In development since April 1999 by Al Berrios, our data-gathering approach (iResearch) exploits the normal usage behavior of consumers online. In real-world executions, it has successfully combined qualitative and quantitative approaches by randomly intercepting and interacting with consumers in chat rooms, personal diaries (a.k.a. webblogs), and message forums.

These interactions take the form of short, open-ended surveys asked to hundreds of participants. To put it in perspective, analyzing this raw data is the real-world equivalent of observing behavior in a supermarket.

The objective of this methodology was not to reinvent the proverbial wheel, but to develop a commercially viable methodology that was low-cost, with lighting-fast turnaround, but more importantly, would yield data on sentiments. Currently, the preferred method for extrapolating sentiments is based on available transactional data (i.e. sales, census, elaborate multiple-choice feedback mechanisms, qualitative academic data).