The type of question asked during a survey can and will be about a number of different things.
Here is a sample of the type of survey questions you can expect to be asked:
Business
Example: If you own a business, how many new employees did you hire this year?
Economic Issues
Example: In your opinion, should interest rates rise?
Education
Example: Are you currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution?
Elections
Example: Did you vote in the 2004 federal election?
Foreign Policy
Example: Do you think we should tighten cross-border security to Canada?
Government Institutions
Example: Do you think the FBI is an effective government agency?
Health Issues
Example: Are you concerned about obesity in young children?
International Affairs
Example: Does the fear of terrorism keep you from doing things?
News Media
Example: Does CNN provide a non-biased news perspective?
Personal Beliefs
Example: Do you consider yourself a follower of the Christian faith?
Social Issues
Example: Do you think marijuana has a negative effect on society?
Technology
Example: When shopping online, are you concerned about privacy issues?
[Marketing Research]Information about Survey Sampling
A population is an entire set of subjects
A sample is a group of people that represents a population.
There are two types of samples: good samples and bad samples.
Bad Samples
1.Voluntary Response Samples - sample has choice to respond to survey or not.
2.Convenience Samples - sample chosen based on convenience.
3.Biased Samples - sample chosen with ulterior motive.
Good Samples
1.Probability Samples - sample chosen by chance probability.
2.Simple Random Sample - equal chance of selection for sample. Can be done by labeling each member of population (ex. 001 - 100) and using a statistical table to select participants.
3.Systematic Random Samples - sample chosen by, for example, randomly selecting a number (let's say 3), so every 3rd person would be drawn.
4.Stratified Random Sample - sample chosen by dividing the population into groups (ex. by sex) and then doing a simple random sample on the group.
5.Cluster Sample - sample chosen from a segment of the population (ex. by election districts).
Problems with Sampling
1.Undercoverage - not enough sample participants for study
2.No response - response not high enough
3.Response bias - ex. participants can't remember what happened, and cannot therefore answer survey questions accurately.
4.Wording effect - can lead to misunderstanding question, which can also lead to bias.
Lurking Variables
Some survey-takers think that if they intentionally provide false and silly information during a survey, the final results will be skewed. This is untrue. If assessed properly, results that are "off the map" are simply labeled as "lurking variables" and because of their strong influence on x and y, they are simply not included in the final study results. Therefore by answering surveys honestly, your voice truly will be heard and the results of he study you participated in will help shape tomorrow.
A sample is a group of people that represents a population.
There are two types of samples: good samples and bad samples.
Bad Samples
1.Voluntary Response Samples - sample has choice to respond to survey or not.
2.Convenience Samples - sample chosen based on convenience.
3.Biased Samples - sample chosen with ulterior motive.
Good Samples
1.Probability Samples - sample chosen by chance probability.
2.Simple Random Sample - equal chance of selection for sample. Can be done by labeling each member of population (ex. 001 - 100) and using a statistical table to select participants.
3.Systematic Random Samples - sample chosen by, for example, randomly selecting a number (let's say 3), so every 3rd person would be drawn.
4.Stratified Random Sample - sample chosen by dividing the population into groups (ex. by sex) and then doing a simple random sample on the group.
5.Cluster Sample - sample chosen from a segment of the population (ex. by election districts).
Problems with Sampling
1.Undercoverage - not enough sample participants for study
2.No response - response not high enough
3.Response bias - ex. participants can't remember what happened, and cannot therefore answer survey questions accurately.
4.Wording effect - can lead to misunderstanding question, which can also lead to bias.
Lurking Variables
Some survey-takers think that if they intentionally provide false and silly information during a survey, the final results will be skewed. This is untrue. If assessed properly, results that are "off the map" are simply labeled as "lurking variables" and because of their strong influence on x and y, they are simply not included in the final study results. Therefore by answering surveys honestly, your voice truly will be heard and the results of he study you participated in will help shape tomorrow.
[Marketing Research]23 Advantages of Online Surveys
1.Multimedia advantage - pictures, audio, video, and simulated shopping can all be incorporated
2.Higher response rates versus other surveying methods (such as through direct mailings)
3.Statistical compilation is often in real time - survey results can be monitored throughout the time the survey is online
4.Fast - final reporting results are delivered within a few days versus weeks
5.Online surveys eliminate interviewer bias or error - the survey is delivered in exactly the same manner in all instances for all panellists
6.Quality of final data is higher - this is due to convenience for panellists, the ability to re-read questions, etc.
