Glossary
Ipsos
A French survey-based research & consulting firm created in 1975 and specializing in opinion polls.
Quantitative survey
Information collection for the purpose of describing via quantification the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of a population or representative sample of that population.
Qualitative survey
Information collection designed to understand the attitude(s) and motivations of individuals in a given population. Qualitative surveys are usually based on in-depth individual interviews or focus groups involving a small sample, generally less than 50 people.
Panelists
An individual, household or company on a panel, required as a panel member to periodically forward the data collected to conduct the panel surveys. Depending on the type of panel involved, panelists may be able to transmit data automatically and passively to the information system of the survey firm behind the panel.
Quota sampling
A sampling method that ensures samples are representative by structuring them to resemble the reference population. Quota sampling is widely used for political opinion polls. Political pollsters make sure that their samples are a smaller representative segment of the voting age population in terms of age, socio-professional category and possibly housing.
Demographic pressure
The ratio of the population census to the resources available to the population.