Abstract: A computer-assisted method for determining a plurality of clusters is disclosed. The disclosed method includes, for each of a plurality of observations, obtaining a data set containing no more than one proxy value for each of a plurality of variables, each variable having a plurality of possible values. The disclosed method also includes, assigning each of the plurality of observations to one of a plurality of clusters, and, for the plurality of observations and the plurality of variables, via cluster reassignment, maximizing a processor-determined fitness score representing a number of variables from the plurality of variables for which each observation's proxy value corresponds to a mode for that observation's assigned cluster.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method is disclosed for determining a potential effectiveness of a survey question. The disclosed method includes segregating a plurality of responses to a survey question into a plurality of categories, and determining a response distribution for each of the plurality of categories. The disclosed method also includes calculating a box score and a difference score for the survey question from the response distributions, and using the box score and the difference score to obtain an effectiveness score for the survey question.

Abstract: A computer-assisted method for placing each of a plurality of observations into one of a predefined set of clusters is disclosed. The disclosed method includes, for each of a plurality of observations, obtaining a data set containing no more than one proxy value for each of a plurality of variables, each variable having a plurality of possible values, and obtaining a set of first dummy variables having a value indicative of an observation's membership or non-membership (i.e., membership status) in a particular cluster.