High-quality market research depends on one foundational question: Are respondents truly who they say they are? As research becomes more digital, specialized, and influential, ensuring that respondents are real and accurately represented is essential to uncovering insights organizations can rely on.
At the same time, research teams are navigating growing complexity as fraudulent respondents and increasingly sophisticated impersonation techniques find their way into online panels. In healthcare research, respondent credibility matters deeply, given its impact on education, regulatory discussions, and patient outcomes.
For Sommer Consulting, this is not a new challenge, as identity verification has always been a priority in their research methodology. But, as fraud has grown more sophisticated and widespread, the need for a faster, more scalable solution has become critical. That’s why Sommer Consulting and CLEAR are partnering to bring identity verification directly into respondent recruitment, helping ensure research is built on real people and real experiences.
“Being intentional and having integrity is critical to our work, and CLEAR expands on those themes to the highest level.”
–Juliette Faughnan, CEO of Sommer Consulting
The Growing Challenge of Research Fraud
Fraud has become one of the most pressing issues facing the market research industry. According to the Insights Association’s 2025 findings, fraudulent participation rates have reached as high as 45 percent. Much of this activity continues to be driven by bots, repeat takers, and organized fraud rings that deliberately target high-value research.
Healthcare research is especially vulnerable, as studies focused on cancer or rare diseases often offer higher incentives and carry greater downstream influence. As a result, bad actors routinely attempt to infiltrate panels by posing as:
- Patients with cancer or rare diseases
- Individuals managing chronic conditions
- Licensed U.S. healthcare professionals
When fraudulent identities enter healthcare research, the consequences extend far beyond poor data quality. Inaccurate responses can influence education programs, distort insights shared with regulators, such as the FDA, and misinform patient assistance initiatives intended to support people navigating real treatment side effects. In a field where research outcomes can shape care decisions, identity fraud becomes a direct threat to progress.
Identity as a Research Baseline
To address this challenge, Sommer Consulting is the first market research company to integrate CLEAR’s identity verification directly into respondent recruitment through its platform, theinsighters.com. By verifying identity at the start of the workflow, Sommer establishes authentic, unique participant identity before any study-specific screening or qualification begins.
While the verification process is rigorous behind the scenes, the participant experience remains intentionally simple. Participants can verify in seconds with the snap of a selfie.
CLEAR1 verifies that respondents are who they say they are through a multi-layered approach, including:
- Biometric verification: With a single selfie, CLEAR1 verifies liveness and confirms the biometric match to the ID photo.
- Document verification: CLEAR1 examines security features and formatting details of government-issued identification to detect forgeries, alterations, or counterfeit credentials.
- Source corroboration: Cross-checks identity details (e.g. address, date of birth) against authoritative databases.
- Device security: Detects anomalies and compromised devices.
Raising the Standard for Trust
By integrating identity verification at the point of recruitment, Sommer Consulting is helping establish a higher standard for data quality and trust in market research. For organizations commissioning healthcare studies, this provides greater confidence that insights are grounded in real people and experiences.
For CLEAR, the partnership underscores the role of trusted identity as essential infrastructure for high-stakes use cases. Together, Sommer Consulting and CLEAR are helping move the industry forward, so insights can support informed decisions across healthcare and beyond.
High-quality market research depends on one foundational question: Are respondents truly who they say they are? As research becomes more digital, specialized, and influential, ensuring that respondents are real and accurately represented is essential to uncovering insights organizations can rely on.
At the same time, research teams are navigating growing complexity as fraudulent respondents and increasingly sophisticated impersonation techniques find their way into online panels. In healthcare research, respondent credibility matters deeply, given its impact on education, regulatory discussions, and patient outcomes.
For Sommer Consulting, this is not a new challenge, as identity verification has always been a priority in their research methodology. But, as fraud has grown more sophisticated and widespread, the need for a faster, more scalable solution has become critical. That’s why Sommer Consulting and CLEAR are partnering to bring identity verification directly into respondent recruitment, helping ensure research is built on real people and real experiences.
“Being intentional and having integrity is critical to our work, and CLEAR expands on those themes to the highest level.”
–Juliette Faughnan, CEO of Sommer Consulting
The Growing Challenge of Research Fraud
Fraud has become one of the most pressing issues facing the market research industry. According to the Insights Association’s 2025 findings, fraudulent participation rates have reached as high as 45 percent. Much of this activity continues to be driven by bots, repeat takers, and organized fraud rings that deliberately target high-value research.
Healthcare research is especially vulnerable, as studies focused on cancer or rare diseases often offer higher incentives and carry greater downstream influence. As a result, bad actors routinely attempt to infiltrate panels by posing as:
- Patients with cancer or rare diseases
- Individuals managing chronic conditions
- Licensed U.S. healthcare professionals
When fraudulent identities enter healthcare research, the consequences extend far beyond poor data quality. Inaccurate responses can influence education programs, distort insights shared with regulators, such as the FDA, and misinform patient assistance initiatives intended to support people navigating real treatment side effects. In a field where research outcomes can shape care decisions, identity fraud becomes a direct threat to progress.
Identity as a Research Baseline
To address this challenge, Sommer Consulting is the first market research company to integrate CLEAR’s identity verification directly into respondent recruitment through its platform, theinsighters.com. By verifying identity at the start of the workflow, Sommer establishes authentic, unique participant identity before any study-specific screening or qualification begins.
While the verification process is rigorous behind the scenes, the participant experience remains intentionally simple. Participants can verify in seconds with the snap of a selfie.
CLEAR1 verifies that respondents are who they say they are through a multi-layered approach, including:
- Biometric verification: With a single selfie, CLEAR1 verifies liveness and confirms the biometric match to the ID photo.
- Document verification: CLEAR1 examines security features and formatting details of government-issued identification to detect forgeries, alterations, or counterfeit credentials.
- Source corroboration: Cross-checks identity details (e.g. address, date of birth) against authoritative databases.
- Device security: Detects anomalies and compromised devices.
Raising the Standard for Trust
By integrating identity verification at the point of recruitment, Sommer Consulting is helping establish a higher standard for data quality and trust in market research. For organizations commissioning healthcare studies, this provides greater confidence that insights are grounded in real people and experiences.
For CLEAR, the partnership underscores the role of trusted identity as essential infrastructure for high-stakes use cases. Together, Sommer Consulting and CLEAR are helping move the industry forward, so insights can support informed decisions across healthcare and beyond.
