FAQ Using ERI Products Question #6

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Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:  Why can we access the data only during the quarter for which it is released?  I understand that you want your customers to access the most up-to-date data, but what if we wish to compare this quarter's data with previous quarters' data?

Assessor Series® software database access is leased as an annual subscription basis, with access to the databases limited to a (quarterly) lease period specified for each release.  Because the databases are constantly improving, ERI does not wish to support any earlier release than the most recent quarterly update.  Additionally, because our survey population changes from quarter to quarter with the addition of new survey resources, historical comparison between quarters is not statistically relevant.  (If our data population were to remain consistent from quarter to quarter, as with a single survey that queries the same entities through time, then trending could be inferred.)  For these reasons, the quarterly updates are accessible only during the quarter for which they are released. 

Customers are encouraged to save comparisons by printing reports with which they may compare future release data.  Please note, however, that the reason for most historical comparisons is the analysis of market movement.  Again, because we do not survey the same data population from quarter to quarter, these inferences would be misguided.  A change in value from quarter to quarter may be the result not of inflation, for example, but of improved data and/or improved methodology.