Respondent Sampling
Recruiting the right respondents for your study - sample size, panel providers, patient recruitment, and hard-to-reach populations.
Knowledge Base -> Respondent Sampling
SurveyEngine, 09.07.2026
General methodology
Choosing a panel provider for your DCE - Panel quality is the single biggest determinant of DCE data quality that is outside the researcher's direct control. Choosing and briefing your panel provider correctly is essential.
Sample size for a discrete choice experiment - Sample size is one of the most common questions in DCE research - and one of the most poorly answered. Rules of thumb give you a starting point; simulation gives you confidence.
Health research
Confirmation of diagnosis in patient preference studies - For regulatory-grade patient preference studies, confirmation of diagnosis is not optional. Self-report alone is insufficient - but full medical record verification is rarely feasible.
Recruiting healthcare professionals for DCE studies - HCP studies require professional verification, credentialing checks, and different incentive structures than patient studies. Here is how to do it right.
Recruiting patients for health preference DCE studies - Patient recruitment is typically the most challenging and expensive element of a health preference study. Getting the strategy right before you start fieldwork saves weeks and budget.
Transport research
Recruiting commuters for transport mode choice SP studies - Commuter samples need careful definition - commuting by what mode, how often, over what distance?
Correct sourcing and screening criteria determines the validity of your mode choice estimates.
Recruiting hard-to-reach transport populations for SP studies - Many transport studies require populations that standard online panels cannot adequately represent - freight shippers, regular cyclists, rural non-drivers, or low-income transit users.
Environmental research
General population sampling for environmental valuation studies - Environmental valuation studies typically target the general public - but 'general public' needs to be defined precisely to produce policy-relevant WTP estimates.
Stakeholder sampling in environmental preference studies - Environmental policies often affect specific stakeholder groups - farmers, fishers, land managers, local communities - whose preferences may differ substantially from the general public.