Current Job Overview

A sampling job is a group of sampling definitions with common properties that is to be scheduled and executed as one job. This produces a sample file as output, and some reports on the outcome of the sampling job. The sampling job will operate on a subset of the panel defined by a “global criteria” (a global filter, for example only panelists from a particular state).

The Current Job window provides general information about the selected job and enables you to define and edit the criteria for the job. To open this window, go to the Sample Management > Current Job menu command. The window contains seven tabs:

• Job Information – define the basic details for the job.
• Exclusions – define any date-related automatic and manual exclusions, and manually relax exclusions that have been applied automatically.
• Universal Criteria – create the background panelist-selection expression.
• Sub Samples – a survey may need groups of respondents with different characteristics. The Sub Samples function allows you to create such groups.
• Additional Items – specify which columns of information about the selected panelists are to be included in the resulting text file.
• Execution - confirm the panel selection and book the panelists for the job.
• Reporting – view, and print as necessary, reports on the outcomes of the sampling jobs..

Toolbar

• Save – click to save the changes you have made to the job. The button flashes while Forsta Plus has unsaved changes.
• Duplicate – makes a copy of the current job so you can create a new job to the same specifications. You will be required to give the new job a different job number, and the Job Status will be reset to Work In Progress, but all other details will be identical to the original job. Once the job has been duplicated and given a new number, you can then edit the job as required.
• Export Job – exports the job definition (not matrices) to a text file and sends the file to the stated email address. This function can be used by customers with their own servers to copy jobs from one server to another.
• Validate Job – tests the job to ensure there are no logical inconsistencies that would cause the procedure to fail when the panelists are actually being selected.

Data Fields and Areas

• Job Number – a unique identification number for the job. The number is generated when the job is first created, though it can be changed if necessary.
• Description – a free-text description of the job to simplify identification later. You can edit the description at any time.
• Mailing Date - a calendar that enables you to set and change the mailing date (go to Setting a Mailing Date for more information).
• Status – the current status for the job. The job status is changed automatically by the system when for example the job is uploaded, when it is emailed etc.
• Properties – you can define properties for the jobs (for example “Complexity”), and specify options for the property (for example “Low”, “Medium” and “High”) (go to Property Definitions for more information). You can then specify the property and option for each job, and these can be used when excluding panelists from jobs (go to Auto Job Exclusion for more information).
• Data Source - a list of the available BitStream files used as a base for sampling.
• External Fields – allows you to upload additional information on an individual panelist or for a group of panelists. This information will be in the form of text files that must be created outside of Forsta Plus and uploaded. The files must be tab-delimited with PanelistId as the key column, followed by the external fields - as shown in the image below. (go to Uploading a File for more information).
• External Survey Links - allows you to upload a repository of unique links to an external survey. The links will be added to the Sample file and can be uploaded to a Forsta Plus project that handles the statusing and redirecting for the Sample Only job.
• Category – A panel's category is specific to that panel. Use this area to define the category or categories to which the job is to apply. The Panel Categories list is a logical hierarchy of all the registered categories (go to Categorization Tree for more information).

Figure 1 - Example of a text file with a list of panelist information