Over the years the research industry has seen a growing use of permanent samples that are contacted repeatedly for information. These permanent groups are called panels. In many instances, they are asked, at intervals, different questions but often the panel is used to measure the same type of information repeatedly. Beta utilizes panels for a variety of purposes. Among them:

• As a sounding board for public opinion, who are asked various questions on their attitudes toward public issues, business concerns, branded products, buying intentions, and other matters;
• To determine how readers of specific publications react to the publication in general and to advertising or editorial in particular;
• As a group of persons to evaluate (product) ideas or the effectiveness of advertising;
• As consumer, business, and healthcare samples, who report the products they buy and other information relevant to their purchasing or usage habit.

One should remember that the important features of the panel are its ability to indicate trends and changes over a period of time and to permit analysis at a given time which a one-time survey cannot afford. Due to possible inherent biases, a panel may not provide absolute figures that can be projected to the size of the whole population with maximum accuracy; its valid uses are relevant rather than absolute.

Beta currently manages panels and databases for/with:

• more than 60 different publications -- across consumer, medical and trade publications
• physicians
• a variety of household behavioral issues: