Discovery Research Group's Do Not Call Policy

Benefits of Participating in Surveys

Opinion and marketing research is an industry dedicated to providing valuable information to companies providing products and services. Opinion and marketing research:

• Helps manufacturers identify, understand and meet consumer needs and wants
• Saves consumers money by providing data to companies to help them reduce the costs associated with new product failures.
• Assists manufacturers and service providers to improve the quality and usefulness of the products and services.

By answering the questions of opinion and marketing researchers, consumers make their opinions on products, services and issues known. Using this direct communications channel, the consumer can influence manufacturers to incorporate consumer opinion into products, services and procedures.

Likewise, political polling and research are very important. By providing your opinions you can:

• Inform decision makers about the topics that concern you the most.
• Help form public policy.
• Make sure that your voice is heard by those in a position to make important changes.

Almost 72 million Americans per year are interviewed in a research study. Remember to participate the next time a researcher calls you at home or stops you in the mall - it's your opportunity to be heard!

Phone Number Lists

As a research company, only in a minority of cases do we start with a customer list or other predetermined list of phone numbers to call. In the great majority of cases, we eliminate bias in our surveys through Random Digit Dialing and Random Sampling.

Random Digit Dialing (RDD)

A selection of telephone numbers where the digits in the numbers are picked by chance - often by a computer. Allows listed, unlisted, and new numbers the chance to be called.

Random Sampling

Given a specified sampling procedure, all consumers within the universe have an equal chance for respondent selection.

Discovery Research Group's Code of Responsibility

All employees of Discovery Research Group promise to

1. Never represent a non-research activity to be opinion and marketing research, such as:
   • questions whose sole objective is to obtain personal information about respondents whether for legal, political, commercial, private or other purposes
   • the compilation of lists, registers or databanks of names and addresses for any non-research purposes (e.g. canvassing or fund raising)
   • industrial, commercial or any other form of espionage
   • the acquisition of information for use by credit rating services or similar organizations
   • sales or promotional approaches to the respondent
   • the collection of debts.
2. Never use information to identify respondents without the permission of the respondent except to those who check the data or are involved in processing the data. If such permission is given, the interviewer must record it at the time the permission is secured.
3. Respect the respondent’s right to withdraw or to refuse to cooperate at any stage of the study and will not use any procedure or technique to coerce or imply that cooperation is obligatory.
4. Obtain permission and document consent of a parent, legal guardian or responsible guardian before interviewing children 13 years of age or younger. Prior to obtaining permission, the interviewer will divulge the subject matter, length of the interview and other special tasks that may be required of the respondent
5. Give respondents the opportunity to refuse to participate in the research when there is a possibility they may be identifiable even without the use of their name or address (e.g. because of the size of the population being sampled)
6. Treat the respondent with respect and not influence a respondent’s opinion or attitude on any issue through direct or indirect attempts, including the framing of questions.
7. Conduct themselves in a professional manner and ensure privacy and confidentiality.
8. Make factually correct statements to secure cooperation and will honor promises made during the interview to respondents, whether verbal or written.

National Do Not Call Legislation

Discovery Research Group welcomes state and national legislation that limits aggravating sales calls. We feel that over time this legislation will help citizens understand better the difference between sales calls and legitimate research.calls, and that the end result will be higher participation rates and higher data quality for all researchers.

Sometimes respondants confuse legitimate research companies with telemarketers and think that National Do Not Call legislation applies to all companies equally. This is not the case. Examples:

[Do Not Call legislation] "generally exempts polls without an explicit commercial purpose" (Margaret Adler, Attorney Advisor, July 17, 2003, FCC Policy Directorate)

A "seller" is one who conveys a "message [that] is initiated for the purpose of encouraging the purchase of or rental of, or investment in property, goods, or services, which is transmitted to any person." [See Report and Order, FC-03-153: Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-243, 47 United States Code 227)].

"We also note that calls that do not fall within the definition of "telephone solicitation" as defined in section 227(a)(3) will not be precluded by the national do-not-call list. These may include surveys, market research, political or religious speech calls." [See Report and Order, FC-03-153: Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-243, 47 United States Code 227)].

"[T]he Committee does not intend the term ‘telephone solicitation’ to include public opinion polling, consumer or market surveys, or other survey research conducted by telephone. A call encouraging a purchase, rental, or investment would fall within the definition, however, even though the caller purports to be taking a poll or conducting a survey." [See Report and Order, FC-03-153: Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-243, 47 United States Code 227)].

Discovery Research Group's Do Not Call Registry

If you are still strongly opposed to participating in legitimate research studies that help corporate organizations, political parties, and government agencies accurately understand public opinion, you can add yourself to our company's internal Do Not Call registry and by emailing us with your name and telephone number to donotcall@drgutah.com .