Reach Out: Universal Polling & Research Recruiting

Powered by a diverse user base, we intend to be the first universal polling and research recruiting app to build public transparency and trust in science.

In the United States, mistrust between the government and media is at an all-time high. Additionally, current methods of polling (directory-assisted random-digit-dial, RDD) has not changed in decades. It is reported that 75% of Millennials avoid answering their phones, making the reported results biased as it is not representative of a variety of ages and demographics. As technology continues to become ingrained into society, younger generations will only continue to oppose outdated research methods.

Furthermore, one of the major challenges for researchers in both clinical and social science fields is attracting participants. On the other hand, many Americans view themselves as a separate entity from science, which is incorrect­– their experiences in life are valuable and should be marketed as such. If a wider variety of participants could be recruited and loss bias then minimized, researchers could have the opportunity to produce more efficient work. Connecting a wider variety of participants to researchers is integral.

These goals are attainable by utilizing an integrated smartphone app and artificial intelligence while ensuring data remains secure with appropriate cybersecurity measures. A universal polling and research recruitment app has the potential to further connect citizens with leadership, ensuring accurate representation, rapid results, and, most importantly, an elevated sense of communal trust. 

The challenge of communal distrust and difficulty recruiting participants for research impacts every individual in the United States, whether they are aware or not. By putting organized power into people's hands (built upon data and statistics), and empowering individuals to contribute to the advancement of society via research, we are one step closer to public transparency. Political and other community leaders will have another tool to assist in making informed decisions based on the shared concerns of their constituents. 

Regarding research recruiting, this platform would provide researchers with one central location to recruit eligible, interested participants. Researchers currently recruit participants through various methods, including flyers, advertisements, social media, or recruitment via medical records. Given the need for one primary recruitment method, researchers are often subject to loss bias and challenges in recruiting interested participants. This platform will connect them with already interested participants, streamlining the efficacy of their research objective and producing a more diverse basket of respondents, thus supporting science.

Founder Nina Murrow has extensive background as an academic researcher and data analyst. Using my expertise in these two fields, I am equipped to coordinate polling and the technical side. However, more importantly, as a public educator, I am familiar with the challenges in recruiting for research and the general mistrust between citizens and leaders.

Our team is working with highly skilled California based team of software developers to ensure the engineering of this product will be secure and effective.

I have engaged potential users of this app and have collected feedback, concerns, and user quality comments. Using this information, I am working with a software development team to priories security/privacy and ease of user-ability.

Through use of artificial intelligence, Reach Out is modernizing the polling and research recruitment needs for our communities:

1. Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand and interpret user input, allowing the app to understand and respond to free-form questions and responses.
2. Machine Learning (ML) to analyze poll results and provide insights and predictions based on the data.
3. Personalization of polls by identifying user preferences and recommending polls that align with those preferences.
4. Multi-language support by using AI to translate polls and responses automatically.
5. Identifying patterns in responses and suggesting questions based on those patterns

These features will not only support a more modernized method of collecting polls and recruiting for research, but provide the first central platform for this to take place on. Data is critical to driving policy change, advancing science, and informing leadership. 

The next year will be dedicated to building a high-quality app in unison with back-end support for clients and building partnerships. Through this app, individuals will allow their concerns to be heard on a national scale, which is especially critical in preparation for the 2024 elections. The data provided from these prospective results is critical to driving policy change, advancing science, and informing leadership.

Artificial intelligence features:

1. Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand and interpret user input, allowing the app to understand and respond to free-form questions and responses.
2. Machine Learning (ML) to analyze poll results and provide insights and predictions based on the data.
3. Personalization of polls by identifying user preferences and recommending polls that align with those preferences.
4. Multi-language support by using AI to translate polls and responses automatically.
5. Identifying patterns in responses and suggesting questions based on those patterns

For privacy and to protect the security of its users, tokens will be used.

Our current barriers include access to capital in order to continue to build the app and market our solution.

Built on the foundation of business-to-business sales and subscription-based, Reach Out collects consumer data on various subjects, including current affairs, health, social dilemmas, and market habits. Collected data from surveys is told to third parties (media organizations, political campaigns, miscellaneous businesses), emphasizing consumer privacy.

Subscription-based Research Recruiting: A monthly subscription based on the number of studies being actively recruited for. Clients will have access to eligible candidates and can communicate via a private messaging system. The private messaging system will also allow researchers and participants to stay in contact throughout the duration of the study.

General Polling for Media: Structured as a contract-based service, polling will be conducted for clients and produce rapid reports containing an analysis of results. Pricing is determined by the number of polls conducted per month. The clientele will have access to a diverse respondent base, who are the app users. App users have the option to scroll through a variety of eligible polls based on the demographics they provided upon sign-up.