This article covers various aspects of panel configuration in EFS Panel, including consent form configuration, automatic deletion of invited panelists, ways of entry, PCI configuration, panel tracking, panel statuses, capacity filters, and password configuration.
Consent Form Configuration
The consent form configuration allows you to create and manage the consent form for panelist registration. This feature is available for both login dialogs via the portal and for inviting panelists via email.
Key Points:
- Configure the consent form in the default language to display the checkbox.
- One configuration applies to all portals.
- Access the language overview in the People module under Panel Configuration Consent form configuration.
Automatic Deletion of Invited Panelists
This feature allows you to automate the deletion of both Tell-a-friend panelists and panelists with panel status.
Configuration Steps:
- Access the feature in People Panel configuration Automatic deletion of invited panelists.
- Set deletion criteria for Tell-a-friend panelists.
- Set deletion criteria for panelists with panel status, including specific panel statuses.
Ways of Entry
Ways of entry record how panelists entered the panel and are used for grouping and evaluation purposes. The “reg_code” variable records the entry method of a panelist and can be used for group creation or evaluation (see “Creating and Editing Groups” for details). Registration keys, generated for a specified entry method, are required for authentication in closed panels and are used in promotional campaigns to identify canvassing panelists and evaluate campaign success.
Note – Read rights for reg_code are required for accessing the People → Panel configuration → Ways of entry menu.
Key Features:
- Create and manage ways of entry
- Organize ways of entry using categories
- Generate and manage registration keys
- Import user-defined keys
Planning the Mapping of Registration Processes and Ways of Entry
The entry method of panelists is important for statistics and grouping processes. Therefore, defining specific ways of entry for different registration processes is crucial.
- Standard Registration Process with Form:
- You can assign a way of entry unless candidates have keys from a specific invitation or tell-a-friend campaign.
- Using multiple registration forms (e.g., normal process, Social Insight Connect) allows segmentation by entry process.
- Recruitment for Closed Panels with Registration Keys:
- Create a dedicated way of entry for each invitation campaign and generate registration keys for it.
- Tell-a-Friend Campaign:
- A dedicated way of entry with the same name is created automatically for each new promotional campaign.
Creating New Ways of Entry
- Click “Create way of entry”, enter a name, and choose a category (default is “Default”).
- To assign bonus points differing from the standard setting, enter the desired number in “Number of bonus points”.
- Click “Save”. In the overview table, click the Edit icon to see the details and settings.
Organizing Ways of Entry by Categories
Go to People → Panel configuration → Categories for ways of entry. Click “Create category”, fill in the form, and click “Save”. Assign user teams with various access rights by clicking on the Edit rights for category icon.
Generating and Editing Registration Keys
- In Panel configuration → Ways of entry, select the appropriate way of entry. Click “Generate keys”, specify the number, and confirm by clicking “Generate keys”.
- Click “Export keys” to export keys as a tab-delimited text file. Click “Export link” to export full links with attached keys in the same format.
- Click “Deactivate keys” to block keys, or “Activate keys” to enable them. Use “Delete keys” and “Delete unused keys” to remove keys.
Importing User-Defined Keys
Ensure keys are 8-32 characters long, using 0-9, a-z, A-Z. Prepare a file with one column containing the keys (CSV or Excel). In the editing dialog of the way of entry, click “Import keys”, select the character set and import file, then click “Send”.
Dispatching Registration Keys
As a GET parameter in a link: Send the link via email, including the #ar_key# wildcard. Manual entry: Send the key via email for panelists to manually enter on a special page (additional programming required).
Dispatching Keys from a Personalized Project
Import email addresses and activated registration keys into participant administration. Assign the “Registration key” column during participant import.
PCI Configuration
The Panelist Compliance Index (PCI) captures panelist reliability and stores it in a variable. Configure a classification system (e.g., “Top panelist”, “reliable panelist”) in the People → Panel configuration → PCI configuration menu. The PCI, updated regularly based on events like survey participation or panel logins, is also available for group building.
Developing Your Own Classification System
A classification system consists of PCI codes, each with a numerical value. One code is the default (e.g., “green” for reliable panelists). Codes increase or decrease based on user-defined conditions using participant, system, and master data. Set your own codes, valuations, default values, and update intervals.
