To ensure complete accuracy and fairness in determining the winners for the Life Science Industry Awards, The Scientist selected BioInformatics, an unbiased third-party research firm based in Arlington, Va.
The Life Science Industry Awards are unique as they allow the scientists to determine the winners. BioInformatics designed and fielded a 34-question electronic survey to registered members of The Science Advisory Board - the world's largest market research panel of scientific customers - as well as readers of The Scientist magazine.
A total of 4,483 scientists completed the ballot between February 25, 2008 and March 31, 2008. Respondents, based on their experiences using scientific products, voted for their favorite suppliers - taking into consideration practical factors such as satisfaction with product features, likelihood to purchase or recommend, the best overall solution, and cost-effectiveness.
The winners for each award category were determined by calculating a numerical value. The value is the sum...