Data quality is now a shared responsibility across the research supply chain
Data quality in market research is now shared across the supply chain, as fraud and automation create new risks and challenges.Data quality in market research is no longer something that can be managed at a single point in the workflow. As the ecosystem has become more complex and more programmatic, the sources of risk have expanded and become harder to isolate.
In a recent article for Greenbook, following his Greenbook CEO Series podcast interview with Lenny Murphy, Rep Data’s Founder and CEO Patrick Stokes explores how fraud has evolved alongside the industry’s shift toward scale and automation, and why traditional approaches to quality control are no longer sufficient on their own.
He shares in “Reality Check: Market Research Wasn’t Built for Such a Complex Digital Ecosystem” that the core issue is not just the presence of fraud, but how it operates. What was once a mix of inattentive respondents and low-effort participation has developed into coordinated, tech-enabled behavior that adapts quickly to detection methods. As those tactics evolve, the gaps between systems, suppliers and workflows become more exposed.
One of the clearest shifts highlighted in the piece is how data quality has moved from a downstream concern to a supply chain issue. Survey design, incentives, timelines and feasibility constraints all influence the type of traffic that enters a study. Those decisions shape risk before fieldwork even begins.
The article also points to a critical gap in how the industry responds due to a lack of closed feedback loops. Pre-survey screening provides part of the picture, but without connecting those signals to what is observed in completed data, systems cannot adapt effectively. Linking pre- and post-survey insights allows detection methods to improve in a more continuous and responsive way.
As research teams push for faster turnaround and broader reach, the pressure on data quality will continue to increase. Addressing that pressure requires more coordination across partners, clearer visibility into how quality is managed and a shared approach to identifying and responding to new threats.
You can read the full article here: https://www.greenbook.org/insights/research-methodologies/reality-check-market-research-wasnt-built-for-such-a-complex-digital-ecosystem
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About Rep Data
Rep Data provides full-service data collection solutions for primary researchers, helping expedite data collection for primary quantitative research studies, with a hyper-focus on data quality and consistent execution. The company’s mission is to be a reliable, repeatable data collection partner for approximately 500 clients, including market research agencies, management consultancies, Fortune 500 corporations, advertising agencies, brand strategy consultancies, universities, communications agencies, public relations firms, and more.
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