If
you are planning to conduct a survey of CSUSB students, faculty, staff or
alumni, here are some factors that you should consider. Careful attention to addressing these
issues will help insure that you will get the most from your survey research.
Most of the items on this list are based on Linda A. Suskie's book
"Questionnaire Survey Research: What Works?".
1.
What are
the objectives of your survey?
2.
Do you
really need a survey?
á Would a review of earlier studies
suffice?
á If a similar survey was conducted in the
past, would you have a reason to expect different results?
á Have you checked with Institutional
Research about existing data sources?
3.
What are
the critical questions to be answered by the survey?
4.
What
additional topic areas will you include?
5.
Whom will
you survey?
6.
Do you need
a sample of a group or the entire group?
7.
If a
sample, how will they be selected?
8.
Will this
survey be a "one time" study or will it be repeated in the future?
9.
How will
the results be used?
á To benefit the University as a whole?
á To benefit a specific department?
á To improve instruction?
á To assist faculty, staff, students,
research, and institutes for publication purposes, grants, and theses?
á (Note: Such projects usually also require
the approval of the Institutional Review Board.)
10.
Does the
Institutional Review Board also need to review the survey proposal?
11.
Are the
operational definition of concepts that you will use in the survey clear to
both the intended respondents and the audience of the survey findings? (e.g.,
"Campus Climate")
12.
Who will
review your "final" survey questions?
13.
How will
you "pilot test" the
survey?
14.
Will the
survey be anonymous or confidential? (Confidential allows for linking to
external data sources which may prove beneficial.)
15.
How much
have you budgeted for this survey (both money and personnel)?
16.
How will
this survey be administered?
á Mail - (Campus or US)? Were will you get the addresses?
á In-class - How will you select the
classes? Who will actually
administer?
á Web - How will people be invited to
participate?
17.
Will there
be a follow-up to non-respondents?
18.
Will there
be incentives to encourage participation?
19.
What is the
time-frame for this survey? Is it
consistent with the academic year schedule?
20.
Who will
enter the survey data into a computer?
21.
Who will
verify the entered data?
22.
What is the
goal of the analysis and and reporting the data?
á Descriptive averages and frequencies for
the survey as a whole? and/or
á Comparisons intended to explain, predict
or explore differences between populations of interest?
23.
Have there
been earlier studies of relevance to this survey which might form a basis for
comparison?
24.
Who will
analyze your data?
25.
To whom
will you report your results?
26.
Where will
your data and reports be archived?