Patent ID: 8417722

Claim:
A system for characterizing respondents according to at least one predetermined characteristic of a respondent, the system having access to a profiling network comprising a server; a plurality of nodes, at least some said nodes being connected to other said nodes by means of links, wherein the plurality of nodes comprises nodes of a first type and nodes of a second, different, type, the nodes of the first type each having at least one link connected thereto and being associated with said characteristic of a respondent, one or more of the links a) carrying a link value indicative of a relationship between the nodes connected by said link and b) being set in dependence on responses received from a given respondent to questions relating to said nodes of the second type, wherein the system is arranged to evaluate a node value for at least one said node of the first type and the second type in dependence on said link values associated with a link thereto and on node values associated with nodes connected to the node via said link, whereby to identify a node value for said at least one node of the first type.