Surveys: Is What You See What You Get?

Filling out a community survey

by Michael B. Perini, ABC
perini & associates

One of the best ways to find out what the public thinks,  the attitudes of employees, clients’ requirements or what association members want is to conduct a survey.

For communities needing decision-oriented information, surveys also provide an excellent way of checking the pulse of the community and getting specific information from a cross-section of residents quickly.

But here’s the rub:  how you plan to use the information once gathered should inform the decisions you make in designing, conducting, and analyzing the survey, as well as presenting its findings.

I have found that too little time is spent on this critical first step.  In other words, the remaining elements of conducting a survey build from this initial action. So, my recommendation to you is to to seriously spend time on this crucial element.

The framework for organizing a survey is varied.  Specific methods range from face-to-face, telephone, electronic (web or email) printed mail and drop-off and pick-up. All of these methods have pros and cons.  For example,  the ability to let the interviewee see, feel and/or taste a product is an advantage of the personal interview.  However, personal interviews ususally cost more per interview than other methods.

Surveying by telephone is the most popular method in the nation. Might be because 96% of us have a phone!   However, many telemarketers have given legitimate research a bad name by claiming to be doing research when they start a sales call.

Web surveys are rapidly gaining popularity.  They have major speed, cost and flexibility advantages.  However, current use of the internet is far from universal.  Internet surveys do not reflect the population as a whole.

A survey project should not be left to the weak at heart.  There needs to be a commitment to the survey process and time must be taken to ensure the quality of the process. Remember:  the goal you seek,  when findings are presented, is  a valid survey.   We are not talking about simply clicking a button, as in facebook’s “like” key, when  conducting a comprehensive survey.  In other words, you want at least a 95% or higher confidence level.

To foot stomp: persons using the survey instrument  to gather information for the first time should consult an expert to assist in developing the survey design, writing questions, and planning the most appropriate strategies.

Here is a sample of survey questions from a TV show that might surprise you (answers at end):

1. An animal you cannot fit into a Mini car.

2. A food that has one or more holes in it .

3. Something made of wool.

4. A part of the body beginning with N.

5. A bad place to fall asleep.

6. A French ferry port.

7. Something you mount.

8. Something you lose when you get older.

9. A sport which involves throwing something.

10. Something that makes you close your eyes.

Some of the TV survey answers are actually very witty and some result from slightly mis-hearing or misunderstanding the question.  Another caution to be mindful of when conducting a survey. If these questions were designed to judge how carefully the viewing public reads and interprets questions, this survey really hit the mark.  If, for example, it was a survey of general or common knowledge, it definitely missed the mark.

(1. Mouse; 2.Spaghetti; 3. Cotton wool; 4. Knee; 5.Concrete; 6.Dover; 7. A mountain; 8. Your purse; 9. Tennis; 10. Dark)

Finally, what would you like to survey and why?  Drop me a post!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at 5:58 am and is filed under Advice and Counsel, Random Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.