How to prepare a survey

How to Prepare a Survey A survey is a quantitative method of analyzing and getting information in a population; thus, in conducting a survey, a surveyor aims to analyze the phenomena in a given population, and be able to get essential features and how the phenomena studied affects the target population. In creating a suitable survey for study, a surveyor needs to consider the following three main steps.
First, the surveyor needs to understand and select the right target group for the study, which will enable him/her to set goals and guidelines for the survey. I addition he needs to know, which demographic constitution of the population are being surveyed, is it the old, the youth, women, men, children, the schooling, the working population, among the rest of the population. Moreover, he should know their geographic distribution, and how they can be reached effectively and which survey method will give accurate results (Acebit, 2012). Furthermore, he should understand the time schedule for the target population, which will assist in setting up the period and budget for the survey.
According to Acebit (2012) & Creative Research Systems (2012), the second step is defining the survey type and the method that will be applied in conducting the survey. Since most of the surveys are quantitative in nature and involves a lot of data collection and analysis, the crucial thing here is to pick methods that will give the most precise and accurate answers as possible. Depending on their target group, surveyors can pick from the following: they can choose interview methods, which can be person-to-person or via telephone conversation. Another method is a questionnaire, which can be sent via mail, email, or given to the population in person, then collected after a given time by the surveyor. The surveyor can also use observation, whereby he/she can interact with the target population, whether participatory or non-participatory to gather data. The choice of the method in the survey shall also determine the cost and outcome of the survey, depending on the demographic nature and distribution of the population (Creative Research Systems, 2012).
The third final step in conducting a survey is designing questions and means of analysis the results after the survey. The design of the questions whether in questionnaires or interviews needs to be pointed out clear, where all audiences can answer without strain. The questions should also be well structured and not ambiguous to enable the surveyor get the most accurate results. The questions are then pre-tested and tried to a small sample population to find whether they are effective or not. In the design of questions, the surveyor can use two formats, which are; open-ended where respondents are given a chance to give their opinion, and the other is closed ended where respondents give their answer from a predefined list of options presented. Surveyors also can present question in the form of multiple choice, numeric open end or open end text. In addition, analysis of the questions by the surveyor can be by use of computer-aided software such as SPSS, which analyses and presents the data collected in tabular or graphical format for analysis (Acebit, 2012 & Creative ResearchSystems, 2012).
Since most surveys, conducted are facts finding and quantitative the right selection of target groups, type and methods of research being undertaken and formulation of questions shall enable in the successful and effective undertaking of surveys. This shall enable the surveyor to achieve the goals intended to be served by the survey.
Works Cited
Acebit. “ How to Create a Successful Survey.” Acebit. com. 2012. Web. 18th July 2012 Creative Research Systems. “ Survey Design: The Steps in a Survey Process.” Surveysystems. com. 2012. Web. 18th July 2012