Research 101
by Chris Karis

Fun Findings from WestTrack (our Omnibus Study!)

On the bus study? No silly, our Omnibus study!

What's that you ask? Well for those of you who don't know, WestGroup is home to WestTrack, Arizona's oldest and largest ongoing omnibus study.

Each month we conduct a study with a random sample of 400 adult household heads. While the main purpose is to offer companies a low-cost alternative to custom studies (clients share the cost of gathering demographics and getting respondents on the phone), we often add our own questions as a service to the public and local media.

Okay, now that we've educated you on this type of study we can safely file this article under Research 101 and move onto the fun! Here are a few "fun findings" (or at least mildly interesting ones).

Cell Phone Use and Driving

We asked questions about this topic in our September WestTrack survey (full article) because last year fifteen states proposed legislation to ban or restrict cell phone use while driving. At least 300 towns and cities are considering local ordinances. In Arizona, State Senator Tom Smith has proposed legislation to ban cell phone use while driving in the state.

For those of you who missed the discussion of our findings in the Arizona Republic on the use of cell phones while driving, here's what you think...

• 53% of residents surveyed felt that all types of cell phones should be banned from use while a person is driving.

• 32% felt drivers should be allowed use of 'hands free' cell phones.

• 13% feel people should be allowed to use any type of cell phone at any time when they are driving.

What do you think?

Cast your vote with our poll! You can find a copy of the Arizona Republic article on our site, too!

Arizona Diamondbacks Mascot (full article)

On a less serious note, shortly after D. Baxter the BOBcat was announced as the mascot for the Diamondbacks a WestTrack question asked residents how they felt about the choice. And the survey said...

• Good or Excellent Choice: 28%
• Fair: 18%
• Poor or Very Poor 16%
• No opinion: 38%

Internet Purchasing (full article)

In our September study, more than one in four (27%) Arizona residents say they have purchased something over the Internet, and a vast majority (91%) rated their online buying experiences as good or excellent. Of those who had made an on-line purchase, more than half (54%) said they had purchased airline tickets and nearly two of five (39%) said they bought books.

Want Answers to a few questions? We have many clients who use WestTrack as a low cost method of monitoring public awareness and perceptions on a regular basis. We'll write your questions, conduct interviews, and provide immediate top line data and present a full report. So come on, jump on-the-bus!

NOVEMBER 2000 Answers:
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