Research Objectives

Prior to starting any Survey Research project, it is useful to take into consideration all the objectives that you or your team might have and clarify which objective(s) are most important. "Planning should begin with a clear definition of objectives. Is this an exploratory study? Is the purpose to define and test the quantitative hypotheses? Will the evaluation report be used by decision makers to decide whether the projects should continue or be replicated on a much larger scale?" (Bamberger, Mabry & Rugh, 2006).

In general, attempting to define a "clear" objective might sound easy. However, it is not! There are many factors to take into consideration. For example, there must be a clear connection between the overall research objective and the questions that you're wanting to ask. "One of the hardest tasks for methodologists is to induce researchers, people who want to collect data, to define their objectives. The difference between a question objective and the question itself is a critical distinction. The objective defines the kind of information that is needed" (Cosenza & Fowler, 2009).

Once you have considered all of the Survey Research objectives and have defined a clear direction, the next move is to define a game plan to achieve success. Palys (2003) suggests "...research design involves stating a game plan through which one can gather information that addresses ones' research purpose in a simple, elegant, and systematic way. Like any game plan, research designs embody and reflect everything from very general considerations... to very specific decisions regarding who, what, when, where and how."

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Survey Methodology

There are many important factors to take into consideration with Survey Methodology. One aspect is to develop a suitable sample group from a target population. In general, a sample group can help increase validity while decreasing measurement errors or processing errors. According to Best & Harrison (2009), "decisions about the methods used to conduct surveys online hinge on whether the objective is to collect information for an existing sample or to recruit participants for study as well"

Once you have a suitable sample group, it is important to decide on the type of Survey Methodology you're going to employ. Quantitative research methodology is a commonly used technique for question design and is also referred to as closed-ended questions. "Quantitative research seeks to quantify, or reflect with numbers, observations about human behaviour. It emphasizes precise measurement, the testing of hypotheses based on a sample of observations, and a statistical analysis of the data" (Jackson, 2002)

Qualitative research methodology is another commonly used technique for question design. It is also referred to as open-ended questions and is notably quite different from Quantitative research methodology. In general, one can use Qualitative research methodology to understand human behaviours, such as teen smoking habits and the reasons behind such decisional behaviour. Johnston & Vanderstoep (2009) state, "qualitative research focuses on the constructed reality of the research participants. It differs from quantitative research in its purpose, focus, methods, and criteria for truth"

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Survey Ethics

Ethical considerations must be at the forefront of any Survey Research project. Gaining consent from your sample group, also known as respondents, is an important step. Kent (2000) suggests "...researchers have an obligation to do their best to ensure that the size and nature of the commitment is as clear as possible to the people who are giving up their time and effort to help"

Normally, a researcher will divulge important information about the Survey Research project. For example, a brief introduction that includes respondent participation is required. "Informed consent involves giving participants comprehensive and correct information about a research study, and ensuring that they understand fully what participation would entail, before securing their consent to take part. It is the key issue to be addressed anew when creating a framework for ethical online research practice" (Mann & Stewart, 2000).

Another important aspect of the consent form is that it should clearly define anonymity and the ability to withdraw participation. In some cases, respondents might feel vulnerable by the type of questions being asked of them. According to Mathison (2005), "informed consent is based on the principles of respect and autonomy. Individuals have the right to choose whether to participate in a study and may discontinue their participation at any time"

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Survey Layout

A forgotten aspect of survey or questionnaire design is the "look and feel". According to Bradburn and Sudman (1983), "while clarity is important in all questionnaires, the appearance of the questionnaire can have an important effect on cooperation...the general rule is that the questionnaire should look as easy as possible to the respondent and should make the respondent feel that the questionnaire has been professionally designed"

Sometimes, a researcher is so concerned with survey objectives, methodology and question design, that they overlook layout. "The format of a survey is an important factor in gaining the cooperation of respondent, analyzing responses, and interpreting the findings. If a survey is to be self-administered, the layout must be attractive, uncluttered and easy to use" (Cary & Pasovac, 2007).

A professional look to your survey or questionnaire can really make a respondents life a lot easier and they will be more motivated to answer all the questions. Payls (2003) asserts "...if your questionnaire is not well laid out, seems difficult to follow, has too many open-ended questions, and is big enough that it looks like it will take a sizable chunk of time to complete - only the most motivated of respondents will complete the questionnaire..."

