Using Survey Software to Create a Survey / How to Build an Online Survey

Building or creating a great survey is a struggle for most researchers. Understanding how to build a survey starts with understanding the research process.  The most important step is simply properly formulating the problem that you are trying to understand.  Simply stated, if you don’t formulate the problem correctly, you can never build the optimal (or even good) survey or questions.

 The best approach to build a survey is outlined in the following steps:

1. Review the basic research objectives of the study.

·        What is at the heart of what you are trying to discover?

·        What actions do you want to take as a result of the survey? 

2. Visualize all of the relevant information items you need.

·        What will the output report look like?

·        What charts and graphs will be prepared?  

·        What information do you need to be assured that action is warranted?

Prepare a written list of the topics in items 1 and 2 and order them according to their value in solving the research problem.  List the most important topics first.  Revisit items 1 and 2 again to make sure the objectives, topics and information you need are appropriate.  Remember, you can't solve the problem if you don’t ask the right questions.
3. Next, ask yourself “How easy or difficult is it for the respondent to provide information on each topic?” If it is difficult (they probably don’t know, can’t remember, can’t access the information or won’t take time), then ask yourself if there another way to obtain the information.  Perhaps asking another question… or using another data collection technique.
4. The fifth step in building a survey is to review the sequence of topics to make sure they are unbiased. Do the questions asked first influence or bias the results of the next questions? Sometimes providing too much information, or disclosing purpose of the study can create bias.
   
   At this point you have collected all of the information you need to build a survey.  We next focus on how to ask questions and how to build the actual survey instrument.
5. Determine the type of question that is best suited to answer the question.  We must also think about the type of data produced by a given question type.
   
   One easy way to do this is to create a table in MS Word or Excel that has three columns:
   

 In column 1, we enter the questions.  In column two, we indicate the possible answers and their answer format:  open-ended text questions, dichotomous, multiple choice, rank order, scaled, or constant sum (ratio scale).  Finally, in column three, we determine the type of analysis (percentages, means and standard deviations, cross tabulations, and statistical tests).  Do the question and answer formats provide enough robustness to meet analysis requirements.

7. Write the questions.  You will need to write several versions of each question when you are building your survey.  Building a great survey and building great questions often take six or more drafts.  Select the best one.
   
   
8. Review the question sequence for bias and logical flow.
   
   
9. Repeat all of the steps above to find any major holes.  Are the questions really answered? Are the answers what you really need to know?  Have someone review it for you.
   
   
10. Time the length of the survey.  A survey should take less than five to ten minutes.  At six questions per minute, and depending on the question difficulty, you are limited to about 30-40 questions. When building a survey, remember that one open end text question counts for three multiple choice questions.
    
    
11. Pretest the survey to 20 or more people. Obtain detailed feedback... critically look at their responses. 

·        Do they make sense, or do they have a different frame of reference than you had imagined. 

·        What were they unsure about? 

·        Did they have questions? 

·        Did they have trouble understanding what you wanted? 

·        Did they take a point of view not covered in your answers or question?

12. Revise your questionnaire and pre-test again or begin data collection.
    
    

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    Online Survey Software Improves the Quality of your Research

Planning and Designing your Online Survey to Reflect the Stated Objectives

• Budget justification and Cost reduction through lower costs and increased timeliness, quality and value of information.  Recognize cost savings of data collection while receiving higher quality reports and presentations
• Find the proper sample size that balances statistical significance and number of respondents
• Write questions quickly and easily with our easy to use tools and online survey library of questionnaires and questions.
• Create the most professional surveys… quickly and easily with visually appealing menu driven wizards.
• Build professional online surveys that recognize data types, advanced logic, survey flow, validation rules and graphics output format. 

Use the Best Online Data Collection/ Survey Software

• Eliminate manual data entry by automatically collecting data through electronic data entry, web based CATI surveys or Web-based surveys
• Get a higher response rate with high interest, user-friendly web surveys that include graphics, audio and video presentations.
• Collect and track data via simultaneous multiple methods: paper and pencil, CATI, wireless personal interview, and web surveys into a single database.
• Fast world-wide data collection and instant data tabulation gives you instant access to results wherever in the world you may be.
  
  

Gain Online Survey Data Access and Management Software

• Instant data access from online data analysis programs and export to all other statistical software programs through CSV and Microsoft Excel file downloads.
• Clean and validate data by setting up question validation rules while collecting your data and controlling ballot box stuffing.
• Automatic creation of data definition files for SPSS including command files that define variable and value labels.

Use Online Report Generation

• Produce the customized reports that best represent your research questions
• Produce easy-to-understand charts and graphs for management reports
• Create Internet based reports that give real-time access from anywhere in the world.
• Export your results with a single click of a button.  Results can be accessed by most popular software programs

Enjoy Easy Online Survey Building and Deployment

• Distribute reports quickly via a browser to everyone who needs them
• Efficiently develop and send multiple surveys or versions of your surveys
• Send reminders and track respondents with a single click of a button
• Produce results that reflect the right questions asked in the right way
• Advanced security and confidentiality for your results password protection, secured and firewall protected.