Fieldwork and quality
Follow collection, distinguish completed from accepted responses, and investigate problems.
Read progress correctly
Open Fieldwork to follow the study's sample and collection state. Invitations, starts, eligible respondents, completed interviews and accepted responses describe different stages. Compare the accepted count with the target.
A screen-out, quota-full exit, partial interview or processing failure is not an accepted complete. Check the category and reason before interpreting a shortfall.
Review quality
In Results, open Responses to inspect individual records and quality reasons. Review flagged or invalidated responses before deciding how to use them. Empty answers, duplicates, missing tasks and interrupted sessions can require different decisions.
Keep decisions and exclusions consistent across tables, quotes and reports. A high-level quality indicator should lead to an inspectable reason rather than replace researcher judgment.
Handle changes during collection
- Review quota fill, market balance and source mix.
- Pause the relevant recruitment path when a problem requires investigation.
- Check what happens to already active respondents before changing the plan.
- Record any instrument or eligibility change and the affected wave.
Provider controls and Research controls may have separate effects. Confirm the provider's actual state instead of assuming a Research pause stopped external fielding.