Hanover research Review

I teach college physics and frequently provide feedback to publishers and research groups offering gift card incentives (I've made $175 this year telling publishers how to improve the products I already use in class, or how to make new products that might help students...I consider that a win-win scenario). So, I wasn't particularly surprised to receive another, similar request, this one from Hanover Research. The email went as follows:

Hello,

Hanover Research, a market research firm based in Arlington, VA, is conducting a study focusing on your course material, and we would like your opinion. This survey will only take 20 minutes of your time to complete. Responses are reported in aggregate, so please be as candid as possible.

If you qualify for and complete the survey, you will receive a $25 gift card as a thank you." (More information on additional sweepstakes prizes, survey links, etc. followed, but this is the significant part.)

I clicked the link, started answering the standard questions about courses I teach, went through 10-15 minutes of questions, and suddenly got to a page with an abrupt

"We apologize, you do not qualify for this survey."

This was after I was at least half-way through the time commitment asked for by the survey. So, I'm taking the remaining 5-10 minutes to leave a review saying that this company needs to be more up front about "qualifying" for a survey. Give potential participants a list of qualifying and disqualifying criteria so that we know whether it is worth our time to start a survey. This was a shady, if not downright deceptive, way to gather information about instructional and course design practices without actually providing the offered compensation.

Overall good experience. No problems completing the survey and i was eligible for the gift card.

This firm has great values and was ranked an AMA Gold Top 30 Research Firm in 2018. It was also ranked a 2015 Washington Business Journal 50 Fastest Growing Company, as well as the second fastest growing market research firm worldwide. They are booming!

Sleazy. Gets you to answer questions, then screens you out when you already spent more time than was even allotted for the survey. Stay away!

Last week, one of my children got a email about taking a survey, and the document was titled Hanover Research. In past experiences, Hanover was great at communicating and having a lot of options to accommodate the different needs of the general public; whereas this time, there were not a lot options for my child. After they took the survey, my child was expressing concerns about whether the gifted and talented program actually helped, which brought to my attention some other things that preposterously aligned with some controversy between different parties. Things like "Will my child have the attention they need?" or "How will my child manage to get involved within different programs at school that academically benefit them?". But one question that was finally brought to my attention, "How does the gifted and talented program help children academically, socially, and emotionally?". To some people, this is a huge problem with their family or friends, and to others, it is but a nuisance. Is your child getting the help they need? Who is helping them? Ask yourself what the government is doing for you. Is it enough? For you? For the person down the street? For everyone? These questions brought me to the conclusion that some economic and government systems aren't the best. That they need to change. But in the end, nothing will happen to change for a while. But Hanover Research is making a difference. Will you be a part of that?

This company sent me an email asking me to take a survey about "industry events". It gave no further information about what "industry events" it was regarding, what it had to do with me, or why they were conducting the research. My conclusion: PHISHING. If not, this company really needs to work on their approach.

This is the best experience I ve ever had when it comes to completing surveys and I would recommend them for market research.

Just took their market survey. Typical web survey. No personnel information was requested other than what they already had, my email address, and the usual, gender, age, income, education, et cetera. I hope my answers help an industry I've support for decades now.