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This is the Survey Design chapter from The Survey System's Tutorial, revised May, 2009. It is
reproduced here as a service to the research community. Copyright 2009, Creative Research
Systems.
Knowing what the client wants is the key factor to success in any type of business. News media,
government agencies and political candidates need to know what the public thinks. Associations
need to know what their members want. Large companies need to measure the attitudes of their
employees. The best way to find this information is to conduct a survey.
This chapter is intended primarily for those who are new to survey research. It discusses options
and provides suggestions on how to design and conduct a successful survey project. It does not
provide instruction on using specific parts of The Survey System, although it mentions parts of
the program that can help you with certain tasks.
The Steps in a Survey Project
1. Establish the goals of the project - What you want to learn
2. Determine your sample - Whom you will interview
3. Choose interviewing methodology - How you will interview
4. Create your questionnaire - What you will ask
5. Pre-test the questionnaire, if practical - Test the questions
6. Conduct interviews and enter data - Ask the questions
7. Analyze the data - Produce the reports
This chapter covers the first five steps. The Survey System's Tutorial Chapters 1 and 2 cover
entering data and producing reports.
Establishing Goals
The first step in any survey is deciding what you want to learn. The goals of the project
determine whom you will survey and what you will ask them. If your goals are unclear, the
results will probably be unclear. Some typical goals include learning more about:
• The potential market for a new product or service
• Ratings of current products or services
• Employee attitudes
• Customer/patient satisfaction levels
• Reader/viewer/listener opinions
• Association member opinions
• Opinions about political candidates or issues
• Corporate images
These sample goals represent general areas. The more specific you can make your goals, the
easier it will be to get usable answers.
The consequences of a source of bias depend on the nature of the survey. For example, a survey
for a product aimed at retirees will not be as biased by daytime interviews as will a general