Viewing Available PCI Codes
In the PCI configuration menu, view the table of PCI codes, which includes:
- Name (e.g., “green” for reliable panelists)
- Description
- Numerical value
- Default value (assigned to all new panelists)
- Number of panelists and active panelists per code
Edit options:
- Edit: Opens the editing dialog
- Delete: Deletes the PCI code after a confirmation
Creating New PCI Codes
Click “Create PCI code” to open the entry form. Enter the name, description, and numerical value. Check “Default value?” if it’s the default for new panelists. Save the code.
Calculating PCI Codes
New panelists start with the same code, which changes based on behavior. Use the Calculation tab to define conditions for increasing or decreasing PCI values. Conditions are checked with each update, changing the PCI value if applicable. Use participant, system, and master data to define conditions.
Resetting PCI Codes for All Panelists
Click “Reset PCI codes for all panelists” on the PCI codes tab to reset all PCI codes to the default. Note: This will irretrievably lose all PCI value information accumulated over time. You can change the PCI value of specific panelists in the People → Panelists administration menu.
PCI Update
Define an automatic PCI calculation interval in the Update interval tab:
- Tick “Enable automatic PCI calculation”.
- Set the initial execution date and time.
- Select the interval type (hour, day) and value (e.g., every 3 days).
- Save the settings.
To execute a manual PCI update, click “Update PCI values now” on the PCI codes tab and confirm.
Panel Tracking
The panel tracking feature allows you to track and measure response behavior in panel and master data surveys. This includes tracking the number of invitations, completed surveys, and sample memberships over time. This data helps improve panel quality and meet ESOMAR guidelines.
Functional Scope:
- Counter Variables and Ratios: Updated based on panelists’ behavior, with derived ratios for reporting and analysis.
- Data Viewing and Usage: Tracking data can be viewed or used for individual panelists, groups, the entire panel, grouping filters, or export for evaluation.
- Storage and Update: Data is stored for 380 days and updated once daily. The update time can be changed.
- Tracking Intervals: You can define three tracking intervals. Deactivating tracking data collection for specific surveys is possible via the “Taken into account in tracking?” field in project information.
Configuring the Tracking:
- Update Timing:
- Change the daily update time (default is 00:00 GMT) to suit your panel’s time zone.
- Prefer low-traffic times, such as at night.
- Tracking Intervals:
- Default intervals are 4, 8, and 12 weeks.
- Change intervals as needed, but additional intervals cannot be defined.
Steps to Configure:
- Go to People → Panel configuration → Panel tracking (requires read rights for “panel_config”).
- View the time of the most recent update.
- In the “Time of update” field, change the daily update time as necessary.
- Adjust the intervals in the “Interval value” fields if needed.
- Click Save to confirm the settings.
Panel Statuses
The most important attribute of the panelists is their panel status, which describes their current role and activity. In a standard panel, statuses include “admitted temporarily”, “active”, “inactive”, and “deleted”. After registration, a candidate gets the status “admitted temporarily” and is assigned “active” status upon completing the master data survey. Panel statuses are characteristics of the system variable “pstatus” and are usually assigned automatically.
Customizing Panel Statuses in People:
- Control which panel statuses are assigned in various panel processes (e.g., allowing “inactive” panelists to log in).
- Utilize additional user-defined statuses if needed.
- Change the names of all statuses.
- Deactivate any redundant statuses.
- Special statuses for specific roles and functions, such as “tester” status for functionality checks (allowing repeated survey participation) and “moderator” status for forum moderation.
Overview of the panel statuses
The table provides an overview of the panel statuses and their meanings in a normally configured standard panel.
Codes and characteristics of the “pstatus” variable:
| Status name | Code of the “pstatus”variable | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Admitted temporarily | 1 | The prospective members have registered and are listed in the table in the Panelists administration → Candidates menu, but have not yet been fully admitted as panelists. |
| Active | 2 | The panelists are available for surveys. They are participating in panel activities. |
| Active (user-defined) | 3 | Used-defined |
| Inactive | 4 | The panelists cannot log into the panel and are blocked for surveys. But their data are still fully available.The blocking for surveys is realized by a change of disposition code: In all samples in which the inactivated panelists had disposition code 11 or 12 (i.e. they had not participated so far), they are assigned disposition code 13 instead. |
| Inactive (user-defined) | 5 | Used-defined |
| User-defined statuses 1 – 9 | 6-15 | These panel statuses can be used to classify the panelists better, depending on the requirements of your panel.These statuses are not used in EFS Panel as it is configured when delivered: You can define the significance yourself.You can assign the user-defined statuses automatically or manually according to the instructions given above. |
| Deleted | 8 | If you delete panelists, they, or to be more exact the remaining rests of their anonymized data records, will be assigned this status.Deleted panelists are removed past recovery: You cannot access the data records anymore, the participant data are deleted completely. Only data which are needed to maintain the consistency of panel statistics and survey results and community posts are preserved. |
| Tester | 16 | This special status is used e.g. for the panelist accounts of users who check the functionality of a panel or a newly created survey before it is finally released. |
| Moderator | 32 | This special status is used e.g. for the panelist accounts of users responsible for forum moderation in Community panels. |
Note: The list of panel statuses cannot be extended.
