Similarly, a team of university students, under the leadership of an experienced faculty member, can conduct this type of research, as was done here. When the survey timetable coincides with the availability of students, this type of project can provide valuable experience and be a source of income for both the students and the university. Conducting this study annually will show how consumers' habits change as new stations and publications enter the market. Doing it twice per year in opposite seasons, such as spring and fall or summer and winter, will provide a picture of seasonal differences. For example, how do longer daylight hours affect people's television viewing habits.
Quarterly studies can be even more useful by showing how people's habits change during the year.
It is easier to make small changes, such as adding a question or two, in short studies done frequently than in longer studies done less often. Finally, it is important to recognize that consumers' habits and preferences constantly change. People do not always know what they need until they discover it, or what they like until they try it. Broadcasters and publishers who constantly survey their audiences are in the best position to monitor changes, or better yet, to anticipate them. It is by recognizing that change is needed, and how individual people will benefit as a result of it, that successful broadcasters and publishers continue to grow and prosper.