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Essential Surveys conducts surveys using questionnaires to collect and analyze data for businesses, public agencies, and other organizations.
Surveys are conducted on-line, by mail, telephone, or interview, or by a combination of methods. Originally founded as ARCACO Market Research
in 1987, the name was changed to Essential Surveys in 2005. Although Essential Surveys conducts research for many types of clients, we
specializes in research for membership organizations.
If you are interested in a survey, or just curious, give us a call. We can discuss research options and calculate a price and timeline. This
is good information to have in advance.
The Initial Discussion
Potential clients want to know what's involved, what it will cost, and how long it will take. In order to answer those questions, here are
some of the things we will need to discuss:
- What do you need to know? First we'll need to determine if we can obtain the information you need through
survey research. If so, will one survey get you the level of detail you need? Sometimes, a follow up suvey, interviews, or a focus
group is recommended.
- Who is being surveyed? Is it your members or customers, executives, the general population, or some
combination?
- How easy or difficult are they to reach? If we are surveying your own members and you have their contact
information, it is easy to obtain the sample. If we are surveying potential members, it may be more difficult and expensive to
reach them.
- How motivated will respondents be to participate? Depending on who is being surveyed and what we are asking,
subjects may be eager or reluctant to participate. This figures into how we design and conduct the survey.
- How many people do we need to survey? A number of factors can influence sample size, including whether or
not you need a statistically representative sample, and how the sample will be segmented.
- How long does the questionnaire need to be? What you need to know, how simple or complex the subject, who
is being surveyed, and how motivated they are to participate, all influence the length of the questionnaire. Generally, shorter
questionnaires are less expensive than longer ones. This is particularly true for telephone and mail surveys.
- What survey method will be used? Online surveys have many advantages and are usually the least expensive, but
they don't work in every situation. Mail surveys can work very well in some situations, but take the most time. Telephone surveys
are the only option in some cases, but don't work well in others; they are the most expensive option.
If you are considering a survey, you should get the process started long before you need the results. A good survey takes time to design,
conduct, and analyze. Mail surveys, which are sometimes the best option, can easily take up to 12 weeks to conduct. Online surveys are
usually the quickest, but can still take several weeks, depending on their complexity. When we know more about the information you need
and your particular circumstances, we can provide a timeline.
The Survey Process
A typical survey project follows these steps:
- Brainstorming: Once you are ready to proceed with the project, we'll need to discuss your information needs
in greater detail. This may be done in person, by telephone, by email, or some combination. You may want to have other key personnel
involved or you may want them to submit a wish list. As the list of information objectives grows, it will probably become necessary to
separate the "need to know" from the "nice to have", in order to stay within the project's scope and budget. This is the part of the
process that requires the greatest commitment of time and energy on your part - or that of your team. The outcome of this meeting
(or meetings) is a list of study objectives. The care and consideration given to this process will be reflected in better questionnaire
design, analysis, and in the final results.
- Questionnaire Design: Questionnaire design is where our experience pays off. We've learned over the years what
can or cannot be asked in different survey formats and with different audiences, and more importantly, how to ask questions that will
not mislead respondents and produce spurious results. Once we've developed a draft questionnaire, we will send it to you for review.
After discussion, the questionnaire may get revised. It's not unusual at this time to change some of the objectives or add new
questions. After revision, we will send another draft for your review. This process continues until we are all satisfied with the
result. In some cases, it is desirable to pretest the questionnaire before the design is finalized. With telephone surveys, this
may add a couple of days to the process. Pretesting mail surveys can take longer. It may be possible to pretest by distributing to
a diverse sample of acquaintances, or other contacts. However, depending on the topic involved, it may be necessary to actually mail
surveys to a portion of the sample. Although seldom required, this can add 2-3 weeks to the study time.
- Fielding: For mail surveys, this is the process of printing, proofing, mailing, and waiting for questionnaires
to be returned. For telephone surveys, this is the process of training, pretesting, programming the questionnaire into the CATI system,
and interviewing.
- Processing: For mail surveys, processing includes opening and verifying the questionnaires. For mail, telephone,
and online surveys, the open-end questions must be coded and added to the database.
- Analysis: The process of studying and interpreting the data, which may involve any number of analyses using
specialized software.
- Results: Usually this involves preparing a written report. However, you may, want the results or a portion of
the results packaged in different ways for different audiences. For example, you may want a complete detailed report for yourself, a
PowerPoint presentation with executive summary to present to your board, and one-page action plans for departments.
What You Can Expect
- Clear Communication: Plain speaking, no jargon. When we need to know something, we ask. When you need to
know something, we expect you to ask too. Remember, we are experts at conducting surveys, not necessarily at the nuances of your
business, so feel free to tell us anything and everything that you think will help us better understand your perspective or
the dynamics of your organization. Your phone calls and emails are always welcome.
- Stated Objectives: The success of any project depends on clearly outlining the objectives. The analysis
we preform is determined by our understanding of your objectives. Misunderstandings are avoided when we are all on the same page.
- Collaboration: The best ideas emerge when we work together. You may also want to involve your creative
agency or other consultants in the process, particularly if they will be using the results in their work.
- Highest Ethical Standards: No smoke and mirrors, no hidden agenda, no tinkering with the numbers or
slanting the results, and no loose tounges. It's an old-fashioned idea, but we believe in earning our reputation.
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