Snap a key component of TGI study thanks to triple-s
October 2002
The triples open standard is being used to transfer large quantities of TGI data and metadata between software applications for large syndicated global research studies by BMRB.
The scale of Global TGI surveys presents many challenges to traditional data processing techniques, and the software used. The TGI study in China, the CMMS (Chinese Media and Marketing Survey) has been used to trial the triples open standard as an interchange format between two different market research software products, namely PTK and Snap. Not only is the new approach more efficient, but it is also meeting its ultimate objective the timely delivery of the broadest and most accurate Chinese product and media data to TGI’s clients. This successful approach is now being rolled out to other markets around the world.
The TGI (Target Group Index) is a long established survey within the UK media research industry. TGI provides extensive single source demographic, product and attitudinal data alongside media consumption and is used extensively by advertisers, advertising agencies and media owners as a currency in price negotiations within the media and advertising industries. Within the last ten years, the TGI model has been extended to 38 new and emerging markets around the globe. Methodologies often vary due to the differing research conditions that prevail in markets as diverse as the USA, Europe, Asia and South America. Through "The TGI Gold Standard" It is TGI’s goal to standardize research, where possible, so that comparisons can be made between markets around the globe.
The Chinese Media and Marketing Survey is one the 38 TGI studies, and is a joint venture between BMRB, Sinomonitor and Telmar. Interviews are conducted in 30 of the largest cities in China. There are two waves of fieldwork each year, and the 30 different questionnaires change with each wave as they respond to changes in the market. Fieldwork and data entry are conducted by Sinomonitor operating from offices in Beijing. Data processing is carried out by BMRB in London. 72,000 respondents are processed each year with about 20,000 items of data per respondent. Data is supplied to BMRB in triples format. The data is then published by Telmar software in both Chinese and English.
Initially, data is captured by trained individuals using Snap. The Snap keypunching system is a sophisticated data entry environment that supports various levels of control over the process of punching data. Variables or questions can be designated as "must answer" which prevents punchers from skipping over them. Conversely routing can be employed to ensure that data is not entered for variables that do not meet specific conditions. Snap also supports validation parameters for open-ended variables, which serve to prevent errors during data entry. Once data entry is complete, the data is provided to BMRB in the triples format for processing and analysis using PTK (Publisher’s Tool Kit) which is a bespoke system designed by BMRB for the production of large scale continuous surveys, such as TGI. The data is cleaned, weighted and verified before delivery to Telmar for publication using their proprietary software.
For 2002 a seamless interface with Snap was developed within PTK. This initially took the form of an export to Triples 1.1. This allowed the survey system to be accurately represented within PTK, with the Snap data entry system being automatically created by exporting 30 triples files (one file for each of the 30 cities). A later extension to the export routine to support SnIF (Snap Interchange Format) meant that all routing instructions could also be generated from within the PTK system. PTK had to be modified to work with Chinese characters, as these were required in Snap. With its new multi-language feature, PTK eliminated the need for translation back and forth between English and Chinese.
The PTK-Snap interface removes the need for the import code data entry process, and for the lengthy verification of this process, thus significantly reducing the time required to process the data in the survey production cycle. This is because the data entry system is constructed directly by PTK there is no longer a need to establish a link between the PTK and the data entry system, or to ensure the consistency of this link this link is built into the punching system implicitly.
The use of triples and the SnIF format have greatly improved BMRB’s ability to manage its increasingly complex international survey production processes, by providing a reliable interface with other companies’ software applications.
The PTK-Snap interface has enabled faster, more efficient, error-resistant processing in the complicated Chinese data environment. It represents a major breakthrough for CMMS, and a major breakthrough for TGI generally. There are benefits to CMMS clients (speed and quality), as well as to BMRB and its partners in China, and the worldwide TGI client base
The undertaking would not have been possible in these time-frames had it not been for the use of open standards, like triples
To date about three thousand China TGI respondent cases have been processed using PTK, imported from triples files generated by Snap. At this time the first Venezuelan data, processed using the PTK-Snap interface is being imported into PTK systems managed in BMRB’s New York office. As the process has proved to be a success, it is now very likely that it will be extended to other TGI surveys around the globe. The most likely of these in the short term are the other 9 South American surveys, and some elements for the TGI Europa offering including France, Germany and Spain.
For more information on the Global TGI range of products and services, visit www.tgisurveys.com