Opinion Panel ResearchThe Future Panel

Thursday, 29 Jul 2010

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Hi, I am Sam - Your friendly panel manager.

If you have any queries, please see the FAQ section below.
If your query is more specific, please contact me at at support@opinionpanel.co.uk and I'll be happy to help!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Joining

Earning Incentives

Taking Part

Keeping up-to-date

About Opinionpanel

My Privacy and Rights

Technical issues

 

Joining

What is The Future Panel?

The Future Panel is an online panel of year 12 and 13 pupils, international and mature students who have applied or are thinking about applying to university or a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK.

The panel has been set up to enable research to be carried out with people who have applied or are thinking about applying to university/HEIs via online questionnaires. The research findings help universities, the media and industry to understand your views and experiences of the university application process and your opinions on many other topic areas.

Who can join The Future Panel?

Anyone with a UCAS card or who is applying through UCAS to study at a UK university or higher education institution can join the panel. However, in order to join you will need to have responded to an email invitation from UCAS with a special link to our joining survey.

How can I join The Future Panel?

You can only join The Future Panel by invitation. If you've registered for a UCAS card or applied to university through UCAS and have agreed to receive their emails, then look out for our invitation and just follow the link.

Are UCAS sharing my personal details with Opinionpanel?

No. Neither UCAS nor UCAS Media pass on any personal information whatsoever to Opinionpanel. They merely send you an invitation to join The Future Panel. If you choose to join youll need to supply your personal details to us.

Can I join without receiving a special email invitation from UCAS?

Yes but only if you have a UCAS Card or have applied to university to be a full-time undergraduate through UCAS. If you didnt get or have deleted the special email invitation from UCAS you will probably be able to join via special hyperlinks included in e-newsletters sent to you by UCAS.

I dont have a UCAS Card but Id still really like to join The Future Panel can I?

Unfortunately, no. We need to recruit The Future Panel through the UCAS card and UCAS application schemes.

Can I still join if I am not sure I will go to university or a higher education institution?

Yes, even if you are currently unsure about going on to study at university or higher education, we still want to hear your views on the panel.

What happens if I join and then decide to take a year out?

Even if you decide not to apply or to go to university or decide to take a gap year we would like you to stay on the panel. Therell be questionnaires for you from time to time. And youll be able to update your membership profile if, at a later date, you become an applicant or student again.

If I join The Future Panel, do I have to go on and join The Student Panel?

No, you don't have to join The Student Panel when you go to university. But if you do go to a UK university, you might want to consider joining The Student Panel so you can keep taking surveys and enjoying the benefits of being involved. Joining the Student Panel gives you the opportunity to earn gift certificates to spend at Amazon.co.uk - You will receive 8 credit on applying, 2 credit on completing the registration questionnaire and 1-2 per survey thereafter. Its a simple online process to change your status from Applicant to Student. Well send you a reminder each August in case you forget.

Can my friend do surveys for me?

We look for differences in responses to questionnaires by members' demographics (things like gender, age, course and personal interests). So it is important that the person who originally joined Opinionpanel is the only one to complete the questionnaires.

 

Earning Incentives

What will I receive for completing a survey?

We will give you a Bonusbond voucher which you can spend in a wide range of high street stores.

How much are the vouchers worth?

The vouchers are normally worth £1. If a survey is very long we will normally provide a larger incentive.

Where can I spend my vouchers?

Bonusbond gift vouchers can be spent at many high street shops all over the UK - Argos, Alton Towers, Boots, Debenhams, HMV, Oasis, Woolworths, Topshop, TGI Fridays... For a full list of stores go to www.bonusbond.com.

Ive just done a questionnaire; wheres my incentive?

When you complete a questionnaire for The Future Panel, well usually give you Bonusbond voucher to spend on the high street. These are sent to you by post and will usually be mailed within two weeks of taking the survey.

How come some people win prizes as well as getting points?

Sometimes we offer a prize draw for a gift like a digital camera or a magazine subscription, as well as the usual incentives. Its usually on projects that need a bit of an extra reward, for example if its a particularly tricky questionnaire. Well tell you about them if they crop up, but normally we just offer bonus bond vouchers. Very occasionally we may offer a prize draw instead of a voucher (but well always clearly notify you if this is the case).