7.Time constraints for panelists eliminated - a user can take as much time needed to fully complete the survey
8.Easily survey consumers worldwide - geographic location of panellists does not impact the efficiency nor quality of the research data
9.Paid surveys allow for longer and more detailed information gathering versus surveying methods such as non-incentivized telephone surveys
10.Online surveys are taken at a convenient time for the respondent, not market research company
11.Most types of studies can easily be conducted online, including employee satisfaction surveys, company satisfaction monitoring, brand name evaluation, advertising research, competitive analysis, etc.
12.Top-level internet security and encryption protect panellist data
13.Privacy protection - respondents remain anonymous; privacy and confidentiality are protected
14.Online surveys are a non-interruption surveying method. Panelist receives an e-mail notification for an online surveys, after they have agreed to such notifications from the online market research company
15.Help desks which offer live assistance, can provide needed customer support for panellists during a survey
16.Online survey methods are increasing rapidly in use, versus telephone surveys which have a dramatically declining response rate
17.Data compilation is efficient - household information is easily stored and maintained
18.Large majority of North Americans have internet access, which makes for an accurate household representation
19.Speciality online panels of professionals such as technology specialists, healthcare personnel, and youth, make targeted groups of demographics easy to survey
20.Online surveys, because of their efficiency, reduce the time to market for new products and services, potentially meaning more money for the companies hiring the market research firms to conduct research on their behalf
21.Millions of North Americans are registered members of market research companies, meaning access to an accurate population sample in a variety of demographics
22.Cost is lower than other survey methods. Internet panel survey costs are often only a couple dollars each, versus $20 for telephone surveys
23.With a societal trend for having everything "online" and digitized, internet research panels truly are part of the wave of the future
2.Higher response rates versus other surveying methods (such as through direct mailings)
3.Statistical compilation is often in real time - survey results can be monitored throughout the time the survey is online
4.Fast - final reporting results are delivered within a few days versus weeks
5.Online surveys eliminate interviewer bias or error - the survey is delivered in exactly the same manner in all instances for all panellists
6.Quality of final data is higher - this is due to convenience for panellists, the ability to re-read questions, etc.
7.Time constraints for panelists eliminated - a user can take as much time needed to fully complete the survey
8.Easily survey consumers worldwide - geographic location of panellists does not impact the efficiency nor quality of the research data
9.Paid surveys allow for longer and more detailed information gathering versus surveying methods such as non-incentivized telephone surveys
10.Online surveys are taken at a convenient time for the respondent, not market research company
11.Most types of studies can easily be conducted online, including employee satisfaction surveys, company satisfaction monitoring, brand name evaluation, advertising research, competitive analysis, etc.
12.Top-level internet security and encryption protect panellist data
13.Privacy protection - respondents remain anonymous; privacy and confidentiality are protected
14.Online surveys are a non-interruption surveying method. Panelist receives an e-mail notification for an online surveys, after they have agreed to such notifications from the online market research company
15.Help desks which offer live assistance, can provide needed customer support for panellists during a survey
16.Online survey methods are increasing rapidly in use, versus telephone surveys which have a dramatically declining response rate
17.Data compilation is efficient - household information is easily stored and maintained
18.Large majority of North Americans have internet access, which makes for an accurate household representation
19.Speciality online panels of professionals such as technology specialists, healthcare personnel, and youth, make targeted groups of demographics easy to survey
20.Online surveys, because of their efficiency, reduce the time to market for new products and services, potentially meaning more money for the companies hiring the market research firms to conduct research on their behalf
21.Millions of North Americans are registered members of market research companies, meaning access to an accurate population sample in a variety of demographics
22.Cost is lower than other survey methods. Internet panel survey costs are often only a couple dollars each, versus $20 for telephone surveys
23.With a societal trend for having everything "online" and digitized, internet research panels truly are part of the wave of the future
[Marketing Research]Market Research Reduces Risk
Market research plays a very important and prominent role in marketing. By assessing the needs and wants of consumers, organizations obtain information about their target market, which allows them to target goods and services more effectively. By seeking both marketing problems and opportunities, market research can point marketers in the right direction.
