Slideshow Transcript

1. Slide 1: Survey techniques The good, the bad, The UGLY
2. Slide 2: Background information • Brief introductory paragraph • Instructions – how to complete (if special instructions are needed) – by what date – for what reason
3. Slide 4: Variety and Sequence • Open ended (Qualitative)and closed (Quantitative) • Closed ended – various types • Create a mix of these – helps to balance the survey • Keep overall survey brief and to the point • Avoid lengthy questions
4. Slide 5: Survey Organization and Testing • Pay close attention to how respondents would react to questions – put yourself in their situation • Sections of the survey – Demographic (personal information) – Topics related to main topic? – Subtopics? • Pilot test (helpful with closed responses)
5. Slide 6: Layout • How does it look in the web browser? • Accessibility • Questions should be numbered • Individual question phrases – (Check all that apply) square/check mark – (Select only one item) round/bullet
6. Slide 7: Filter questions • Add a filter question to ‘weed’ out respondents with no knowledge of the question topic: – “if you answered NO to question 8, please skip to question 12” • “Letout” responses: – “don’t know” – “no opinion” – “not applicable”
7. Slide 8: Question Wording • Avoid ambiguity • Avoid advanced vocabulary • Avoid double-negatives • Avoid asking two questions in one: – Have you visited the library in the last month and did you check out items? – Yes ______ No _______ THERE IS NO WAY TO ACCURATELY ANSWER
8. Slide 9: Open ended questions • What do you like most about your library? • Avoid asking many – keep to one or two – Too time consuming to report – Too difficult to compare – Factor analysis • Looking for trends in verbiage of responses • Phrase tracking
9. Slide 10: Closed questions • Offer choices based upon current knowledge and pilot test of survey • Yes/No • Most important (check only one) • Rank order (1, 2, 3, etc.) complicated • Scales – odd vs. even number – Odd number allows “on the fence” responses and is this good or bad?
10. Slide 11: Closed numerical • Numerical responses should be reviewed carefully – “How many times did you visit the library last year?” What is wrong with this set of options? • _____ 0 • _____ 1-5 • _____ 5-10 • _____ 11-15 • _____ 15-21 • _____ More than 20 • _____ Don’t remember
11. Slide 12: Checklist of items to remember… 1. the overall size of the survey 2. the 'acceptable' number of questions 3. the use of sections to organize the survey 4. the appropriate mixture of question types 5. the instructions provided to the respondent: for the whole survey, for each section, and for each question 6. the background information needed to allow respondents to understand 7. the purpose of the survey