2022_cohort_study
The difference between Unstable site and Stable site of Japanese detective agencies in 2018-2022 prospective cohort study.
The first author: Bunsekiya (means “Analyst” in English)
Aim: Get “tips” on how to accurately choose a more reliable detective agency from the official websites.
Background: The detective industry is difficult to obtain information due to its high confidentiality, and clients often relies on the official website. Especially in Japan, however there are notification number of detective agencies, which is mandented in 2007, the deteitive industry seems to be behind the developed world (e.g. U.S.A. and UK) in terms of public trust, training system and legal development. There may be “doubts” about the authenticity of the official website. In fact, there are many complaints and troubles conculted to consumer service center regarding the detective industry. Choosing a reliable detective agency is difficult in Japan. On the other hand, it is also a fact that the information obtained from the official website is important.
Methods: The “Google search” was done using two words “detective agency” and “prefecture name” in japanese in 2018 (baseline). In this site, the local detective agencies were introduced based on that top 100 Google search ranking in each of 47 japanese prefectures. After excluding “major” detective agencies and the detective agencies with menbership of two international detective associations (W.A.D and C.I.I) because of high reliability, the “local” detective agencies were included to the analyze. Because deciding the standard of “major detective agencies” is difficult, the classification of major and local (minor) detective agencies would not be absolute but relative. Therefore, “local” means just “not major”, and local detective agencies could have some branches office in other prefectures. The location of head office of detective agencies were counted. Then, prospective cohort study was done. Observation period is about 3 years that from 2018 (Sep. – Nov.) to 2022 (Jan. – Mar.). Objective variable were “unstable situation”, which include the URL that is not working well or critical change of company name. Next, “stability-related elements”, which include 8 elements (menbership of reliable association [Zenkoku chosagyou kyodo kumiai and Nihon chosagyou kyokai, which were introduced by “Kokumin Seikatsu Center”, which is japanese goverment-related organizations], missing notification number, recently accepted notification number, missing representative name, few information, using strong words or critisism, ambiguous name of agency, and stopping update of the site), were invented for the analysis. Chi-square tests were done for two group (Unstable Group and Stable Group).
Results: The number of Unstable Group and Stable Group was 93 and 311 (total 404). The unstable situation included the URL that is not working well (N=69) and critical change of company name (N=24). There were significant differences with menbership of reliable association (<0.01), missing notification number (<0.01), missing representative name (<0.01), few information (<0.01), and ambiguous name of agency (<0.01). There were no significant difference with recently accepted number (ns), using strong words (ns), and stopping update of the site (ns).
Discussion: In the first place, if there will be some probles with the official site after 3 years, it may not be related with the probability of success of the request to the detective agency “at that time”. However, being continuously managed is “proof of trust” in any industry. In the summary, we should check the menmbership of which detective assosiacions, notification numbers easy to find, representatative name easy to find, enough information, and descriptive name (easy to identify) of detective agency. Although there were no significant differences, the ratio of detective agency with recently accepted number and using strong words were higher in Unstable Group.
Because official website domain expiration date could be extended wheher or not the detective agency is working, there may be bigger effects of these “stability-related elements”. In addition, stopping update of the site may mean “site closure in the future”.
Conclusion: In order to accurately choose a more reliable detective agency from the official websites information, we should concern about menbership of reliable association, missing notification number, missing representative name, few information, and ambiguous name of agency. Although there was no significant difference, we should also concern about recently accepted number, using strong words, and stopping update of the site.
| Table1. The difference between Unstable site and Stable site of Japanese detective. |
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| No | Stability- related elements |
Unstable Group (N=93)* |
Stable Group (N=311)** |
p(chi- square test)*** |
| 1 | Membership of Reliable association |
7 (7.5) | 74 (23.8) | <0.01 |
| 2 | Missing notification number |
27 (29) | 17 (5.5) | <0.01 |
| 3 | Recently accepted number |
14 (21.2) | 45 (15.3) | ns |
| 4 | Missing representatie name |
21 (22.6) | 22 (7.1) | <0.01 |
| 5 | Few infomation |
44 (47.3) | 77 (24.8) | <0.01 |
| 6 | Using strong words |
11 (11.8) | 26 (8.4) | ns |
| 7 | Ambiguous name of agency |
13 (14) | 14 (4.5) | <0.01 |
| 8 | Stopping update of the site |
2 (2.2) | 8 (2.6) | ns |
*The URL that is not working well (N=69) and critical change of company name (N=24).
**Observation period is from 2018 (Sep. – Nov.) to 2022 (Jan. – Mar.).
***Using Yates’correction and BH method.
No.1: Two relatively reliable detective associations (Zenkoku chosagyou kyodo kumiai and Nihon chosagyou kyokai) introduced by “Kokumin Seikatsu Center” ,which is japanese goverment associations. Apparently “major” japanese detective agencies and the detective agencies with menbership of two international detective associations (W.A.D and C.I.I) were excluded in advance because of high reliability. The detective agencies with no official site in baseline were also excluded.
