page5
S
URVEY
G
UIDE
5
W
HAT IS THE TARGET POPULATION
?
Who are the people you’
re interested in hearing from? What criteria separate
those who should be included in the survey from those who should not?
When the target population is small and easy to contact, it is often feasible to
survey the entire population. However, when the target population is large or
widely dispersed and the survey is part of a rigorous research project, a
“sampling” process is typically used to select and survey only a subset of the
total population of interest. If a sampling process would enhance the results of
your survey, you will want to engage the services of a sampling statistician to
guide you.
One reason to survey a sample rather than an entire population is that with a smaller
sample size, you can include more follow-up contacts to encourage responses. As a
result of these efforts, participation and data quality may be improved.
In order to reach your target population, you will need current and accurate
contact information. Obtaining and verifying this information can be costly and
time-consuming, especially if your target population is highly mobile and/or
difficult to locate.
A service for mass emailing to campus audiences is available through Division
of Information Technology (DoIT). See
http://www.doit.wisc.edu/lists/massemail/index.asp
for additional information. There is a fee for using this service.
W
HAT IS THE TIMING
?
Developing a timeline is a crucial step in planning your survey. When is the
survey data needed? When would be the best time to contact potential
participants? Do you want to survey during a break or at a time when
respondents are engaged in another activity with your unit? If your survey is
going to a campus population, you may want to avoid coinciding with one of the
periodic campus-wide surveys.
What other workload issues may affect those involved in sending the survey and
collecting and analyzing the results? How long will it take to design and obtain
approval for the survey? How much time is needed for collecting responses?
The answers to all these questions will help you develop a realistic timeline.
W
HAT MODE WILL BE USED
?
As noted above, there are a variety of options for how you conduct your survey.
The combination of choices you make about contacting sample members,
administering questions, and recording r
esponses is called the “mode.”
The
mode is influenced by the survey population, the study topic, and how you plan
to use the information you gather.