Page 2 - Customer Needs and Use Assessments (CNUA) of pH Sensors
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ACT In Situ pH Sensors Customer Needs and Use Assessment.............................................................................. 1
I. OBJECTIVE
The fundamental goal of this survey was to assess user needs and applications and to
provide the focus for an Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT,
)
Technology Verification of in situ pH sensors. The Customer Needs and Use Assessment
strives to better understand how pH sensors are used. We hope this information can also
assist manufacturers in refining pH sensor technologies to better address user priorities.
II. SURVEY COMPOSITION
From 6 October 2011 to 9 February 2012, ACT conducted a web-based survey to aid in
a Customer Needs and Use Assessment of pH sensors. ACT Headquarters and Partner
personnel developed the questionnaire. SurveyMonkey.com provided the web-based
survey tool. The survey contained a total of twenty-seven questions (listed below along
with their responses), divided into three sections: Application, Specifications, and
Recommendations.
III. DISTRIBUTION OF SURVEY
Survey participants included both colleagues and vendors. Colleagues were asked to
consider the primary in situ pH sensor(s) they used when responding to each question.
Unaware if any specific vendor (sensor manufacturer) had its own proprietary statistics
collected already, vendors were simply asked to summarize what they felt were the
perspectives of their “typical” customers. All participants received emailed requests to
participate in this online survey and two follow-up reminders.
IV. PARTICIPANT SELECTION PROCESS
To assure broad geographic coverage, regional outreach personnel at the six ACT Partner
Institutions and members of the Technical Advisory committee nominated participants
based on their professional interests, background, and expertise. Approximately 173
coastal resource managers, regulatory and environmental health agency representatives,
manufacturers, and scientific researchers were targeted to take part in the survey; 24%
responded.
