Collaboration brings real-time quality indicators and the Data Trust Score™ into Sago’s research operations

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sago, a global research and data partner connecting human answers to business questions, and Data Quality Co-op (DQC), the insights industry’s first independent clearinghouse for data quality measurement, today announced a partnership to strengthen respondent trust and advance shared data quality standards.

The partnership brings DQC’s shared quality infrastructure, including the Data Trust Score™, into Sago’s research operations. Together, the organizations will support earlier identification of data quality risks through a comprehensive and uniquely integrated evaluation of respondent quality, combining technical signals, in-survey behavior and participation history to surface issues before they impact results.

“As quantitative research continues to scale, maintaining trust requires constant innovation in how data quality is measured and managed,” said Rob Berger, EVP, Global Quantitative Research at Sago. “Our partnership with the Data Quality Co-op strengthens the quality ecosystem around Sago Quant, giving our teams greater confidence in respondent integrity and supporting the delivery of trusted, identity-matched data at scale.”

For Sago, the partnership reinforces an ongoing investment in advanced technology designed to ensure respondents are verified and suitable for specific research objectives. By incorporating shared quality signals and real-time indicators, Sago teams can identify and prioritize higher-quality respondents earlier in the research lifecycle, improving feasibility and reducing downstream removals and inefficiencies.

“For years, our industry has worked toward a shared vision that data quality should be a collective responsibility,” said Melanie Courtright, Chief Strategy Officer at Sago. “This partnership represents meaningful progress toward that goal. By aligning around common signals and transparent standards, we’re strengthening the entire research ecosystem and raising the bar for what trustworthy data should look like.”

For Data Quality Co-op, the collaboration expands the use of its data quality infrastructure within one of the industry’s largest research organizations. This brings together multiple quality signals, with the Data Trust Score combining technical fraud indicators, in-survey behavior and participation history into a single metric. Similar to a credit score, the Data Trust Score helps teams communicate respondent trustworthiness consistently and at scale, using benchmarks based on real research activity over time rather than one-off checks. Scores range from 0 to 1,000, with higher scores indicating more trusted data.

“This partnership reflects a shared belief that data quality improves when it’s treated as a system rather than managed survey by survey,” said Bob Fawson, CEO of Data Quality Co-op. “What makes the Data Trust Score effective is that it’s grounded in observed respondent behavior over time, which allows teams to assess risk earlier and make more confident sourcing decisions. That shift delivers better outcomes not by adding friction, but by changing when and how quality is evaluated.”

As one of the largest early adopters of Data Quality Co-op’s shared quality infrastructure, Sago is helping demonstrate how collaborative innovation can strengthen data quality practices industry-wide. The partnership underscores a joint commitment to data accuracy, security and ethical research practices, while supporting more reliable insights for brands and decision-makers.

About Data Quality Co-op
Data Quality Co-op (DQC) is an independent first-party data quality clearinghouse. We transform how buyers and suppliers of first-party data measure, understand and manage the quality of their data. Our platform offers continuous quality measurement and real-time quality certification by aggregating, analyzing and benchmarking data quality signals across the ecosystem and the Data Trust Score™, delivering unique, predictive quality intelligence. Together with our clients, we are shaping the future of fast, reliable data-driven insights. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, our mission is to ensure each business decision, marketing campaign or AI model is driven by data that’s high-quality, high-value and perfectly suited for its purpose. For more information, visit www.dataqualityco-op.com.

About Sago
Sago is a leading global research partner that connects human answers to business questions. Combining our legacy of impact, global reach and innovative spirit, we enable our clients to solve business problems through extensive audience access and an adaptive range of qualitative, quantitative and consultative solutions. We help our clients understand what their customers want and demand, empowering them to make decisions with confidence. www.sago.com

Media contact: Marie Melsheimer, [email protected], +1-541-815-3951

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