Surveys fail and let their way for improvisation. You see it happen all the time and are fed up of improvisation. After all, what was the point of your last survey if all you had to do in the end was to either throw it in the dustbin or guess the results based on insufficient data? In this blog, we list 10 common mistakes that might be leading to the dumping of your surveys and we will also guide you on how to do a survey the right way. So, let’s just jump into them.
- The goal of your survey is not clear. Surveys are not done in isolation. So, why are you conducting the survey? Does this accompany a larger study? Or, is it more of a census to identify a group of people for some future reference? Next, what do you hope to accomplish from the fieldwork? Ask yourself these questions and write down a goal statement for your survey.
- Is your survey even needed? To be frank, a lot of marketing agencies and non-profit organisations do surveys only for the sake of doing it once in a while. Think about the contribution your survey will make to mankind’s collective knowledge.
- Avoid unnecessary questions. Now that you have a clear idea about the goal of your survey and its contribution to mankind, start with the information that your study or project requires to gather. Do note that including irrelevant and unnecessary questions will only end up overwhelming your respondents as well as you and your team.
- Keep open-ended questions at a minimum. Keep your questions as close-ended as possible. Convert open-ended questions into closed ones with common answers included in a list. Your questionnaire should include no more than one or a few open-ended questions.
- Anomaly is everywhere, avoid hard categorisation. Your questionnaire should include an option for ‘Not applicable’ where needed, a ‘Neutral’ option to questions of bipartisan and an option for ‘Something else’ in case the respondent might not be categorised.
- Incorrect and insufficient target respondents. If the purpose of your survey is to identify beneficiaries for a charitable project, you would be wasting time conducting surveys in localities that may have little to offer of the eligible group. If it is expected to accompany a study, you should make sure that the number of respondents and the diversity (in some cases) is sufficient.
- Tracking your progress is useful but avoid mid-project changes at all cost. To say the least, changes to the questionnaire or addition of new questions are disastrous and this comes out as the biggest no on our how to do a survey guide. These can be avoided with proper planning and when you are clear with the goal of your study.
- Avoid jargons, it’s not a CAT question paper. Use simple words and frame them in simple sentences. Acronyms may be used with some caution but avoid framing sentences with double-negatives that may confuse your respondents and jeopardise your study.
- Miscommunication within the team is disastrous. Do not scold your surveyors at the end of the day. Instead, conduct a workshop and train your surveyors to be efficient and foster a work environment where that welcomes questions and mistakes.
- Use technology. Your surveyors may or may not be very efficient, but how efficient are you if you make them shuffle through hundreds of papers in the field. Teach them to use MS Excel (everyone has a smartphone) and let them make entries directly into a spreadsheet.
We hope you find this list helpful. We would also love to help you with tailored recommendations for your next survey for free. Do drop us a text or a call.