No.2: Detective agencies with which notification number could not be found in baseline,
in other words “too hard to find”, which does not necessarily mean notification number is not exist.
No.3: Detective agency notification number was accepted in 2017 or 2018,
which means recently accepted number in baseline.
No.4: The representative name could not be found in baseline.
No.5: There were few information about the detective agency.
No.6: There were “strong” words (e.g. the most, no.1, and critisism to other detective agencies, e.t.c.) in the site.
No.7: The name of detective agency was seems to be obscure and ambiguous (e.g. only using prefecture name, “Japan”, e.t.c.)
No.8: Apparently the update of information of detective agency site was stopped.
| Table2: The count of local detective agencies introduced in this site each of 47 japanese prefectures based on the top 100 Google search ranking. |
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| No | Pref. | Unsta- ble Group (N=93) * |
Stable Group (N=311) ** |
No | Pref. | Unsta- ble Group (N=93) * |
Stable Group (N=311) ** |
| 10 | hokkaido | 4 (28.6) | 10 (71.4) | 60 | shiga | 1 (33.3) | 2 (66.7) |
| 20 | aomori | 2 (28.6) | 5 (71.4) | 61 | kyoto | 2 (50) | 2 (50) |
| 21 | iwate | 0 (0) | 3 (100) | 62 | osaka | 3 (13.6) | 19 (86.4) |
| 22 | miyagi | 5 (35.7) | 9 (64.3) | 63 | hyogo | 1 (8.3) | 11 (91.7) |
| 23 | akita | 1 (33.3) | 2 (66.7) | 64 | nara | 4 (57.1) | 3 (42.9) |
| 24 | yamagata | 1 (50) | 1 (50) | 65 | wakayama | 2 (40) | 3 (60) |
| 25 | fukushima | 3 (33.3) | 6 (66.7) | 70 | tottori | 0 (0) | 2 (100) |
| 30 | tokyo | 11 (26.8) | 30 (73.2) | 71 | shimane | 0 (0) | 1 (100) |
| 40 | ibaraki | 2 (33.3) | 4 (66.7) | 72 | okayama | 3 (33.3) | 6 (66.7) |
| 41 | tochigi | 2 (18.2) | 9 (81.8) | 73 | hiroshima | 3 (37.5) | 5 (62.5) |
| 42 | gunma | 3 (33.3) | 6 (66.7) | 74 | yamaguchi | 0 (0) | 5 (100) |
| 43 | saitama | 2 (22.2) | 7 (77.8) | 80 | tokushima | 0 (0) | 1 (100) |
| 44 | chiba | 3 (25) | 9 (75) | 81 | kagawa | 1 (16.7) | 5 (83.3) |
| 45 | kanagawa | 2 (16.7) | 10 (83.3) | 82 | ehime | 2 (66.7) | 1 (33.3) |
| 46 | niigata | 1 (11.1) | 8 (88.9) | 83 | kochi | 0 (0) | 3 (100) |
| 47 | yamanashi | 0 (none) | 0 (none) | 90 | fukuoka | 6 (20) | 24 (80) |
| 48 | nagano | 2 (66.7) | 1 (33.3) | 91 | saga | 0 (0) | 2 (100) |
| 49 | shizuoka | 1 (7.1) | 13 (92.9) | 92 | nagasaki | 2 (50) | 2 (50) |
| 50 | toyama | 0 (0) | 3 (100) | 93 | kumamoto | 2 (25) | 6 (75) |
| 51 | ishikawa | 2 (15.4) | 11 (84.6) | 94 | oita | 0 (0) | 4 (100) |
| 52 | fukui | 4 (44.4) | 5 (55.6) | 95 | miyazaki | 4 (44.4) | 5 (55.6) |
| 53 | gifu | 0 (0) | 10 (100) | 96 | kagoshima | 1 (33.3) | 2 (66.7) |
| 54 | aichi | 3 (12.5) | 21 (87.5) | 97 | okinawa | 0 (0) | 10 (100) |
| 55 | mie | 2 (33.3) | 4 (66.7) | All | All | 93 (23) | 311 (77) |
*Unstable Group includes detective agencies with the URL which is not working well (N=69) or critical change of company name (N=24).**Observation period is about 3 years that from 2018 (Sep. – Nov.) to 2022 (Jan. – Mar.).***Because desiding the standard of “major detective agencies” is difficult, the classification of major and local (minor) detective agencies would not be absolute but relative. Therefore, “local” means just “not major”, and local detective agencies could have some branches office in other prefectures. The location of head office of detective agencies were counted.****Google search was done using two words “detective agency” and “prefecture name” in japanese.
This article was written by Bunsekiya in 2022.