Abstract: A data processing apparatus for use in an electronic data research system in which data produced at respective panelist' home is transmitted to a data center via a telephone link which is commonly used by a telephone set of the panelist' home, there are provided a center call mode in which the data is transmitted to the data center in response to the polling from the data center within a predetermined time gate, a terminal call mode in which the data is transmitted to the data center at a predetermined time out of the time gate, and a real time mode in which current data is transmitted to the data center while the connection between the panelist home and data center via the telephone link is continuously made.

Abstract: A data collecting apparatus is used in a survey system in which research data such as television audience ratings and market research data is collected by a data collecting device provided in each of a plurality of panelists' homes, the collected research data is sent to a data center through telephone links, and, at the data center, the data is processed with the aid of a large scale computer to calculate desired research data. The data collecting apparatus includes a channel detector for detecting a television channel being viewed, a market research data entry device, a personal data entry device, and a data processing device for storing and processing the entered data. The detected channel data and the entered personal data are transferred to the data processing device via domestic power supply lines. The market research data is efficiently entered with the aid of a bar-code reader and a keyboard in a sequence-non-ordered manner. The personal data is entered with an entry device using infrared light.