FAQ
1. May I choose which tests I want to participate in?
2. How do I know which tests I may participate in?
3. How do you perform tests on TV programs?
4. How do you perform tests on websites?
5. How do you perform tests on newspapers and magazines?
6. Where will the tests be held?
7. How long does it take to participate in a test?
8. What kind of compensation do I get for participating in a test?
9. Where can I find the results of tests I’ve participated in?
10. Where and how can I unregister from testpilot.fi?
11. How will my personal information be handled?
12. What’s the point with the survey one has to fill in when registering?
13. When will I be contacted so I can participate in a test?
14. How many tests may I participate in?
15. Are the tests difficult?
16. Should I prepare myself somehow before participating in a test?
17. Is it MediaCity´s products that are being tested?
18. When are the tests held? During office hours or in the evenings?
1.May I choose which tests I want to participate in?
Being a test pilot here at testpilot.fi is always voluntary but you will be invited to participate in tests. If you for example are contacted to participate in a test that evaluates a web service or TV program, but feel that you don’t want to participate or don’t have the time, you can always chose not to take part in them.
2.How do I know which tests I may participate in?
Sometimes we are looking for test pilots that are experienced in online gaming, other times we’re inviting test pilots that never play online games. Occasionally, we look for test pilots to evaluate media content in a specific area or city because we will perform the tests in that area. Test pilots cannot choose which tests they are asked to participate in. But if you answer the questions about your media consumption and habits and keep your contact information up-to-date then your chances to participate in interesting tests increases. When we invite you to participate in tests we will either call you or send you an e-mail beforehand.
3.How do you perform tests on TV programs?
It varies. We may organize larger events where we invite an audience close to 100 persons in an auditorium or similar place, or we invite individuals to come to our TV room and watch the TV program there. Or, you might get a link to a webpage where the TV program will be available for a period of time. When our test pilots have seen the program or movie we ask them a series of questions. This will be done either by interviews or a survey. We may sometimes use a freestanding eye tracking camera to, for example, get information about which character was the most interesting. At other times we may measure the test pilots´ pulse to find out how exciting the movie or the program was.
4.How do you perform tests on websites?
It depends, we usually invite our test pilots to come and use our computers to explore the website. Test pilots can also get an e-mail with a link to the site that will soon be launched and participate in the test from their own computer. When our test pilots are done exploring the website we ask them a series of questions (interviews or survey). We may sometimes use an eye tracking camera to record what the test pilot ignores or spends much time looking at, for example banner ads.
5. How do you perform tests on newspapers and magazines?
It depends if the papers are printed or in a digital format. Sometimes we invite our test pilots to read electronic papers on our computers and other times we organize test reading of printed magazines or newspapers in different areas in Finland. Just like all the other tests we ask the participant a series of questions afterwards, either by interviews or surveys. We may also sometime use our eye tracking camera to find out which articles the test pilot finds most interesting.
6.Where will the tests be held?
The location depends on what we are testing at the moment. If we are currently testing websites or other computer based services then our test pilots may participate in the test at home via their own computer (they get a link to the website or to a survey to fill out) or they are invited to us here at MediaCity where we do a more thorough study. When we are testing TV programs or movies we invite our test pilots to movie theaters, auditoriums or to MediaCity, where we conduct the tests.
7.How long does it take to participate in a test?
We are very well aware that our test pilots sacrifice valuable time to help us evaluate media content. Therefore we try our best to keep the duration of tests to a bare minimum. To fill out our online survey usually takes between 10 – 15 minutes. Evaluation of a new web service at MediaCity takes approximately 20 – 30 minutes while testing movies and TV programs require more time depending on the duration of the movie or program.
8. What kind of compensation do I get for participating in a test?
Every person that participates in tests organized at MediaCity or other places spends time and energy, which we are willing to compensate for. In most cases the test pilots receive gift certificates worth 20 – 30 € to different web shops that sell music, DVDs, books and/or games. We may also give a product package with the product we are testing.