Becoming educated and learning more about their target market answers many questions.
Although the answers market research provides are not necessarily 100% accurate, it reduces the marketers' risk. Think about it: would you want to introduce a new toy to children without having the slightest clue what their reaction will be? By surveying these children, you would obtain a general feel for their attitudes towards the toy, and by asking the correct questions, you could also discover modifications and improvements.
Market research is simply a supplement used in marketing procedures. It isn't practical to survey groups everytime a difficulty or question arises, but instead, it educates the marketer into making better marketing decisions.
By being a part of an online survey, one can then see how survey participants directly influence the products and services of tomorrow. Survey results are taken very seriously by marketers so voice your opinion today!
[Marketing Research]Determining Sample Size for Online Surveys
How to determine sample size for online surveys varies hugely.
Factors on this decision include budget constraints, sample availability, time available, etc. Obviously a sample of 1000 individuals will produce more accurate survey results versus a sample of only 100 people. This is simply because generally, a larger group of people will more accurately reflect the attitudes of an even larger group, simply because there is more individual variety, and this therefore will yield a larger variance in answers.
Now, admittedly this is a general and over-simplified answer. Complicated statistics on sample sizes, confidence intervals, and statistical validity on how all of these relate would better explain how this all works.
A similar question was posted on Infosurv's website, and the following response was provided:
"To achieve statistically valid results, we recommend that a statistically significant sample of n=400 completed surveys be obtained for online market research surveys. This will provide statistical validity at the 95% confidence level with +/- 5% confidence interval. For clients on a tighter budget, we sometimes recommend a sample of n=200 completed surveys which provides statistical validity at the 95% confidence level with +/- 7% confidence interval. In any event, a reliable sample source is very important, as is an unbiased random sampling methodology." http://www.infosurv.com/blog/2005/01/market-research-survey-questions.html#comments
"n" in this case simply represents the number of people comprising the sample.
As you can see then, there needs to be a decent sized sample in order to eliminate as much bias as possible. This does not mean that it is necessary to conduct a survey with 100,000 participants in order to get accurate answers.
What does this mean for you? When there is a chance to win cash or product as a survey participant, keep in mind that your chances of winning are decent. The chances of winning the jackpot in a national lottery are usually more than 1 in 10,000,000, and you must purchase a ticket, which involves a cost. You could very well be offered a chance to win a plasma tv worth $5000 for 15 minutes of your time, when there are only a few hundred other participants. What are you waiting for?
Factors on this decision include budget constraints, sample availability, time available, etc. Obviously a sample of 1000 individuals will produce more accurate survey results versus a sample of only 100 people. This is simply because generally, a larger group of people will more accurately reflect the attitudes of an even larger group, simply because there is more individual variety, and this therefore will yield a larger variance in answers.
Now, admittedly this is a general and over-simplified answer. Complicated statistics on sample sizes, confidence intervals, and statistical validity on how all of these relate would better explain how this all works.
A similar question was posted on Infosurv's website, and the following response was provided:
"To achieve statistically valid results, we recommend that a statistically significant sample of n=400 completed surveys be obtained for online market research surveys. This will provide statistical validity at the 95% confidence level with +/- 5% confidence interval. For clients on a tighter budget, we sometimes recommend a sample of n=200 completed surveys which provides statistical validity at the 95% confidence level with +/- 7% confidence interval. In any event, a reliable sample source is very important, as is an unbiased random sampling methodology." http://www.infosurv.com/blog/2005/01/market-research-survey-questions.html#comments
"n" in this case simply represents the number of people comprising the sample.
As you can see then, there needs to be a decent sized sample in order to eliminate as much bias as possible. This does not mean that it is necessary to conduct a survey with 100,000 participants in order to get accurate answers.
What does this mean for you? When there is a chance to win cash or product as a survey participant, keep in mind that your chances of winning are decent. The chances of winning the jackpot in a national lottery are usually more than 1 in 10,000,000, and you must purchase a ticket, which involves a cost. You could very well be offered a chance to win a plasma tv worth $5000 for 15 minutes of your time, when there are only a few hundred other participants. What are you waiting for?
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