We feel that allowing interns to describe their experiences anonymously is vital. Too many fear retribution from their employers. While we do monitor responses and remove those considered to be blatantly fraudulent, abusive, using inappropriate language, or improperly insulting to named individuals it is impossible for us to verify that responses are honest and accurate. Much in the same way, sites like Amazon.com, epinions.com, and Zagat.com all post reviews of books, products, restaurants, and businesses without being able to verify that a respondent has actually read the book or eaten at the restaurant.

We hope that you can understand the basic conflict we have, the desire to protect the anonymity of respondents while giving readers information about respondents to let them know how seriously to take the opinions they read. We post the number or respondents and their level of experience. This way, readers can see whether the Firm Report is based on the opinions of a few employees, or a large number of employees. Can you suggest any other methods we could use to convey valuable information to the reader while still protecting the anonymity of respondents?

We employ several different measures to ensure that fraudulent or maliciously biased information is not included in our Firm Reports. From time to time we may withhold certain Firm Reports while our editors review their content and the circumstances under which they were submitted. We analyze several characteristics of each response looking for certain patterns or qualities that suggest a fraudulent or otherwise inaccurate response. We can't discuss the specific measures taken as doing so would reduce their efficacy.

We're sorry that you are disappointed with your firm's Firm Report on InsideArch. Unfortunately, in order to maintain the credibility of the service, we are unable to simply delete your firm from the site. We hope you can understand.

We're sorry that you are disappointed with your firm's Firm Report on InsideArch. Since creating InsideArch in 2002, we have noticed that often the first person to respond for a firm could be described as negative. Just as often, when the other employees hear of the negative report, InsideArch receives additional responses about the firm which tend to present a more complete picture of the reality at the firm.

We encourage you to invite all your employees to file a Firm Report on your firm. Surely adding the opinions of those who are happy at the firm will help to balance out the opinions of those who are less so. We hope that once there is a more complete view of the opinions of employees at your firm, that you would find the information both interesting and valuable. The InsideArch firm survey covers such a broad spectrum that most firm principals will find the results very telling about how their employees feel about their professional experience at their firm.

Additionally, at the bottom of each Firm Report, there is a section where users can post comments, providing additional information about the firm itself or directly affirming or refuting the comments made by others. Scroll to the bottom of the page containing all the scores and comments for your firm. There you should see a box allowing you to post a comment. We do not edit or censor these comments in any way, so in addition to pointing out anything you feel has been misrepresented by respondents you should feel free to post any information that you feel a prospective employee would like to see.

We understand that it is frustrating that a Firm Profile is created with as little as one response. But to a certain degree it is the nature of the profession. Most architecture firms have few employees, if a small firm only has five people, then one response is all we might ever get. We feel that a little information is better than none at all as long as we are clear about the fact that what you are reading is based on a small number of responses... That way each reader can decide for him or herself how seriously to take it.

We invite you to encourage all of your employees to file a report for the firm. Obviously, a larger sample will yield more accurate results.

We have gone to great length to provide tools that allow both positive and negative opinions to be posted - realizing that in the long term only the most balanced set of reports will ensure the credibility of the service. We expect that, as with most opinions, a range of positive and negative ideas may be presented. To be clear, we not only allow for more than a single individual's opinion, but our hope is that any or all employees of a firm will contribute by completing their own Firm Survey. We do not withhold either positive or negative opinions. However, we do monitor responses and remove those considered to be blatantly fraudulent, abusive, using inappropriate language, or improperly insulting to named individuals.

Look toward the top of each Firm Report. There is a section called "Meta Firm". Here you will not only see the number of responses that are the basis for that Firm Report but also the positions and levels of experience of the respondents. Additionally, we score several factors about the data itself to help readers decide how seriously to take the opinions of respondents. These factors are: Consistency, Effort, Experience, and Data Integrity/Validity. Look here for descriptions of what these mean.

We also employ several different measures to ensure that fraudulent or maliciously biased information is not included in our Firm Reports. From time to time we may withhold certain Firm Reports while our editors review their content and the circumstances under which they were submitted. We analyze several characteristics of each response looking for certain patterns or qualities that suggest a fraudulent or otherwise inaccurate response. I hope you can understand that I can't discuss the specific measures taken as doing so would reduce their efficacy.

But the short answer is that we will often post a Firm Report with as little a one response if the data meets certain thresholds on the tests mentioned above. I understand that it is frustrating that a Firm Profile is created with one response. But to a certain degree it is the nature of the profession. Most architecture firms have few employees, if a small firm only has five people, then one response is all we might ever get. At such a firm one response is also 20% of the employees. We feel that a little information is better than none at all as long as we are clear about the fact that what you are reading is based on a small number of responses... That way each reader can decide for him or herself how seriously to take it.

When Firm Reports are created, old responses are gradually phased out over time. With regard to scores, older responses are gradually weighted less and contribute less to the firm's overall score until they are phased out completely. Old comments will phase out at the same time.

The length of time varies depending on the number of newer responses, but the shortest time is probably about a year.