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Traffic Controls limit how quickly respondents enter your survey, spreading data collection across your field dates instead of filling quotas as fast as possible.

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When to use pacing

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How pacing works

Research Desk divides your Target (N) across field dates into two-hour increments using:
  • Fieldwork start — when the source was first set to Live
  • Fieldwork end — the out-of-field date/time on the project (update during fieldwork if plans change)
When you first go Live, the limit applies to one increment. After each hour, the allowed cumulative volume grows (one increment, then two, then three, and so on). Limits refresh every two hours.

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Formulas

Where:
  • Fieldwork elapsed % = (current time − fieldwork start) ÷ (fieldwork end − fieldwork start)
  • Quota achieved % = completes achieved ÷ target (for Completes calculation type) or entrants achieved ÷ target (for Survey Starts)

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Example

Source goes Live Jan 1 at 5:00 PM CT, out-of-field Jan 11 at 5:00 PM CT (10 days). Target N = 1,000.

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Setting traffic control

  1. Set an accurate out-of-field date and time on the project — update it during fieldwork if the timeline changes
  2. Select Traffic Control when creating a new Internal source or using Quick Launch
  3. Respondents enter only while the current pacing limit has not been reached