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Survey Design

Creating effective questions that align to the overall research objectives can sometimes lead researchers down the path of using sophisticated language. A general rule is to keep it simple, regardless if you choose open-ended or closed-ended question types. "Must questions be written in standard English? Yes, almost always, but not necessarily standard written English or grammar teacher's special tongue. The standard may be spoken English, for indeed in the face-to-face and telephone, these questions will be spoken by an interviewer" (Converse & Presser, 1986)

Another aspect to designing Survey Question types is that you must have an organized plan for question placement, so respondents can follow an easy process and feel good about divulging their full story. According to Berg (2007), "the specific ordering (sequencing), phrasing, level of language, adherence to subject matter, and general style of questions depends on the educational and social level of the subjects as well as their ethnic or cultural traits, age, and so forth".

In general, most researchers will use an open-ended question type, where they want a respondent to fully express an opinion or a closed-end question type, where they want a respondent to choose from a carefully designed list of fixed alternatives. Both question types are very useful depending on the research goals. "Closed-ended questions can take a number of different forms. The simplest type of fixed alternative (dichotomous questions) requires a choice between two options, such as yes or no. Multiple choice questions provide respondents with a range of alternatives" (Polit & Hungler, 1999).

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Survey Testing

Pilot testing your survey questions is a very important process in Survey Research. The opportunity to test the questions, ordering, wording, etc... with a small group can really enhance your overall research with the larger group. Lietz (2009) states "...questions should employ the active rather than the passive voice, repeat nouns instead of using pronouns and avoid possessive forms. In this way, cognitive demands on respondents are minimised and mental capacity is freed up in order to think about a response.

It is essential to understand that most respondents can interpret your questions in different ways. Focus on drafting specific terminology versus general terminology to avoid ambiguity, especially with closed ended question types. Bernard (2000) asserts "be unambiguous. If respondents can interpret a question differently from the meaning you have in mind, they will. In my view, this is the source of most response error in closed-ended questionnaires"

In general, it is inappropriate to word questions in a biased manner. Respondents may take longer to decipher the question, make mistakes in answering the question and might be led down a path that is not desirable. "Make the stem of the question unbiased. Researchers should avoid cuing respondents that one answer is seen as more desirable than another or leading respondents toward a particular way of thinking" (Johnston & Vanderstoep, 2009).

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Survey Response

Setting up clear start and close dates for the Survey Research project is paramount. It gives your respondents a time horizon in which they can complete the survey and the opportunity for the researcher to have strategic follow-up. Response rates seems to be a hot button topic, so here we provide a review of the most recently published literature:

"What the profession has learned over the last 10 years or so is that having a high response rate doesn't mean your results are free from non-response error (or any kind of bias) and having a low response rate doesn't mean your research has errors" (Chadwick, Chakrapani, Glaser & Shearer, 2008).

"The underlying industry assumption is that a better survey experience will lead to an engaged respondent, and engaged respondents are more likely to complete more surveys in the future" (Dayan, Johnson & Mills, 2008).

"The argument is that using PNA (I prefer not to answer) allows respondents to continue in a forced answer environment, which may alleviate any frustration and provides respondents with a greater sense of control, resulting in higher completion rates, and, thus, reduced nonresponse error". (Gerald, Roster, Rossiter, Smith & Wiley, 2010).

"With increasing use of the Internet, researchers need to understand the differences, implications, benefits and costs of collecting data with web surveys versus traditional mail instruments" (Orr, Sherony, & Steinhaus (2007).

"We believe that one possible solution to improve response rates lies in optimising upfront 'communication' when the respondents are invited to the survey. Getting the respondent to click on the survey link in the invitation email is one of the most critical points in the research process" (Martin & Moskowitz, 2007).

"One reason for the wide variation in response rates on Internet surveys is because of the use of varying methods to contact and encourage response to Internet surveys, with varying degrees of success" (Maronick, 2009).

"...through examination of the literature, we found that response rates are directly correlated to the study design and sampling frame" (Ngwakondgnwi, Quan, Sykes & Walker, 2010)

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