Online consumer research: more attention needs to be given to data quality

Abstract

This manuscript aims to raise awareness of the need for Sensory & Consumer Science professionals to be more diligent about data quality control when conducting consumer surveys and experiments online. This aim is achieved by (i) summarising recent research on data quality by Jaeger and Cardello (2022) and Castura et al. (2023), (ii) contributing to a broader understanding of data quality, and (iii) recommending a more systematic adoption of practices aimed to enhance data quality in online consumer research. Various suggestions are put forward to support Sensory & Consumer Science professionals who wish to pay greater attention to the quality of online data collection. We advocate for making online consumer data quality an integral part of the research process to improve the validity and reliability of research outcomes, ultimately benefiting the final users, including science, industry, and policymakers.