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When you click Next on the Upload Sample Properties page (go to Upload Sample Properties for more information), the Augment Sample Properties page opens as shown below - .
Use the Augment Sample functionality to ensure you receive the required number of completes to your questionnaire. If for example you need 1000 completes, you will probably start by creating a sample of 1000 panelists. However there is a good chance that not all of the panelists will reply, leaving you with perhaps only 600 completes. You can therefore set up the Augment functionality such that after a specified period, additional samples are created so that you will receive the desired total of 1000 completes.
The Augment functionality will wait a specified period (Days to First Augment) after the initial mailing date, and then count the number of completes that have been returned by the original sample. It will then check whether that number is within the Augmenting limits (Lower and Upper Limits), and if so will select a new sample calculated to provide the required "top-up" of completes. If the Number of Augments is set to anything other than 1, the system will then wait a further specified number of days (Days Between Augments), before repeating the process. The process will be repeated until either the required number of completes is received or the specified number of augments is performed.
Figure 1 - The Augment Sample Properties page
- Days Between Augments - the number of days that are to elapse between each augmenting task.
- Number of Augments - the number of augmenting tasks that are to be run, if required.
- New Target factor - the factor in percent by which the difference between the original total target and the actual return is multiplied. The calculation will be run for each sub sample, and the new total target will be distributed to the groups according to the original ratio. The calculation is: New Total Target = (Total Target - Actual Return) * New Target Factor
- Lower Limit to Run Augment - the percent difference between the original target and the actual return must be higher than this limit for the augment to run. The limit is per sub sample.
- Days to First Augment - the number of days after the mailing date when the first augment task is to run.
- Upper Limit to Run Augment - the percent difference between the original target and the actual return must be lower than this limit for the augment to run. The limit is per sub sample.
- Target for Calculating Diff. - the target used for calculating the difference between the target and the actual return instead of the original total target. The calculation is:
New Total Target = (Target for Calculation Diff - Actual Return) * New Target Factor.