Nuts & Bolts of Online Surveys PRISM Brownbag April 24, 2009 Delia Dumitrescu...

Nuts & Bolts Nuts & Bolts of Online of Online SurveysSurveys

PRISM BrownbagPRISM BrownbagApril 24, 2009April 24, 2009

Delia Dumitrescu Delia Dumitrescu (dumitrescu.5@polisci.os(dumitrescu.5@polisci.os

u.edu)u.edu)

Why Online Why Online Surveys?Surveys?

Cheap research opportunityCheap research opportunity Boost data obtained Boost data obtained

through interviewsthrough interviews Possibility for experimental Possibility for experimental

work work Virtually unlimited cross-Virtually unlimited cross-

national comparisons national comparisons Widespread internet access Widespread internet access

access to difficult-to- access to difficult-to-reach populationsreach populations

Online Survey Online Survey CompaniesCompanies

http://www.wac.ohio-state.edu/workshops/survey_of_surveys/

Survey Gizmo (free package)Survey Gizmo (free package) Survey Monkey (free Survey Monkey (free

package)package) Zoomerang (free package, Zoomerang (free package,

but data kept for limited but data kept for limited number of days)number of days)

Lime Survey (free Lime Survey (free altogether)altogether)

CheckboxCheckbox Snap SurveySnap Survey

Survey Gizmo: Survey Gizmo: Question TypesQuestion Types

Virtually every type of Virtually every type of questionquestion Single response (e.g. Likert)Single response (e.g. Likert) Multiple responsesMultiple responses Tables of questionsTables of questions RankingRanking Visual comparisonVisual comparison Text/EssayText/Essay

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/124603/prism

Questions: Questions: Practical IssuesPractical Issues

Question randomization on Question randomization on pagepage

Option randomizationOption randomization Trigger questions +Trigger questions + Hidden questions on pageHidden questions on page Required questionsRequired questions Question editing:Question editing:

CodingCoding Text – Beware of Text – Beware of

copy/pasting MS Wordcopy/pasting MS Word

Question Editing Question Editing

Question Question RandomizationRandomization

Likert Scales Likert Scales

Likert Scales Likert Scales (cont’d)(cont’d)

Trigger QuestionsTrigger Questions

Option Option RandomizationRandomization

Trigger WindowTrigger Window

Table Questions Table Questions

Table Questions Table Questions (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Table Questions Table Questions (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Rankings (Cont’d)Rankings (Cont’d)

Rankings (Cont’d)Rankings (Cont’d)

Ranking (Cont’d)Ranking (Cont’d)

Image choiceImage choice

Image choice Image choice (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Essay QuestionsEssay Questions

Essay Questions Essay Questions (Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Overall Survey: Overall Survey: Practical IssuesPractical Issues

Skip pagesSkip pages BranchingBranching AppearanceAppearance

Colors/ FontsColors/ Fonts LanguagesLanguages

Forward only surveysForward only surveys Informing subjects on Informing subjects on

progressprogress IMPORTANT: check that IMPORTANT: check that

survey is working on survey is working on multiple OSmultiple OS

Survey Survey CustomizationCustomization

Survey Survey Customization Customization

(Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Survey Survey Customization Customization

(Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Survey Survey Customization Customization

(Cont’d)(Cont’d)

Data: Practical Data: Practical Issues Issues

Quick reports: frequencies Quick reports: frequencies & graphs& graphs

http://app.sgizmo.com/reports/27611/127173/AT073EN6RSYBL3RA1Q8KW7642Y5RSU/?ts=1240508336

Format: csvFormat: csv Checking for multiple Checking for multiple

responses:responses: Cookies?Cookies? Respondent IDRespondent ID

Increasing Increasing Respondents’ Respondents’ ConfidenceConfidence

Login from polisci websiteLogin from polisci website http://polisci.osu.edu/grads

/ddumitrescu/survey_info.htm

How to send mass e-mails How to send mass e-mails (and avoid the dangers of (and avoid the dangers of “spamming”):“spamming”): ““Send personally”Send personally” E-mail groupsE-mail groups

ResourcesResources

Prism brownbag survey on Prism brownbag survey on the intra-net (pdfs)the intra-net (pdfs)

Surveygizmo.com – tutorials, Surveygizmo.com – tutorials, FAQs, forum (replies within FAQs, forum (replies within a reasonable time delay)a reasonable time delay)

Survey questionnaire Survey questionnaire design: design: PS 702!PS 702! The Psychology of Survey The Psychology of Survey

Response (2000)Response (2000) Asking Questions...Asking Questions... (2004)(2004) Online surveys: Online surveys: Mail & Mail &

Internet SurveysInternet Surveys (2007) (2007)

ConclusionsConclusions

Inexpensive and time Inexpensive and time effective method of data effective method of data collectioncollection

Significant resources out Significant resources out there to help with the there to help with the design of effective web design of effective web surveyssurveys

Potential liabilities: Potential liabilities: respondent interest in the respondent interest in the survey (loss of focus), survey (loss of focus), respondent identity, respondent identity, multiple responses multiple responses