1. Things to Think About When You Want To Do a Survey What do you want to know? –How can you find out what you need to know? –Similar/same surveys Can help in design Can help validate your results May obviate the need for the study –How best to reach people at JMU?

2. Things to Think About When You Want To Do a Survey Constraints –Money/time –Sample vs. population –Mailing/Bulk Email

3. Things NOT to do –Too Long –Sensitive Questions Near the Front –Double-barreled questions Measure more than one item at the same time Confounds responses and interpretation. –Ceiling and floor effects

4. Things NOT to do –Indeterminate Time –Response sets not matched to question or question type. –Bias Blatant Subtle

5. Things NOT to do –“Don’t knows,” and “Neutrals,” and “no opinions” that allow “weaseling out” -Lack of “Don’t knows,” and “Neutrals,” and “no opinions” where they could have important meaning.

6. Examples and Discussion –Study of Coffee Flavors on Visitors to a Coffee Shop 8 am 272 Questions

7. Examples and Discussion –Study of potential clients for new clothing line beginning with questions about measurements and interests in “stretchable fabrics”

8. Examples and Discussion –Do you believe that HOV lanes help reduce congestion and can help reduce pollution? Yes No

9. Examples and Discussion –Do you plan on voting for the independent candidate? Yes No

10. Examples and Discussion –How often do you use a pencil? 7 times 6 times 5times 4 times 3 times 2 times 1 time

11. Examples and Discussion –How often do you attend soccer games? Very true Partly true Not true False Entirely False

12. Examples and Discussion –Most smart people agree that the HOV lane is vital to reducing congestion. What do you think? I agree I disagree

13. Examples and Discussion –Hybrid vehicles use less gasoline, make less noise, reduce owner costs. Please check which of the following hybrid programs you support. Tax incentives for owners Special HOV permisssions during peak hours None

14. Examples and Discussion –Was your meal as good as you expected? Yes No Don’t know

15. Examples and Discussion –How do you feel about euthanasia? Support Neutral Oppose Don’t know

16. Examples and Discussion –Was the NATO embargo of Iraq in the 1990s effective? Yes No Don’t know

17. Examples –Please rate your dining experience. Excellent Terrible