A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
P
Packet Switching
The way in which data is transferred on the Internet. All transmitted data is put into chunks with each chunk having an address of where it came from and is going to. Packet switching therefore allows data from different machines to co-exist on the same line.
Page Impression
The exact number of times a specific Web site has been accessed or viewed by a user. A page impression acts as a counter for Web pages, informing site owners how many times their sites were visited. Page impressions are also referred to as hits.
Page Rank
The name Page Rank is a trademark of Google. It is a link analysis algorithm that assigns a numerical weighting to a website by measuring its relative importance. The higher the number, the more important it is in the eyes of Google.
Page Traffic
The percentage of a publication's readers who claimed to have read of looked at anything on a particular page of that publication.
PAL
Abbreviation of Phase Alternation by Line. The colour television and video system used in majority of Europe and many other places in the world (excluding the United States, France and Eastern Europe). Based on 625 lines making up the vertical resolution
Panel
Sample of people used for regular research (keeping diaries etc.) or periodic (repeated interviews) research that are therefore susceptible to longitudinal analysis. Panel is also another word for the location of a poster.
Parallel
A parallel poster to the roadside can be seen from both sides of the road.
Parallel Readership
When a respondent reads more than one issue of a publication during its Last Publication Period (i.e. "yesterday" for a daily, "last week" for a weekly, "last month" for a monthly, etc.). This can lead to an underestimate in a readership survey, an opposite effect to Replicated Readership.
Parent Survey
A survey used to provide either a universe estimate for another survey or the Sampling Frame of another survey (though sampling frames can of course be provided by other means - such as directories, etc.). See Sample and Sampling Frame for more detailed explanations of how a Parent Survey relates to the final sample.
Passages
In outdoor research this is a measure of the number of people passing a site. The number of gross passages is reduced by a visibility adjustment (taking into account the position and location of the panel) to give the number of net passages.
Passive Sensing
An approach to TV audience measurement where no active participation from panel members is required. For example, image recognition might be used to identify household members. However no such technique has yet been successfully implemented.
Pass-On Readers
Readers of an issue of a publication that was not bought by themselves or a member of their household, or who were not the original recipients of a title sent free of charge. Also referred to as Secondary Readers.
Patronage
See Channel Reach.
Pay Cable
Cable programming service for which subscribers pay a monthly fee on top of that required for the basic cable service.
Pay-Per-View
Pay-TV service enabling users to pay for each programme watched, rather than on a monthly subscription basis. Programming often consists of blockbuster films or popular sporting events.
Pay-TV
TV service supported by subscription income rather than by advertising. Includes Pay Cable and Subscription TV.
PDA
Abbreviation for Personal Digital Assistant. Often a hand-held device, such as a Palm Pilot, Pocket PC, Hand Spring and Jornada. They are used as personal organiser and some can provide to access to the Internet.
PDF
Abbreviation for Portable Document Format and is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for desktop publishing use.
Peak
In TV, a Daypart that is normally defined as running from 17:30 to 23:00
Penetration
Another name for Coverage and Reach. Strictly speaking, penetration refers to the proportion - usually expressed as a percentage - of the target market or target group reached, hence the term Market Penetration.
Peoplemeters
Peoplemeters are used to record electronically who is watching TV. They consist of a recording unit or set meter (which is usually placed on top of the TV set being measured), and a separate handset. The handset looks like a TV remote-control unit, and has a number of buttons on it. Each member of the panel household is given an individual number, which they press on the handset each time they start or stop watching TV. TV set usage and channel choice are recorded automatically. The information is stored in a central unit and is then collected overnight via the household telephone line (some systems use GSM modems as an alternative).
Peripheral
A generic term used to describe any devices such as printers, modems, joysticks and monitors that are connected to a computer and controlled by its microprocessor. See Plug and Play.
Personal Communication Device
Also known as PCD. A term used to describe small portable communication devices such as pagers and cellular phones.
Personal Meters
A new type of device currently under development to permit the measurement of an individual's overall television viewing, radio listening or both. Designed to be worn or carried by selected individuals, personal meters can potentially capture viewing/listening in all types of out of home locations. The channel/station identification technique may be based on either audio comparison or recognition of a broadcaster code.
Personal Television
A TV set-top device that enables viewers to pause fast-forward and rewind live programmes. Some of the appliances also have the capability to suggest programmes for users by recognising their viewing behaviour. Companies offering this technology include Replay TV and TiVo.
PEX
See Magazine Page Exposure Studies.
Picture in Picture
This is also known as PIP. A facility where some television sets and set top terminals are able to show a small secondary picture from another channel within the main picture.
