Video: Global Research Panels (Videoconference)

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Global Research Panels (Videoconference)

Saturday, August 8, 2020 • DesignOps Community

Wyatt Hayman

Research Operations Manager, Faire

Summary

In this talk, Wyatt conducts a deep dive into the Airbnb Global Research Panels, the program he has been developing at Airbnb over the past two years. Launch: why Airbnb created the Global Research Panels, the key decisions and the internal alignment required for launching the first version of the Global Research Panel Process: detailed look into the current version of the Global Research Panels, including the mechanics and tools used to manage it Impact: demonstration of ways the Global Research Panels have provided value over the past two years at Airbnb Evolution: see how the Global Research Panels has grown through six iterations so far and the vision for the Global Research Panels program going forward

Key Insights

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Airbnb’s global research panels were founded to address the gap in accessing fast, quality feedback from non-English speaking users worldwide.
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The first pilot panels were launched in Sydney (English) and Tokyo (non-English) markets to test operations before scaling.
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Participants are rewarded with an amount adjusted by purchasing power parity, roughly equivalent to $400 in the US over six months.
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Qualtrics’ Target Audience platform was chosen due to existing relationships and capability to manage multi-language panels.
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All survey translations and open-ended responses are human translated to ensure quality over automated tools.
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Panels shifted focus from hybrid qualitative-quantitative to primarily qualitative to match sample size and research needs.
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Researchers use panels not only to collect feedback but also to validate assumptions and check for cultural sensitivities.
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Panels support multiple Airbnb teams including homes, experiences, China new hosts, customer support, and travel managers, showing a flexible, customized application.
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The two-week survey cycle balances quality translation needs and providing timely feedback to researchers.
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Non-research teams also leverage the panels for quick community feedback, demonstrating the tool’s broader organizational value.

Notable Quotes

"We did all these analyses for each market and then fit the group to be proportional to key hosting and traveling characteristics."

"The majority of the participants last through the six-month commitment with only about 5% removed for low engagement."

"Human translation is preferred for accuracy, though Google Translate is used occasionally for urgent needs."

"We scaled panels down to about 60 countries in 11 languages focusing on markets important to Airbnb teams."

"Panels enable researchers to check cultural assumptions and sensitivities before launching larger studies."

"Survey question volume can range from one question to up to 40, but most participants answer around 20 questions."

"Researchers submit questions that get combined into one survey, translated, then responses are translated back for analysis."

"We reward people financially rather than rely on sharebacks, as engagement remained consistent without sharebacks."

"At first we considered outside research team access but decided to keep the panels limited within research for initial version."

"One of the coolest things is that product managers without formal research backgrounds can quickly talk to hosts across six countries without recruiting hassle."

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