New IRS data set for December 2013 launch; field trials on

Nielsen brings in computer-aided, digital process in interviews and data collection with in-built flexibility for users

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | March 18, 2013

Almost after one and a half years of the formation of Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI), Media Research Users' Council (MRUC) is all set to release the new IRS in December 2013 for which the pilot study started this month and the field work will commence from May 2013. MRUC had awarded the contract for a refurbished, unified Indian Readership Survey to The Nielsen Company in August 2012.

MRUC organised a press meet last week in Delhi to demonstrate the new IRS to stakeholders and the media. Two days prior to that, a similar demonstration was held in Mumbai. While presenting details of the methodology and process of the new IRS, Prashant Singh, MD - Media , Nielsen India, said, "The robust methodology developed  for IRS highlights Nielsen's expertise in understanding the consumer coupled with MRUC and RSCI's vision of building a global gold standard in readership data.”

Singh added, “The focus on technology such as computer aided personal interviews, data fusion, etc., which are woven in from the interview process to the end product delivery, allows for a simple experience for the interviewer, the respondent and the user of IRS."

The sample size of new IRS will be 235,007 where the sample collection will be done through double-screen CAPI backed by immediate data encryption of collected data with minimal human intervention at each stage while data fusion will be at core of the processing of data.

The new IRS will be different from existing IRS in many ways beginning with sample collection through double-screen CAPI with a reduced time of interview of about 30 minutes. Besides, the new IRS will introduce district-wise reporting for the first time starting with 92 districts. While the existing IRS has 75 reporting units, new one will have 190 plus reporting units to deliver more granular level data. Also, a different user interface will make the data more convenient for users.

The digital process being adopted by Nielsen would make data administration simpler, providing for lesser error level caused by surveys conducted on paper as now. The interactive data module would enable users greater flexibility in data analyses on a more real-time basis.

MRUC says that the new IRS has been designed keeping all the issues raised by the publishers and users over time and it is “our endeavour to address each and every issue – at every stage of the process”.

Singh explained that interviewers have virtually no scope of cutting corners as the process in logged into the server on real-time basis. Householders cannot be selected by the interviewer. The system put in place makes it mandatory for an interviewer to follow certain tight guidelines if a household happens to be locked.

The MRUC team for the Delhi meeting comprised Lynn D'Souza, Chairperson, RSCI, Paritosh Joshi, Chairman, Technical Committee of IRS and board member of MRUC, Prashant Singh of Nielsen India, and Shaswati Saradar, Director-General, MRUC.

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