KnowledgePanel
Ipsos KnowledgePanel® is Ipsos’ flagship probability-based panel, designed for clients who need robust, nationally representative evidence to inform strategic decisions. It combines the scientific rigor of probability sampling with the speed and efficiency of online research, enabling clients to move quickly while maintaining the highest standards of survey research.
Robust methodology at the core
KnowledgePanel is built on random probability recruitment, the same trusted methodology behind census work and major academic surveys. People must be invited to join; they cannot self-enrol. Because the selection of those invited is random, controlled and starts from the population, every adult in the country has a calculable chance of being chosen, which is what underpins the panel’s representativity.
To include those who are less digitally connected, Ipsos can provide internet access, devices or alternative modes, making participation possible for offline or digitally excluded groups. Clients gain access to insight that reflects the full breadth of the population, including groups that are often missed or under-represented in research.
Representativeness and Credibility
KnowledgePanel is well suited when results may be scrutinized by internal experts, regulators, the media, or academic audiences. It is:
- Regularly benchmarked against official statistics
- Used in peer‑reviewed research, policy evaluation, and high‑visibility public releases.
Typical applications include election and referendum studies, national health and vaccination research, and reporting for sector regulators and public institutions. In each case, KnowledgePanel provides a population reference that stakeholders can understand and trust.
It also serves as Ipsos’ population benchmark: we use it to check and calibrate newer approaches, datasets and alternative data collection modes, so that the solutions we bring you are grounded in observed population patterns.
When you use KnowledgePanel, you are supported by a team of experienced data scientists, survey methodologists, social researchers and panel experts who apply the same rigor to study design, fieldwork and analysis that forms the basis of the panel itself.
Stability, Depth and Rich Profiling
KnowledgePanel supports one‑off studies and long‑term programmes.
Structure and control: The panel is built and maintained through controlled, invitation‑only recruitment, with continuous monitoring to preserve its composition over time.
Sustained engagement: Panellists take part in a limited number of surveys each month, helping to maintain thoughtful participation and reliable responses.
Depth of information: Extensive background information is collected on panellists so client surveys may focus on core questions.
This enables robust sub‑group analysis by demographics, region or specific target audiences, and longitudinal research that tracks how attitudes and behaviours change over time—and why.
Timely Evidence from a Probability-Based Engine
KnowledgePanel brings the benefits of a probability-based approach into timelines that align with modern decision-making. While traditional probability surveys can be complex to execute, KnowledgePanel offers:
- Rapid access to a rigorous population engine
- Streamlined set‑up and execution
- Suitability for tight deadlines and recurring tracking.
You can meet demanding schedules while remaining grounded in a clearly defined, population-based framework.
An International Capability
KnowledgePanel provides a consistent foundation for multi‑country probability-based research.
Building on over 25 years of running probability-based panels in the United States - informing governments, global institutions and major market players - Ipsos has expanded this capability across Europe. Today KnowledgePanel is available in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland and Croatia (including panels added via acquisition).
This footprint allows clients to run comparative studies using probability-based approaches across key markets with a coherent design.
Are you looking for multinational insight based on random probability data and delivered with the speed of an omnibus survey? The TransAtlantic Pulse is an omnibus survey run on Ipsos’ probability-based panels, delivering fast, comparable, decision-ready public opinion data across key markets.
How Clients Use KnowledgePanel
Clients use KnowledgePanel for their most demanding research needs about the population as a whole and hard-to-reach or business-critical groups. Thanks to its probability-based design and population coverage, it is particularly valuable when you need reliable incidence estimates (for example, the share of people with a certain behaviour, condition or attitude).
- Public bodies and NGOs use it to measure social attitudes, understand public priorities, evaluate policy options and monitor opinion over time
- Regulators and governmental organisations draw on it for consultations, impact assessments, regulatory submissions and official reporting
- Corporates and brands use it to understand societal expectations, test corporate communications and narratives, track trust and reputation, and validate insights from other data sources
- Academic institutions and think tanks rely on it for studies that must meet stringent methodological standards and remain comparable over time or across countries.
In all these cases, KnowledgePanel provides evidence that can be clearly explained, openly defended and used as a reference point in both internal and external discussions.
Driving Methodological Innovation That Benefits Clients
KnowledgePanel powers many of Ipsos’ next generation of solutions, serving as a reliable reference point (“ground truth”) for new methods and data assets.
Ipsos uses KnowledgePanel to calibrate and validate innovations such as synthetic panels, modelled datasets and advanced analytics. New survey designs, measurement approaches and data collection modes are tested against KnowledgePanel outputs, so that when we recommend an innovative solution, it is anchored in observed population data.
Clients can benefit from more flexible, scalable and cost‑effective approaches - such as synthetic panels for small‑area estimates or hard‑to‑reach populations - while retaining a direct connection to a robust, probability-based population reference.
When to choose KnowledgePanel
KnowledgePanel is one of several respondent sources within Ipsos, but it is the option we recommend when:
- You must speak for the national population, not just an online segment
- Findings will be scrutinised by regulators, policymakers, media or academics, or become part of the public record
- Decisions involve policy, regulatory, reputational or significant financial stakes
- You need robust trends over time or clear incidence rates for behaviours, conditions or attitudes in the population.
In these situations, KnowledgePanel is the population engine Ipsos relies on – the reference-standard sample source for confident decisions.