Exploring Survey: What's Exactly, Why Important and How to Conduct + Much More to Understand !!

Abstract:

A survey can refer to a survey report, which is a document that presents the results of a survey in a full and objective manner. A survey summary can also refer to the process of creating summaries from survey responses. 

 

Here are some things to know about surveys and survey summaries: 

 

Purpose

Surveys are a way to gather information from a sample of people to understand a larger population. They can be used to gain insights about products, services, or brands. 

 

Uses

Surveys can be used by businesses, media, government, and academics. The data collected from surveys can be used to improve customer experiences, understand buyer behavior, and boost employee engagement. 

 

Survey report

A survey report includes information such as completion rates, the number of responses, the date of the last response, and a breakdown of answers per respondent. 

 

Survey summary from responses

In Salesforce, users can create summaries from survey responses by following a series of steps, including searching for and selecting Industries AI Setup, clicking New Use Case Configuration, and selecting Survey Response Summaries as the Configuration Type. 

Keywords:

Survey, Survey Questionnaire, Survey Methods, Survey Research, Likert Scale, Open Ended Questions.

Learning Outcomes

After undergoing this article you will be able to understand the following 

Definition of Survey :

A survey is a method of gathering information from a sample of people to understand a larger population. Surveys use a set of questions to collect data that can be used to gain insights about a product, service, or brand. 

 

Surveys can be used by a variety of organizations, including businesses, media, government, and academics. They can provide valuable information to help inform business and product decisions. 

 

Some different types of surveys include:

Online surveys: A survey that is conducted online

Face-to-face surveys: A survey that is conducted in person

Phone surveys: A survey that is conducted over the phone

Mail surveys: A survey that is sent by mail

Kiosk surveys: A survey that is conducted at a kiosk

Paper surveys: A survey that is conducted using paper 

Importance of survey 

Surveys are an important research method because they can provide reliable data that helps inform business decisions. Surveys can be used to: 

 

Gather data

Surveys can provide a wide range of information, including opinions, insights, and numerical data. 

 

Analyze data

Surveys can be analyzed to identify patterns, trends, and correlations. 

 

Make decisions

Surveys can help businesses make data-driven decisions by providing insights into what their customers want and need. 

 

Explore new areas

Surveys can help researchers explore new areas of study or describe characteristics of a population. 

 

Understand motivations

Surveys can help businesses understand their target population's motivations and reasons for taking certain actions. 

 

Surveys can be conducted in a variety of ways, including online, 

by mail, or 

in person. 

They can be cost-effective and efficient, and are often faster than other data collection methods. 

 

What factors to consider for conducting survey

When conducting a survey, it's important to consider the following: 

 

Question order

Place easier questions at the beginning, group common themes in the middle, and keep demographic questions near the end. 

 

Informed consent

Ensure that participants are informed about the purpose and potential risks of the survey. 

 

Representative sample

Ensure that the participant sample is representative of the larger population. 

 

Voluntary participation

Ensure that participants respond to the survey of their own free will. 

 

Bias reduction

Carefully construct questions so they don't affect how participated.

Survey Process

The survey process involves several steps, including: 

 

Defining goals: Identify the goals of your research 

 

Defining audience: Identify the target audience for the survey 

 

Creating questions: Come up with preliminary questions 

 

Designing the survey: Design the questionnaire, including the survey's appearance 

 

Distributing the survey: Distribute the survey to the target audience 

 

Organizing responses: Organize the responses to the survey 

 

Analyzing and presenting results: Analyze the survey results and present them 

 

Taking action: Take action based on the results of the survey 

 

Here are some other things to consider when conducting a survey: 

 

Introduction

The introduction to the survey is often considered the most important part, as it's what determines whether respondents will answer the survey. 

 

Sampling

Sampling is an essential part of survey research, as it's impossible to interview or observe everyone in a population. 

 

Data collection

Surveys are a method of data collection that can be used to gather information about people's opinions and preferences. 

 

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are a part of a survey, but they're simply a set of written questions used to collect information, without regard to analysis. 

Types of Survey

There are many types of surveys, including: 

 

Survey methods

These are the general approaches used to design and conduct surveys, and can be classified into four main types: self-administered, interviewer-administered, mixed-mode, and adaptive. 

 

Telephone surveys

These can be conducted in three main modes: Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and  message-based surveys (SMS). 

 

Mail surveys

These are questionnaires that are delivered through the mail, and are self-administered text by the respondent. 

 

Focus groups

These are group interviews of approximately 5 to 10 people, and can be used to derive quantitative or qualitative data. 

Kiosk surveys

These are offline surveys conducted using an electronic kiosk. 

 

Panel sampling

This is when people are randomly chosen from a target audience to be part of a panel, and are then required to take recurring surveys over a period. 

 

Smiley face surveys

These are customer feedback surveys where customers can share their feedback by selecting a range of emoji faces. 

Tools of survey

Here are some survey tools: 

 

SurveyMonkey

A pioneer of online surveys, SurveyMonkey offers tools to create surveys and polls, analyze results, and collect insights. 

 

Google Forms

Also known as Google Surveys, this tool offers a familiar dashboard and free basic survey templates. 

Typeform

A versatile tool that helps you create customized surveys and design forms while collecting data. 

 

Qualtrics

A business survey tool that helps you create surveys and polls, and collect feedback. 

 

Jotform

A survey tool with over 800 survey templates and a drag-and-drop interface. 

 

Zoho Survey

An online survey and questionnaire creation tool that's easy to use and integrate. 

 

SurveyPlanet

An online survey platform that offers customizable templates, drag-and-drop design tools, and advanced reporting capabilities. 

