the past 15 years. He has extensive experience in statistical design and analysis, with more than 30 refereed articles published in statistical methods,. Dr. Iachan has extensive experience providing sampling and survey design support for many cancer-related projects for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other agencies, including cancer registry studies and heart disease prevention.
298 – SPEED: Innovations in Survey Sampling Designs: Administrative Data, Record Linkage, Non-Probability Samples, and More
Are Shoppers Representative of the Population? Using Geofenced Grocery and Convenience Stores to Represent the Population
Davia Moyse
ICF
Matt Jans
ICF International
Ronaldo Iachan, PhD
ICF, Calverton, Maryland
Lee Harding
ICF International
James Dayton
ICF International
Yangyang Deng
ICF
Scott Worthge
MFour Mobile Market Research
Tracy Visconti
MFour Mobile Market Research
General population surveys traditionally sample people from households because people are easy to locate where they live. However, mobile phone technology and geolocation advances have made it simple to locate people in other places. For example, most people visit a grocery or convenience store to purchase food and household items. Can sampling at these locations provide estimates comparable to traditional sampling? This paper discusses a piloted method using geofenced grocery and convenience stores in Washington State. We sampled mobile panel members when they entered geofenced areas around these stores, asking them to answer a few questions, and take a picture of an alcohol, tobacco, or sugar-sweetened beverage display. We benchmarked survey responses against population control totals and a probability survey on the same topic and population. We also used paradata to assess feasibility and respondent burden. The benefits of this innovative method over traditional phone or mail surveys are quick and inexpensive administration, and the ability to capture images as data. We discuss findings in the context of panel representativeness and respondent burden.