Surveying Surveys
9/9/14
Asking the “right” people is half the challenge
We’ve been blogging a lot lately about potential problem areas for research, evaluation, and strategy. In thinking about research specifically, making sure you can trust results often boils down to these three points: Ask the right questions; Of the right people; and Analyze the data correctly As Kevin pointed out in a blog nearly a year […]
By David KennedyRead More
8/5/14
Millionaires at McDonalds
A few outliers, such as the uber rich Donald Thump, can have a dramatic influence over your survey results. Carefully consider outliers and read our blog for solutions to handle them in an analysis.
By Matt BruceRead More
3/20/14
How to make sense of open-ended responses
As we’ve pointed out before, including an open-ended question or two on a survey can be incredibly enlightening. After all, these kinds of questions really bring the attitudes and beliefs of respondents to life and leave the researcher with a rich pool of genuine opinions on a topic. However, open-ended data can sometimes present an […]
By Sarah WilliamsRead More
3/13/14
How to ask demographic questions
Asking demographic questions (e.g., age, gender, marital status) should be the easiest of survey questions to ask, right? What if I told you asking someone how old they are will yield different results than asking in what year they were born, or that asking a sensitive question (e.g., How much money did you make last […]
By Matt BruceRead More
3/5/14
Why pay research participants?
We’ve probably all received some type of payment for participating in research before, whether it was for completing a survey, participating in a focus group or online community, or other form of research. But should we be paying people for their participation? While it would be nice if people would be intrinsically motivated to take […]
By David KennedyRead More
2/26/14
What are you measuring when you ask your customers, “Are you satisfied?”
Business, governments, and nonprofits often ask those who come into contact with them how satisfied are they with X? You’ve undoubtedly been asked this yourself in the past and perhaps you’ve even run your own customer feedback (often dubbed Voice of the Customer) program. Doing so is smart as it can uncover problem areas and […]
By David KennedyRead More
2/20/14
Is cluster sampling a good fit for your survey?
Here at Corona, we strive to help our clients maximize the value of their research budgets, often by suggesting solutions that get the job done faster, better, or at a reduced cost. In survey research, developing an accurate sampling frame (i.e., a list of the study population and their contact information) is instrumental for success, […]
By Matt BruceRead More
1/7/14
Online polls are not scientific research
We remain surprised at the number of people who mistake open online polls for scientific research. This story about SeaWorld and a question about whether they “stuffed the ballot box” on an online poll overlooks the bigger picture when they discuss the topic. Online polls with open links are not scientific research and you can […]
By Kevin RainesRead More
10/8/13
The language of surveys
Language is simultaneously one of the most interesting and one of the most frustrating aspects of doing research with people. However, until we figure out a way to read people’s minds as they go about their daily lives, we have to rely on surveys to better understand their thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs. Unfortunately, language is […]
By Kate DarwentRead More
6/13/13
How to tell real market research from … other stuff
A few years back, a coworker and I wrote a couple of entries for the Encyclopedia of Survey Research on the topics of “sugging” and “frugging”. These are highly unethical practices where an organization attempts to sell a product or fundraise in a manner that uses market research as a cover. I got something in […]
By Kevin RainesRead More