Online surveys are a bit different because of the large amount of people filling them out. We usually draw 10 lucky winners of all whom have filled out the entire survey and award them with a 50 € gift certificate, to the same media web shops.
We can also donate the value of the gift certificate to charity organizations if the test pilot whishes to do so.
The essence of being a test pilot is the opportunity to test tomorrow’s media today. Many of our test pilots that have participated in our research feel that being part of the development of the future media is a reward, in itself. Some of our test pilots experience that it is a compensation to get the opportunity to be part of the development of how we watch TV in the future, how we as consumers will be able to shop online or to deliver their opinion on how the movie or program ought to be.
9.Where can I find the results of tests I’ve participated in?
In most cases you’ll see the results of a test when the actual product or service is launched and can be bought in stores or online. The test pilots´ evaluation of a product/service is advice and key points in the development process for the developers and the results are mostly for their eyes only. When we conduct academic studies we will publish the results of these on our website testpilot.fi. Naturally, all the participants will remain anonymous.
10.Where and how can I unregister from testpilot.fi?
If you no longer wish to be part of testpilot.fi you can easily unregister by using our contact form at testpilot.fi and send us an e-mail with the subject unregister. We will then remove you and all your information from our database.
11.How will my personal information be handled?
It is only we at MediaCity, Åbo Akademi that have access to your personal information you give us when registering. We will never give or sell your information to a third party and we will NOT use your information in direct marketing purposes. This means we will only use your information in matters concerning tests or research, for example if we need you to evaluate a product or a service. When you register you give us permission to save your information and use it to contact you when we set up tests.
12.What’s the point with the survey one has to fill in when registering?
We need your contact information to be able to inform you about upcoming test that you may be interested in participating in, where it will be held and further information needed. We also need some background information about your media consumption and habits. If we for example are conducting tests of a playful family video game then the target group is people who have children. Therefore we ask the question “Do you have children?” when registering so we can directly contact test pilots who have children. The same principles concern all the other questions asked when registering. Sometimes we’re looking for serious gamers and we want to be able to contact them directly without having to bother test pilots who don’t play video/online games.
13.When will I be contacted so I can participate in a test?
A good question! Online surveys are arranged several times a year and you will most certainly get information about those. When we need test pilots here in MediaCity or other places it all depends on how thoroughly you’ve filled in the registration form. The more thorough you’ve been the better chance you’ll stand to be contacted. We contact test pilots based upon their media consumption and habits. It also depends if we are conducting tests in your area.
14.How many tests may I participate in?
There is no limit on how many tests one can participate in, even if we try to prioritize those test pilots that haven’t participated in any tests yet.
In general no. Occasionally, some test pilots may feel the media content that is being tested is difficult to use, confusing for example a messy web service. Do not fear, this is exactly the kind of feedback we are looking for, with this kind of feedback the developer can further improve their service. We may sometime ask questions that may seem tricky or difficult after a test but one can always answer “I don’t know” or ”cannot say”.
16.Should I prepare myself somehow before participating in a test?
No not at all. We do not give information about which TV program, game or website that are being tested because we don’t want out test pilots to “study” or Google search about the media prior to the test. It’s the first impression that we are interested in. We emphasize that it is not the test pilots, their knowledge or their ability that is tested. It is explicitly the media product or service that is evaluated. Therefore the test pilots do not have to prepare themselves in any way other than be prepared to express their opinion.
17. Is it MediaCity´s products that are being tested?
Most of the time, it is not. We help actors in the media industry to develop and improve their products and services by giving them their target groups opinions and wishes. We ask our test pilots opinions about a website, game or TV-program and then compiling their answers in a report and explain them to the designer or developer of the product/service. It may happen that our test pilots are asked to evaluate media content that our colleagues at MediaCity have developed (TV programs) and these tests are done the same way as the other. We always keep our test pilots anonymous in our reports to the designer or developer.
18.When are the tests held? During office hours or in the evenings?
Location based test will be held at a time that is convenient for the test pilot. We are very flexible and can set up test appointments in the evenings if necessary and of course during office hours. The online studies, while active, can be filled out at any time.