Surveys are questionnaires with a series of questions centred around a particular topic; they are probably the first tool for market research that most of us think of. Their main use is to easily collect large volumes of quantitative data, though they can also collect some qualitative data.

Surveys are widely used in quantitative research for a variety of reasons. Firstly, they are a great way to collect a large amount of data from a large number of respondents at a relatively low cost, especially when compared to other qualitative methods like focus groups or informational interviews. Secondly, surveys can be administered in-person, online, or by mail. Thirdly, mailed and telephone surveys are less common than online surveys because fewer people find the motivation to fill out a survey and mail it in. Finally, a lot of cell phone numbers are unlisted, which makes it especially difficult to ensure that phone surveys reach a wide sample of the target population, especially those who do not have land lines.

Nowadays, a lot of surveys are made using online, subscription-based software programs like Qualtrics and SurveyMonkey, which are relatively inexpensive to use. These programs are specifically made for conducting online surveys and have robust features like question banks, skip-logic, and screener questions, as well as analytics that make it fairly easy to review both aggregated and individual responses. Some smaller organizations will create an online survey using free tools like Microsoft or Google forms. To set up some in-person interviews, you might need to budget for gas to drive around the province, other travel expenses like meals and lodging while on the road, and the time it takes to drive to and speak with each individual. As a result, surveys are relatively cost-effective.

Survey research also tends to be a reliable method of inquiry because surveys are standardized, in that the same questions, phrased exactly the same way, are posed to respondents. Other methods, like qualitative interviewing, do not offer the same consistency that a quantitative survey offers. This is not to say that all surveys are always reliable; a poorly phrased question can cause respondents to interpret its meaning differently, which can reduce that question’s reliability. The benefit of cost effectiveness is related to the survey’s potential for generalizability. Because surveys allow researchers to collect data from very large samples for a relatively low cost, survey methods lend themselves to probability sampling techniques.

Surveys are a popular method for gathering primary data because of their versatility. They allow the researcher to ask the same set of questions of a large number of respondents. The number of completed surveys divided by the total number of surveys attempted yields the response rate. Surveys can gather a wide range of data, both quantitative and qualitative. The questions can be simple yes/no questions, select all that apply questions, questions on a scale, or a variety of open-ended questions.

Steps to creating a survey

Although it can be fairly simple to draft some questions and put them into a software program, there are a series of steps, when followed, will contribute to a survey that directly addresses the market research decision problem. These steps are adapted from Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s “Good Practices in Survey Design Step-by-Step”, (OECD, 2012).

Step 1: Define survey objectives and target group

• Define the objectives
• Define the final use of the results
• Ensure a perception survey is the adequate tool
• Define target group(s)

Step 2: Draft survey questions

• Set up discussions with members of a target group to identify key issues
• Translate those into questions and answer categories
• Draft simple and clear questions
• Keep the questionnaire short to maximize response rate and concentration
• Ensure respondents have the opportunity to report problems

Step 3: Pilot and re-adjusting the questionnaire

• Test the survey on a smaller-scale target group to identify weaknesses in the survey design
• Possibly ask volunteers to think aloud while answering questions and analyse what motivated their answers
• Adjust questionnaire if needed
  

  Step 4: Select respondents and the data collection method

• Select a sample either by random sampling or other methods
• Ensure that the sample size allows to draw valid conclusions from the results
• Choose the data collection method (mailed, email, in person or phone)
• Maximize response rate through appropriate data collection method
  

  Step 5: Run the survey

• Ensure high response-rate through follow-up
• Use trained interviewers (if doing an in-person or telephone survey) to avoid unintentional influence on responses
  

  Step 6: Analyze the results

• Interpret results as perceptions rather than facts
• Take into account the response rate, as a low rate means that no general conclusions can be drawn
• Take into consideration the number and the way respondents have been selected in the result analysis
• Understand how results were reached is essential to draw conclusions
• Attach documentation regarding Steps 1-6 to results and interpret results in combination with other data sources

References

DeCarlo, M. (2018). Strengths and weaknesses of survey research. In Scientific inquiry in social work. essay, Open Social Work Education. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

OECD (2012), “Good Practices in Survey Design Step-by-Step”, in Measuring Regulatory Performance: A Practitioner’s Guide to Perception Surveys, OECD Publishing, Paris.