Okay, I'm a Panel Member - What happens next?

Thank you for joining! We hope that your experience will be rewarding and fun. In the future, we will contact you via e-mail with invitations to participate in a variety of studies. You will always have the option to accept or decline our invitation to participate.

You are also welcome to take part in DRI's POP!Poll™ - our short, bi-weekly surveys about current issues in popular culture. The results of these surveys will be posted so that you can compare your views with those of all participating respondents.

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What kinds of surveys will I be asked to participate in?

DRI is a full-service marketing research firm that conducts custom research for a variety of companies and organizations nationwide. Though we specialize in online research practices as well as research for the publishing and travel/tourism industries, our research covers a wide range of topics.

Occasionally, we test consumer products. Most often, we conduct polls of our Panel Members' attitudes, opinions and beliefs. As a Panel Member, you may be asked to give your opinion on a particular product, your assessment of a new company logo or Web site, or your attitudes on topics ranging from Internet privacy to current events.

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 What is My Panel ID Number? What if I forget it?

Your Panel ID number is a unique identifier used to track your activity in the Consumer Technology Panel™. 

Each time we contact you, your Panel ID number will be provided to you in our invitation.  You can verify your Panel ID number on the Web site by visiting our Verify ID page in the Members Only section.

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How do I update my e-mail address?

If you have changed your e-mail address, please let us know by filling out the form located in the Update Info section of our Web site. Please allow 2 - 3 days for your information to be updated.

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How do I update my mailing address and member profile information?

If you have moved recently, purchased a new computer or changed more than just your e-mail address, you can update your information by filling out the form provided on the Update Info page in the Members Only section. Please allow 2 - 3 days for your information to be updated.

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Can I invite my friends to join the Consumer Technology Panel™? How?

Yes! Please encourage your friends to join! Be sure to tell them about the great prizes they will be eligible to win. And remember, you will earn New Member Sweepstakes entries when you refer friends, neighbors, business associates, and relatives. Your referrals must have access to the Internet, cannot be residents of your household, and cannot be current Panel Members. You can submit your referral by visiting the Tell-a-Friend™ page in the Members Only section.

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When and how often will I be asked to participate in a survey? Why haven't I been asked recently?

We make every attempt to keep our Panel Members active. However, many times, our studies apply to specific household profiles. We also rotate our Panel Member list on a regular basis to afford all members an equal chance to participate.  This means you may have to wait to hear from us. On average, our Panel Members participate in four studies per year.

Remember, we can only include you in our studies if we can reach you via e-mail. So, please let us know if your contact information has changed. Visit the Update Info page in the Members Only section to provide us with your most current information.

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Why do you need to know the names and ages of everyone in my household?

Sometimes our research involves the evaluation of products and services intended for persons of a particular age or gender. It is also important for us to understand the demographic composition of a household in order to make generalizations about the population at large.

Guaranteeing your privacy is essential to conducting ethical research. To ensure your privacy, DRI has adopted a Privacy Pledge stating that we will never provide individual information to anyone without consent from the Panel Member.

DRI pledges to all Panel Members that individual information will never be sold. We also ensure that Panel Members will never be solicited to purchase any products or services as a result of membership in the Panel or participation in surveys.

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How do I remove my name from the Panel?

If you would no longer like to be part of our Consumer Technology Panel™, visit the Remove page in the Members Only section of our Web site to submit your request. Please take a moment to tell us why you are electing to resign from the Panel. Your feedback will help us make adjustments to our Panel Member program.

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What if I have difficulty accessing the Web site address where a survey resides?

If you discover that the link we have provided you does not work, first verify that the address was entered properly in your browser. Some AOL users may have to copy and paste the address directly into the AOL browser before the page will load.

If you continue to have difficulty and are unable to view the survey site, please send us an e-mail message specifying the name of the study. We will respond to you as quickly as possible.

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I am under 18 years of age? How can I become a Panel Member?

In order to comply with online research guidelines established by the Children's Research Unit of the Council of American Better Business Bureaus, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and our own professional business standards, someone in your household over the age of 18 must be the primary contact for your household. Please ask your parent or guardian to visit the Join Today! section of our Web site and consider becoming a member of our Panel.

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Why aren't DRI's sweepstakes open to Panel Members outside of the U.S. or Canada?

Although DRI would like to offer incentive sweepstakes to Panel Members from countries other than the United States and Canada, the laws governing sweepstakes in other countries vary greatly. In an effort to protect Panel Members and ourselves from legal liability, we must limit sweepstakes to residents of the United States and Canada. We are currently researching methods available to us to extend prize-winning opportunities to international participants. We hope to have sweepstakes available outside the U.S. and Canada in the future.

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Is my personal data safe?

Yes. All personal data resides in an "offline" database. Only communication data, such as last names, e-mail addresses, and Panel ID numbers, are "live" and encrypted for your protection.  

Respecting your privacy is essential to conducting ethical research. To ensure your privacy, DRI has adopted a Privacy Pledge, which states that we will never provide individual information to anyone without consent from the Panel Member.

DRI pledges to all Panel Members that individual information will never be sold. We also ensure that Panel Members will never be solicited to purchase any products or services as a result of their membership in the Panel or participation in surveys. Please take a moment to review our Privacy Pledge.

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What if I have a question that hasn't been answered on this Web site?

If you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns about the Consumer Technology Panel™, please contact Shari Starkey, our Panel Manager.

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