What is the difference between Online Panels VS Online Communities?
An online panel is a group of respondents within a specific population that have agreed to take part in surveys or other forms of research. This could be via email, but more and more often they will comprise web-based panels where members log on and complete the tasks through their internet browser. There are many examples of online panels such as Nexis UK , Survey Sampling International (SSI) , i-Say Panel etc… Online communities can be social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest etc... But also include forums, chat rooms and so on. The main difference between an online community and an online panel is how it's members join. If they join through signing up because they were invited email, then it is likely to be an online panel. If they join through a social media site, then it's likely to be an online community. Both Online panel and Research Communities are an important part of market research industry . The examples of panels are the NOP World , Populus