1Q Far Exceeds Insights Association/GDQ’s Data Quality Benchmarks
1Q shatters industry standards benchmarks for data quality.
1Q, a prominent U.S.-based consumer insights platform, is recognized for being 100% fraud-free and having a guaranteed human member base. 1Q utilizes a proprietary, permission-based insights panel consisting of over one million members.
One of 1Q’s recent accomplishments is participating in The Insights Association/Global Data Quality’s Data Quality Benchmarking Initiative. This industry research on research initiative seeks to quantitatively define and monitor what makes “good” data quality. The base wave of the tracking study can be found HERE.
The consumer insights industry should be thriving in this digital age, yet it faces a survey fraud crisis rooted in years of neglecting the respondent experience. The commodification of survey responses has led to widespread respondent mistreatment and a decline in data quality, as sample providers rely on aggressive, open-source recruitment tactics that invite bots and professional survey takers into panels with minimal verification. Clients, often unaware of these issues, have contributed to a race-to-the-bottom pricing model that undervalues high-quality data and perpetuates poor respondent validation and compensation. As a result, the industry remains trapped in a reactive stance against increasingly sophisticated fraudsters, including AI-powered bots.
The tracking study is designed to establish clear quality benchmarks and set industry standards that can guide organizations in selecting reliable market research vendors. This report introduces eight key benchmarks for evaluating online research data quality against general population norms: abandon rate, device types used, in-survey cleanout rate, incidence rate, length of interview, post-survey cleanout rate, pre-survey removal rate, and use of link encryption. These metrics enable the industry to monitor progress toward essential quality thresholds and allow companies and individual data users to assess strengths and improvement areas by comparing their results to these benchmarks.
One of the first benchmarks examined is the pre-survey removal rate, which represents the percentage of participants removed before the study begins. Removals may occur due to dropouts, duplicate entries, fraud, pre-screener failures, quality issues, or quota terminations. While sample providers reported a 4% fraud removal rate and 21.4% total removals, 1Q reported 0% for both—achieving “Zero Survey Fraud.” Unlike traditional market research firms that rely on post-survey fraud detection, 1Q eliminates fraud preemptively. By eliminating all incentives for fraudsters and implementing industry-leading front-end screening and verification, the platform ensures zero survey fraud and safeguards the integrity of its panel.
Most traditional firms rely heavily on fraud detection software, often with poor results. As Keith Rinzler, Founder & CEO of 1Q, states: “When it comes to survey fraud, detection is NOT prevention! Our member base is guaranteed 100% human and certified Bot-Free.”
In January, 1Q Founder and CEO Keith Rinzler published an open letter in Quirk’s Magazine, sounding the alarm on the growing threat of survey fraud and its potential to undermine the integrity of the consumer insights industry. The full letter can be accessed HERE.
Another critical benchmark is abandon rate, which measures the percentage of respondents who start but do not finish a survey. Sample providers reported a 23.3% abandon rate, and research agencies reported 11.8%, while 1Q reported a significantly lower rate of 0.9%. While many market research companies struggle with poor user experiences, 1Q’s Radically Simple® interface and unique instant-per-response payment model deliver the lowest dropout rate in the industry.
Next is the in-survey cleanout rate, or the percentage of respondents removed during the survey due to quality or other issues such as fraud, duplication, or quota limits. Research agencies reported 4.1% fraud-related removals and 43.1% total cleanouts, while 1Q reported only 0.10% for both. These rare cases involve Askvert® responses—1Q’s branded term for surveys—that did not pass validation, a rare occurrence thanks to 1Q’s advanced platform technology.
The use of link encryption is another benchmark, referring to the security level used to protect data transmission. While sample providers and research agencies reported encryption use at 71.2% and 62% respectively, 1Q is a 100% secure mobile platform that eliminates the need for link encryption altogether.
Lastly, the post-survey cleanout rate refers to completed responses removed after data collection due to quality or quota issues. While research agencies reported a 2.2% rate, 1Q reported just 0.018%. In the rare event of a low-quality open-ended response, the client receives a replacement at no cost, and the respondent is permanently removed from the platform under 1Q’s strict zero-tolerance policy.
About 1Q
1Q’s customer engagement platform is revolutionizing how companies interact with consumers by ensuring 100% human respondents and guaranteeing zero survey fraud. Clients engage directly with 1Q’s proprietary, permission-based insights panel, which includes over 1 million opt-in members across the United States. Panel members respond to surveys, polls, and promotional offers in real-time via mobile and are paid instantly through PayPal.
1Q’s Radically Transparent® pricing model is designed to be accessible to organizations of all sizes—offering surveys at just $1 per response, per question. The self-serve platform supports a variety of question formats, including multiple choice, long-form open-ended responses, image comparisons, mobile-optimized grids, photo submissions, and more. Surveys—branded as Askverts®—can range from a single question to more than thirty. 1Q offers industry-leading geo-targeting capabilities—enabling you to reach consumers based on where they live, where they are currently, where they’ve been, and even where they will be in the future!
Rooted in a philosophy of Consumer Empowerment, 1Q is the only insights platform that compensates respondents instantly, in cash, for every answer—paid directly to their PayPal account or donated to a charity of their choice. This consumer-first approach defines 1Q’s commitment to trust, transparency, and data quality.
Clients include Fortune 500 companies, market research firms, advertising and marketing agencies, and consulting firms across every industry. 1Q has been recognized as an Inc. 5000 “America’s Fastest Growing Private Company” and a top 10 company in several categories in Greenbook’s GRIT Report Top 50.
For more information, visit www.1Q.com.
Survey Methodology
For survey methodology, please download full study report HERE.