Will I be sent a voucher for completing the joining questionnaire?

You dont get a voucher for completing the joining questionnaire but your name is entered into a prize draw to win one of ten £10 Bonusbond gift vouchers to spend on the high street. For all other questionnaires you complete you will be sent a £1 Bonusbond gift voucher.

 

Taking Part

Why can't I find any questionnaires to complete on the website?

We invite you to complete questionnaires by email, not directly from the web site. This is because we have to select panellists for our questionnaires very carefully to ensure representativeness. That means not everyone is selected for every questionnaire.

Do I HAVE to take part in a survey when I am invited to do so?

No, you only complete the surveys you have the time and interest in completing. Obviously you only earn vouchers when you participate.

On average, how long do surveys take to complete?

Typically about 10 minutes - although some may be slightly longer and some may be shorter.

Why don't I get invited to take more surveys?

We select who gets invited to each survey on the basis of meeting quotas for representativeness such as gender, age and region. Within these requirements, selections are random, so its difficult to predict just how often well invite you. Keep your profile up-to-date to maximise your chances of being contacted.

Why did you invite me to take a questionnaire if I then get screened out?

When we invited you, we needed responses from panellists fitting your profile, based on gender, age etc. By the time you came to complete the survey, that quota will have filled up. Some groups are very small so this can occasionally happen even if you respond quickly.

How do I know what the right answers are?

There are no right or wrong answers. Just respond truthfully.

How long can I stay on The Future Panel?

You can stay on The Future Panel until you start university, or decide to withdraw from the application process. But once youre at university you can join The Student Panel and keep earning incentives. Well prompt you to update your profile and panel status from time to time. Click here to find out about The Student Panel

Will it be easy to join The Student Panel?

YES, it will be quick and simple to move onto The Student Panel since we've already got a lot of your details.

 

Keeping up-to-date

I've changed my email address / home address / etc

Please keep us informed of any changes by logging in and choosing My profile. This helps maximise your chances of being contacted.

I've forgotten my login details

Click here to receive a reminder of your login details.

I'm no longer an applicant. I'm now a student. What should I do?

When you become a student at university or a higher education institution you should let us know by logging in and choosing My profile to update your details. You will then be invited to join The Student Panel.

I've submitted my UCAS form now. Should I tell you?

Yes, once youve submitted your UCAS form you should let us know by logging in and choosing My profile to update your details. This is important as it ensures that you are sent questionnaire to complete that are relevant to you.

 

About Opinionpanel

Who is Opinionpanel?

We are an independent market research company. We comply with the market research society's code of conduct and will never pass on your details to any third party, we will never sell to you, send you special offers etc. We have been running for nearly four years and have built up a solid reputation for our student and graduate panels and research findings.

How does Opinionpanel make its money?

We make money by selling 'space' on our questionnaires to clients interested in the views of University applicants and those thinking about applying to unversity. We pass on the overall results of our surveys but we never pass on your personal details.

What is the connection between UCAS and Opinionpanel?

UCAS Media and Opinionpanel have a commercial arrangement whereby Opinionpanel pays UCAS Media to invite UCAS Card holders and UCAS Applicants to join our panels. All profits made by UCAS Media get channeled back into UCAS which is a charitable organisation committed to facilitating and promoting access to higher education.

 

My Privacy and Rights

Will you send me spam or sell my name to someone who does?

No and no. All your details remain private. Your details will not be passed on to any third parties and we will not try and sell or market to you.

Why should I join?

Opinionpanel surveys are likely to be relevant, interesting, influential, quick and easy. You get to earn you vouchers for every survey you complete and we send you feedback on the results to give you an idea of what you and other members of the panel are saying.

How often will you send me surveys?

That depends on many factors. Respondents tend to be selected on the basis of their demographic profile, so it's impossible to predict how often any one profile will be picked. We do endeavour to contact everyone fairly.

How do I leave The Future Panel?

Just log in and select the "unsubscribe" option, or reply to any of our emails with unsubscribe in the subject line. Well email you back to confirm that youve been unsubscribed.

 

Technical issues

I am having technical problems completing a survey. What should I do?

Contact us by email at support@opinionpanel.co.uk