Panel Survey

Panel survey provides repeated observations on a set of variables for the same sample units over time. The different types of longitudinal studies are distinguished by the different ways of deriving these repeated observations.

In a panel survey, repeated observations are derived by following a sample of persons (a panel) over time and by collecting data from a sequence of interviews. These interviews are conducted at usually fixed occasions that in most cases are regularly spaced. Data from interviews are then consolidated, checked for consistency and accuracy, and inserted into the market research data model to arrive at the market numbers following the bottom–up approach.

Since 2011, CCM has conducted panel surveys on China’s agricultural industry. Hunan, as a large rice production province in China, was selected by CCM as the first city for the pilot investigation. Based on the city-level consumption situation of agricultural resources in China, the investigation are as covered 30 counties in the cities of Hengyang, Yueyang and Changde, which are three main rice-planting fields in Hunan province.

CCM carried out the fieldwork and questionnaire survey on the three cities’ farmers. Respondents were led through a questionnaire to gather quantitative and qualitative inputs on their consumption behavior in rice planting. Through the investigation, CCM assembled a large amount of basic information about Hunan’s rice planting industry, including pesticides, seeds, fertilizers, crop diseases, pests & weeds, local meteorology and agricultural products, etc., and finally set up multiple analysis models based on the large amount of data.

CCM has also implemented panel survey approach in end use research for diverse industries. For more information, please view our sample product or contact us.