 

Alchemer

A survey tool that lets you create and distribute surveys to your audience through email, SMS, or the web. 

 

When evaluating survey tools, you can consider things like:

The formats you want to distribute your survey in

Any customizations you need, such as translations or accessibility

The level of support you need for survey administration

Whether you need help with strategy or interpreting the data 

 

Survey Data Analysis Methods

 

There are several methods for analyzing survey data, including: 

 

Regression analysis

Used to understand the relationship between variables and predict outcomes 

Conjoint analysis

A survey technique used to measure consumer preferences for products and services 

 

Factor analysis

A statistical method used to identify latent variables and dimensions in survey response data 

 

Text analysis

An advanced statistical method used to quantify qualitative and open-ended data 

 

Statistical power analysis

Used to determine the sample size for a survey or experiment 

 

Other methods for analyzing survey data include: ANOVA test, T-test, and Crosstab analysis. 

 

When analyzing survey data, you can also consider:

Understanding the measurement scales

Starting with quantitative questions

Paying attention to qualitative responses

Comparing survey data against past results

Using industry benchmarks

Avoiding incorrect or incomplete responses 

Quality Characteristics Required in Survey Questionnaire

Here are some characteristics of a good survey questionnaire: 

 

Clear and simple language: Survey questions should be written in a clear and simple language. 

 

Relevant and purposeful: Each question should be aligned with the survey's purpose and objective. 

 

Neutral and unbiased: Survey questions should be neutral and unbiased, avoiding leading or loaded language. 

 

Specific and precise: Focus on one aspect at a time and avoid double-barreled questions. 

 

Balanced response options: Survey questions should have balanced response options. 

 

Likert scale: Likert scale questions are used to measure a respondent's opinion or attitude towards a given subject. 

 

Multiple choice: Multiple-choice questions are ideal for most survey questions as they allow for easier answering and quantitative feedback. 

 

Demographic questions: Demographic questions are essential to help researchers understand the sample better. 

 

Keep it short: Keep the survey short and simple to help retain the survey takers' attention and promote a higher survey completion rate. 

 

Open-ended: Open-ended questions can provide much more in-depth answers. 

 

How to use survey findings

Here are some ways to use survey findings: 

 

Cross-tabulation

This statistical analysis technique helps to identify connections between variables in survey data. 

 

Categorize results

Use graphs and charts to make survey reports easy to follow by creating different sections for different question categories. 

 

Analyze quantitative data first

Quantitative data uses statistics to draw conclusions, while qualitative data can be harder to analyze because it's subjective. 

 

Compare new data with past data

Compare responses to different questions to find deviations, and find connections between specific data points. 

 

Consider causation versus correlation

Correlation analysis can determine the size, degree, and direction of a relationship, but it doesn't indicate causation. 

 

Describe the survey instrument

If you used an existing questionnaire, provide evidence of its psychometric properties, such as reliability and validity. 

Do's and Don'ts of survey

Here are some best practices for writing survey questions: 

 

Keep it simple: Keep questions short, simple, and direct. Long questions can frustrate respondents and cause them to drop out. 

 

Avoid double-barreled questions: Asking double-barreled questions makes it difficult to know which concept the respondent is evaluating. 

 

Keep answer choices balanced: Using answer choices that lean a certain way can lead to inauthentic responses. 

 

Don't use absolutes: Words like "always" and "never" can make people feel boxed into a specific response. 

 

Be specific: Vague questions are unlikely to generate useful results. 

 

Identify the purpose of the survey: Define your objectives so you can plan for how you'll use the information. 

 

Don't ignore mobile users: Design surveys that work on any screen. 

 

Don't ask redundant questions: Avoid asking the same question more than once. 

 

Don't use verbose language: Avoid using overly complicated language. 

Additional sensitivities to keep in mind when creating good survey questions:

If you have to ask sensitive questions, such as religion or political affiliation, place them next to the questions contextually related to them.

This will make it easier for the respondents to understand why you're asking.

Make the first questions simple, pleasant, and exciting.

Include a question mark near the end of every question.

Ensure all questions are grammatically correct and error-free.

Avoid jargon and use terms and concepts that are easy for all respondents to understand.

Remember that simplicity and a direct approach inspire respondents to complete a survey.

Survey example

General satisfaction questions 

• Please rate your overall satisfaction with [company].
• Is there anything else you'd like to share about your experience with [company/event/service/purchase]?
• What is one thing we could do to improve your experience with [company/service]?
• What would you suggest to help us improve our [product/service]?
• What is one thing we could do to improve your experience with [company/service]?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with [product/service]?
• Would you recommend [product/service] to friends and family?
• Is there anything else you'd like to share or suggest to help us improve our [product/service]?

Conclusions :

A conclusion for a survey report should: 

 

Summarize the study: Briefly recap the entire study, including the importance of your observations. 

 

Avoid new information: Don't include any new information in the conclusion. 

 

State recommendations: If you have any recommendations, include them in the conclusion. 

 

Describe problems: Note any unanticipated problems you encountered. 

 

Identify limitations: Mention the limitations of your study. 

 

Demonstrate organization: A conclusion can help show that your report is well organized, even in a short report. 

FAQs

Q. When should I begin acting on the survey results? 

Ans.

A good rule of thumb is to begin having discussions with employees as soon as possible. Once you have the information it’s tough to deny you don’t know where there are opportunities for growth, so don’t wait to begin taking action - and be transparent about the plan.

References

• Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed-Mode Surveys: The Tailored Design Method : Don A. Dillman
• Survey Scales: A Guide to Development, Analysis, and Reporting : Dr. Robert L. Johnson
  
• 6. Designing and Conducting Survey Research: A Comprehensive Guide : Louis M. Rea