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December 2014

Taking innovative crowdsourcing to the next level

At a glance
The challenge

Understanding user experience is essential in software development

The solution

Market research and analytics provide valuable insights

The outcome

New product to monitor online impressions

What's next?

Take product to market

Crowdsourcing — the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by asking a large group of people — has been around since the mid-19th century when the Oxford English Dictionary held an open call for volunteers to contribute and identify words used in the English language. Today, crowdsourcing has transferred to the internet where web 2.0 technology offers rapid and affordable global reach.

When Calgary-based Chaordix, a pioneer in the crowdsourcing space, was looking to gain further insight into market research intelligence and analytics, they turned to Mitacs.  We connected the company with intern Khobaib Zaamout, a PhD student in the department of Information and Communication Technology at the University of Calgary.

During his Accelerate internship, Khobaib’s data analysis played an instrumental role improving the company’s crowdsourcing software with the creation of a new platform that monitors the online impression a product makes. The framework will allow companies to involve their consumers in the process of designing and producing a product; ultimately achieving crowdsourcing and true prosumerism (the process of having consumers actively involved in the design of the goods and services of the marketplace).

“Mitacs Accelerate allows companies like ours to be aligned with someone very quickly who fits our exact research needs,” says Olivier Aubin, Senior Developer, at Chaordix. “Khobaib’s expertise in social networking and his understanding of users in the community meant he could devote his time entirely to applied research.”

For Khobaib, the Mitacs Accelerate experience has been priceless. “Working closely with a team putting theory intro practice has offered me a brand new perspective on my research. I’m able to verify and validate my work using new and practical measures.”


Mitacs thanks the Government of Canada and Alberta Innovates for their support of the Accelerate research internship in this story. Across Canada, the Accelerate program also receives support from the Government of British Columbia, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan and Research Manitoba.


Do you have a business challenge that could benefit from a research solution? If so, contact Mitacs today to discuss partnership opportunities: BD@mitacs.ca