March 22,2007Lisa A. Lauxman, Ph.D On-Line Surveys Arizona Cooperative Extension Professional Development Workshop

Survey Design Fundamentals Survey is a method of gathering data Information collected may include people’s ideas, feelings, plans, beliefs, social, educational, and financial background. Questionnaires and interviews are the most commonly used surveys

Survey Purposes Survey purposes and methods fall on a continuum. Some have far-reaching generalizable effects Other are conducted to meet specific needs Identify purpose of survey Program evaluation Research Policy needs

Survey & Questionnaire Components Questions Instructions Sampling and design Data processing and analyses Pilot testing Response rate Reporting results

Types of Questions Close-ended survey items Open-ended survey items: Do you get any satisfaction? – Find out whether people are satisfied with product, service or program – Are particularly appropriate when collecting info about what people like best or least

Writing Items Survey items may take the form of questions – Example of open-ended question How courteous are the people who make your appointments? Survey items may be worded as statements – Example of close-ended statement Circle your agreement or disagreement with the following: 2) The people who make my appointments are (a) definitely courteous (b) agree (c) disagree) (d) definitely disagree

Rules for Writing Forced Choice Each question should be meaningful to respondents Use standard English Make questions concrete Avoid Biased words or phrases Check your own biases Each question should have only one thought

Examples of Scales Used for Forced Choice Yes or No Checklist- provides a series of answers. Respondents may choose just one or more answers Rating scales- 4 types – Nominal or categorical responses, i.e.. Male or Female – Ordinal- require respondents to place answers in a rank order, i.e.. High, medium or low – Interval – These have measurement choices with real meaning between the numbers, i.e.. Annual income – Ratio- Has real meaning between numbers with equidistance between the numbers. Ex- height and weight

Putting Questions in Order All surveys should be preceded by an introductions First set of questions should be related to topic described Ask relatively objective questions before subjective ones Move from familiar to the least Follow natural sequence of time See to it that all questions are independent Relatively easy-to-answer questions should be asked at end Avoid items that look alike Sensitive questions should be placed well after the start but also well before the end Questions should be asked in logical order

Response Scales-Likert-Type Likert-type Scales – Balance all responses ex. 4, 6 – Use neutral responses ( no response, don’t know) – Use 4 to 7 point scale – Put negative end of scale first – Use meaningful scale

Test the Survey Ease of recording responses Check for typos, misspelled words Length Understanding of questions- easy? Difficult? Test for readability Are questions appropriate for people who will be surveyed? What about data collected? Does it make sense? How useful is the data? Check for cultural sensitivity

Response Scales- Checklist Use ranking only if respondents can see or easily remember all choices Respondents over-report frequent behaviors Big events are more easily remembered Use list to help jog memory (Yes/No to each)- Break into components Behavior – Time – Duration – Frequency

Survey Monkey.com

1. Check which county you volunteer as a Master Gardener 2. List Number of Years as a Master Gardener 3. Educational level 4. Gender 5. Ethnicity 6. Check the age range you fall into: 7. Indicate Income Level 8. Indicate your occupation. If retired, please mark also from what occupation. Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Survey Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Survey 1. Master Gardener Information 1. Master Gardener Information This survey is intended to find out more about those who serve as Master Gardeners. The survey is confidential and anonymous. This survey is intended to find out more about those who serve as Master Gardeners. The survey is confidential and anonymous. Exit this survey >> ApacheCochiseCoconinoGilaGrahamLa PazMaricopaMohaveNavajoPimaPinal Santa Cruz YavapaiYuma Navajo Nation high school some college bachelorsmasters + MaleFemale White not of Hispanic OriginWhite not of Hispanic Origin Black not of Hispanic OriginBlack not of Hispanic Origin American Indian or Alaskan NativeAmerican Indian or Alaskan Native HispanicHispanic Asian or Pacific IslanderAsian or Pacific Islander Other (please specify)Other (please specify) 20's 30's 40's 50's 60's 70's & older under $ 20,000 $20,0 00 to $39,0 00 $40,0 00 to $59,0 00 $ 60,00 0 or more RetiredRetired HomemakerHomemaker Horticulture/agricultureHorticulture/agriculture ProfessionalProfessional TradeTrade medicalmedical Sales/serviceSales/service Business/commerceBusiness/commerce EducationEducation OtherOther Next >>Next >> Professional Growth and Development Survey

Creating Your Own Survey