This post is the first in an upcoming short series of blogs called Behind the Research. Our Behind the Research series is intended to provide existing and potential clients with targeted insights into our some of our key methodological approaches pertaining directly to our data. While this series is by no means exhaustive, our Analysts will lend their expertise and provide tips on methodological topics of interest and relevance. If you have a topic which you would like to see covered in a future issue of Behind the Research, feel free to e-mail your suggestion to croche@vdcresearch.com or Tweet your suggestions to@VDC_Research.
Polls and surveys have the ability to provide significant insights into many areas of research and can often reveal hidden trends. Whether used in politics or market research, surveys provide analysts with vital data for forecasts, predictions, and cross-cutting analysis of their desired topic area. Many of VDC’s reports, whitepapers, and blog posts contain data provided from our custom designed surveys.
The nature of VDC surveys allow respondents to provide information from an anonymous, protected vantage point, giving them the ability to respond freely with information regarding markets, business structures, and other strategic details. However, before leveraging the capabilities of any survey, it should pass through rigorous planning stages to ensure that it is not only effective, but will also yield the best possible environment for accurate results. This design process further solidifies internal and external validity, ultimately reducing Type I and Type II errors in the following analytics process. While there are many strategies involved in survey design, this blog post will attempt to highlight 10 critical tips to keep in mind when designing your own survey.
Cameron Roche received a dual B.A. in psychology and government & law from Lafayette College and his M.A. in political science, specializing in political psychology, American politics, and polling/survey methodology, from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He previously served as Assistant Director for UMass Poll and as a Research Assistant for the Cooperative Congressional Election Survey (CCES). Be sure to look for future Behind the Research posts addressing other methodological aspects of survey work and data cleaning. The author can be contacted directly at croche@vdcresearch.com or via his Twitter @Cam_Roche.
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