An Online panel is a group of selected research participants who have agreed to provide information at specified intervals over an extended period of time.

A panel can be distinguished from a database in the following ways:

• Its members are asked to provide additional information about themselves and their household, such as demographics, ownership and lifestyle information
• an ongoing relationship exists with the panel brand
• there is often a systematic reward mechanism unique to the panel
• the members do not receive direct marketing messages as a result of their membership.

Online panels could be for B2C or B2B. In B2B panels, a selective group of panelists will be involved like "retail owners panel" which would have retail owners as panel members.

See also

• Computer-assisted telephone interviewing
• Computer-assisted personal interviewing
• Automated computer telephone interviewing
• Official statistics
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Questionnaires
• Questionnaire construction
• Paid survey
• Data Mining
• NIPO Software
• DIY research
• SPSS

References