Data Quality, AI, and the Future of Survey Research with Mario Callegaro | In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Mario Callegaro, Founder of Callegaro Research, to discuss how data collection methods have evolved across market research and user experience research, and why AI adoption requires expert oversight rather than blind automation.

In this episode of Survey & Beyond: The Data Collection Podcast, host Marta Costa sits down with Mario Callegaro, Founder of Callegaro Research, to discuss how data collection methods have evolved across market research and user experience research, and why AI adoption requires expert oversight rather than blind automation.

What You’ll Learn:

How to distinguish when surveys are the wrong tool
The triangulation framework for validating research findings
Why AI uncertainty requires a new mental model for researchers
The structural problem with separate marketing and UX research teams
How to build substantive knowledge as your quality control mechanism
And more!

Mario Callegaro is the Founder of Callegaro Research and an expert in survey methodology, data collection, and AI-assisted research. With a background spanning sociology and advanced research methods training from the University of Nebraska, Mario has spent over 15 years leading quantitative and user experience research initiatives at major tech companies, including Google and Knowledge Panel, where he pioneered approaches to online survey methodology and data quality assurance.

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Episode Resources:

Mario Callegaro on LinkedIn
Callegaro Research Website
Marta Costa on LinkedIn
Dobility Website
SurveyCTO Website
SurveyCTO Demo Request Form

Episode Chapters:

0:00 Intro
00:49 From a CATI Lab in Italy to a PhD in Nebraska
05:58 Market Research vs. UX Research
10:25 Why Surveys Aren’t Always the Right Tool
16:30 Data Quality: Your Own List vs. the Wild West of Online Panels
21:47 Where AI Actually Helps Researchers Today
30:54 The Future: Blurred Lines Between Qual and Quant
35:48 AI-Assisted Surveys in Survey Practice