Writing about surveys and providing insight is easy for me because I’m getting hit by so many questions about things that shouldn’t be happening. Let’s start with a recent experience I’ve had, which is a basic research and survey NO, NO.
Survey #1
A group decides to implement a survey that will get at their membership’s needs and insights, resulting in plans that will improve the membership overall. A point person with more than 20 years of experience implementing research studies at a leading IT research and advisory firm implements the study. The leadership team reviews and approves the survey process and questionnaire and it is launched to the entire membership.
The data collection is going well and reminders are sent to help increase the response rate. Everything looks really good.
Survey #2 goes out
Wow, what is this? Another survey is sent out by someone very involved in the first survey and the goal of the second survey is listed as being one of the clearly stated goals of the first survey. So in the middle of the first survey, which has been reviewed, approved — about midway through data collection a second, unannounced, unapproved survey is sent from one of the leads on the first survey. What does this mean and what is the impact?
- Confusion: The recipients of the second survey will ask what’s happening?
- Duplication: A number of the questions are the same, why? Isn’t collecting the information once good enough?
- Disqualification: Was something wrong with the first survey? Why was a second survey conducted before the first one was even done?
- Lack of focus: Now everyone’s wondering what’s going on. It makes the entire effort seem pretty unfocused.
- Response confusion: Now the people receiving the second survey are not sure what they should be doing. Which one should they answer – the first or second?
- Decreased response rate: No one wants to answer one survey, let alone two!
Surveying 101- Don’t do this!
Don’t send a second survey while in the process of data collection for another! If you actually take the time to develop and send a survey, never, ever, for any reason, send a second survey until you have the results from your current survey. In addition, you should wait at least two to three months between surveys of a select population.
Upcoming topics:
Survey goals - What are you doing with your results, if anything?
Question formats
- What are you after with your question?
- The confusion of a combo question.
- What do you mean by that?
Question wording - the good, the bad and the really ugly
Tags: dissatisfaction, measure, membership, satisfied, strategic, survey, tactical