世論 What Japan Thinks

This blog would not exist if it weren’t for all these online survey organisations from which I can appropriate material for presenting to you. To find out what the average Japanese thinks of these things…; well, in this case it’s not the average Japanese, it’s just those that feel motivated enough or have time to waste answering questionnaires like this. Also, Q1 indicates that almost half the sample take part in no other questionnaires and the like, so what sort of sample do we really have here? This is getting all rather complicated, so rather than trying to analyse the respondents’ motivations, let’s just look at the survey from NEPRO Japan on online voting.

Demographics

Over the 4th and 5th of October 2007 3,906 mobile phone users self-selected themselves to complete a survey through their mobile phone in exchange for the chance of winning a prize. 57% of the sample was female, 3% in their teens, 34% in their twenties, 44% in their thirties, and 19% aged forty or older.

Note that from Q2 we can learn that online voting covers a number of different ways of capturing user opinion, from obtaining demographic information when registering online to getting user ratings on Web 2.0-like word-of-mouth review sites.

Research results

Q1: Excluding this and other surveys from NEPRO Japan, have you ever taken part in a vote through your mobile phone? (Sample size=3,906)

Yes	55%
No	45%

Q2: At what times have you taken part in voting through your mobile phone? (Sample size=3,906, multiple answer)

When applying for a prize draw	44%
When registering as a member	25%
When buying products	19%
When a television program asked for viewer votes	18%
Just when I happen upon them	15%
When reigstering for news or other information delivery services	7%
Other	7%
Never voted	45%

Q3: What sort of voting through your mobile phone have you done the most? (Sample size=3,906)

User profiling	24%
Popularity vote	14%
Public opinion survey	9%
Evaluation vote	3%
Other	7%
Never voted	43%

Q4: Do you think that answers from internet voting have any practical use? (Sample size=3,906)

Yes	19%
No	9%
Don’t know	72%

Q5: Do you agree with being able to vote at public elections by mobile phone? (Sample size=3,906)

Agree	40%
Disagree	23%
Don’t know	37%