Pixel
Unit of measurement of online ad formats e.g. Skyscraper dimensions are 120x600. There are 72 pixels per inch or 100 pixels = 25 mm. These measurements will vary depending on the screen size.
Platform
The computer hardware and operating system that applications are run on. Also the means of delivering broadcast material to the home - e.g. analogue terrestrial, satellite, DAB
Plug and Play
This is the name given to computer systems that can automatically configure a device that is added to it. These devices include such things as printers, modems and monitors. See Peripheral.
An online advertisement that appears in a separate window over a web page that is being viewed.
Population
The number of people in the survey Universe, sub-universe or Target Group.
Post Peak
In TV, a Daypart that is normally defined as running from 23:00 to 24:30
Postal Address File
A list of all the postal delivery points in the UK compiled by the Royal Mail. This is frequently used as a sampling frame.
Postal Survey
See Self-Completion Survey.
Postar
Poster audience research company
Poster Research
See Outdoor Research
Poster Specialist
A company that constructs an outdoor campaign for a client, often using sites bought from a number of different contractors.
Poster
Posters come in a variety of standard sizes, measured by the number of sheets. In the UK, 4 sheet posters are typically found at bus shelters, or in shopping areas, 16 sheets on the side of buildings and 48, 64 or 96 sheets and larger on major roads. Some large posters use back lighting and are able to rotate different advertisements.
Pre-rolls
Advertising that appears prior to streamed online video content.
Primary Readers
Either purchasers of a publication and other members of their household or the original recipients of a title sent free of charge. These are the people most likely to read a publication in the greatest depth.
Primary Sampling Units
A group of eligible units (geographic areas, post codes, addresses, etc.) used as the first stage in the creation of the Sample. See Sampling Frame for a detailed sample. Abbreviated to PSU.
Print Run
The number of copies of an issue of a publication that were printed. A publication's Print Run should logically be larger than its Circulation, which is the number of copies actually distributed.
A single person or group of people living together whose food and household expenses are managed as one unit.
Probability Model
A type of mathematical model used to evaluate media schedules. See Schedule Evaluation.
Probability Sample
Also known as a Random Sample. See Sample.
Profile
The way a TV/radio programme's audience or a publication's readership breaks down across a single variable like age, job title, income, and so on. For example, a TV programme's audience's profile by age might be 29% aged under 35, 27% aged 33-44, 19% aged 45-54 and 25% aged 55+. The profile should always sum to 100%.
Programme Genre
The classification of programmes by type e.g. sport, drama, chat show etc.
Programme Sponsorship
A form of promotion where a company associates its name with a programme, usually by references to itself or an associated product at the beginning and/or end of the programme and the programme breaks. See Sponsorship Research.
Projectible Universe
See Universe.
Protocol
Standards that identify how traffic and communication are handled by a computer or network. See Network.
PSA
See Pure Station Average
PSU
See Primary Sampling Units.
Psychographic Groups
Classification of those researched by a survey into groups defined by their attitudes, motivations and values rather than by their Demographics or purchasing habits. These groups are usually devised using Cluster Analysis of Attitude Surveys. Respondents are grouped according to the extent to which they agree with various attitude questions. See Cluster Analysis, Attitude Research and Lifestyle Research.
Public Switch Telephone Network
Also known as PSTN. The name given to the landline telephone network.
Publication Interval
See Publication Period.
Publication Period
The time interval between issues of a publication. Hence the Last Publication Period (also known as the Last Issue Period) is "yesterday" for a daily, "last week" for a weekly, "last month" for a monthly and so on. Another name for the publication period is Publication Interval.
Publisher's Statement
A document issued by a publisher giving circulation details of a publication and/or one of its regional or demographic editions. Publisher's Statements often bear the logo, official format and imprimatur of an independent auditing company, but they should not be confused with the official circulation audit certificate. Unlike the audit certificate, not all the details printed on such a Publisher's Statement will have been verified by the auditing company. For example, in the UK, neither ABC nor BPA audit breakdowns of paid circulation, yet unverified circulation breakdowns appear on Publisher's Statements bearing the ABC and BPA logo. See Audited Circulation.
Pulse Campaign
Concentrated bursts of activity over a sustained period (e.g. week-on week-off TV advertising for 8 weeks each week having 80 TVRs)
Pure Station Average
For any given month, the PSA is calculated by taking the total net advertising revenue taken by the TV station divided by the 30” equivalent impacts for a specific audience delivered in the month. This figure is the grossed up by 15% (divided by 0.85) to account for agency commission.
PVR
Personal Video Recorder, a device capable of recording TV programmes or video images from a video or external source onto a hard disk or other device than can store the images digitally.