Configuring Panel Statuses
You can configure panel statuses in the People → Panel configuration → Panel status menu. The overview lists all existing statuses with the following information and editing options:
- Label: Change the names of the panel statuses (one language only).
- Number of panelists: Shows how many panelists are assigned to each status.
- Activated: Mark user-defined statuses to be used by ticking the checkboxes. Unused statuses are hidden and cannot be assigned.
- All panel statuses are initially activated.
- Default statuses cannot be deactivated.
- User-defined statuses assigned to panelists cannot be deactivated.
- Be aware of automatic rules that may still assign deactivated statuses.
- Preselected in sampling: Define which statuses are preselected in sampling by ticking the checkboxes.
Configuring panel status requires write rights for “panel_status”.
Changing Panel Status Assignment in Panel Processes
Panel status changes are usually automatic, but you can control assignments in some processes:
- Panel login: Define allowed statuses in the field “Panel login is possible for panelists with the following panel statuses” in Website → Global configuration.
- Participation in panel surveys: Define allowed statuses in the field “Participation in panel surveys is possible for panelists with the following panel statuses” in Website → Global configuration.
- Participation in master data surveys: Define allowed statuses in the field “Participation in master data surveys is possible for panelists with the following panel statuses” in Website → Global configuration.
- Status upon registration: Set in “Panel status assigned during registration” in the Registration form module (default: “Admitted temporarily”).
- Status after quitting membership: Set in “Panel status after quitting membership” in the Quit membership form module (default: “Inactive”). In older panels, find this in Website → {Selected language version} → Configuration tab → End of membership.
Changing the Panel Status of Individual Panelists Manually
- Selected Panelists: Change status using the drop-down list in Panelists administration.
- Individual Panelist: Assign a new status in the detail view.
Capacity Filters
An important factor for response willingness and answer quality is the capacity of the panelists. Surveys should not exceed their capacity, and intervals between surveys should not be too long to maintain their interest. EFS’s scheduling system, based on grouping filters, offers flexibility:
- A capacity filter specifies which panelists are available for sample draws, ensuring they have not exceeded their capacity.
- Use the capacity filter during sampling to limit the basic set.
- Create any number of capacity filters in an EFS Panel installation and select the appropriate one during the sampling procedure.
Creating Capacity Filters
Capacity filters are managed in the People → Panel configuration → Capacity filters menu, defined similarly to grouping filters using system data and tracking variables. Date calculations are particularly important.
Using Capacity Filters
Use the capacity filter when drawing samples to limit the basic set. Note that the accuracy of capacity filters depends on the accuracy and timeliness of the underlying data, which may be updated daily.
Password Configuration
Under the Password configuration menu item of the panel configuration, you define the ‘design’ of passwords for the module Portals by specifying the minimum and maximum password length. You can also set the password policy via a drop-down list to select what the password may contain:
- No restrictions
- Characters and numbers
- Characters and either numbers or special characters
- Upper and lower case and numbers
- Upper and lower case with either numbers or special characters
These settings apply only to the Portals module.
FAQ
What is the purpose of the consent form configuration?
The consent form configuration allows you to create and manage the consent form that panelists must agree to during registration. It ensures compliance with data protection regulations and informs panelists about how their data will be used.
How often are panel tracking data updated?
Panel tracking data are updated once a day. The time of update can be configured in the Panel tracking settings.
Can I create custom panel statuses?
While you cannot create new panel statuses, you can customize existing user-defined statuses to fit your panel’s needs. You can change their names, activate or deactivate them, and assign them to panelists as needed.
What are capacity filters used for?
Capacity filters are used to manage panelist availability for sample draws. They help ensure that panelists are not overloaded with surveys while maintaining their engagement by preventing long intervals between participations.