Participant/sample records usually start in the FRESH queue, move to the ACTIVE queue (when being used in an interview), and then move to another queue (such as COMPLETED or TIMED_OUT) when the respondent finishes the interview. The same record can be later restarted, and again become ACTIVE.

Records should be in the ACTIVE queue only when an interview is occurring. However, participant/sample records can sometimes remain in the ACTIVE queue when Microsoft Internet Information Services, or one of the UNICOM Intelligence services, stops unexpectedly. These records cannot be restarted by web respondents and can be retrieved by phone interviewers only when the participant identifier is known, making these records unusable.

Two Microsoft SQL stored procedures are used to identify records that erroneously remain in the ACTIVE queue, and move them to another queue. The stored procedures can be run manually or scheduled. The stored procedures support an initial verification phase where the ACTIVE records are manually verified, and also support manual movement of the records.