-
Midpoint Bias In Surveys: Implication & Mitigation
Finding surveys with questions like this after a purchase: “How satisfied are you?” is not new. Let’s say you’re in line at Starbucks, waiting for your coffee and praying you don’t miss the bus. Then someone approaches you with a nice smile rating card with “Very Dissatisfied” all the way up to “Very Satisfied.” You…
-
What Is a Smoking Habit Survey and Why Researchers Use It
The start of a smoking habit isn’t usually visible. It begins innocently: a cigarette shared in the back of a school, a drag during a busy shift, or a social experiment that quickly turns into a ritual. And before anyone knows it, a habit has been formed, one that can last a lifetime. But what…
-
How To Prevent Common Method Bias In Surveys
Why Common Method Bias Can Ruin Good Survey Data Have you ever experienced this? You create an attractive survey,well-written questions, and seamless logic. The responses are flowing in their hundreds, and yet you still come to an incorrect conclusion. The experience you just had is called the Common Method Bias (CMB). On the surface, your…
-
Courtesy Bias In Surveys and How to Prevent It
Have you ever wondered why you asked someone for their honest opinion about an outfit that looked terrible, only to have them say you looked good? You knew they were being untruthful, and they admitted it with a guffaw; you looked like a clown, but they just didn’t want to hurt your feelings. What you…
-
When NOT to Use Purposive Sampling (And What to Do Instead)
I want you to imagine you’re throwing a party… yes, stay with me, please, and you only invite people who can juggle oranges while reciting the national anthem. That’s kind of like purposive sampling in research; it’s all about handpicking participants who fit specific criteria because they bring something unique to the table. For research…
-
Why Your Survey Report Isn’t Getting Read (and How Formatting Can Fix That)
Does this sound familiar? You spent months crafting or designing survey questions, gathering responses, and analyzing data. The insights are deep and meaningful, so you put them together and share with stakeholders, and no one is interested in reading your report. You are in absolute shock-wondering what could be wrong. Most time, survey reports are…
-
Proxy Respondents in Surveys: Their Role, Implications & Best Practices
Have you ever wondered how researchers manage to collect data from individuals or capture their experiences if they won’t or can’t answer for themselves? This is the role of proxy respondents in surveys. A proxy respondent is someone who provides information on behalf of another person. Think of it this way, like a surrogate mother…
-
What Is the Delphi Technique?
The Delphi technique is a method for obtaining a reliable opinion on a topic from a group of experts. It works by having them fill out a series of questionnaires. Next, you provide the experts with an average summary of the last round, and they can adjust their answers to align with the group response.…
-
What is the McNamara Fallacy?
The popular saying “When you can’t measure what is important, you make important what you can count” came from the McNamara Fallacy. Here’s how it all began: The US Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968, Robert McNamara, decided to use a military strategy that he felt was best based on the data he had.…
-
How to Reduce Bias in Volunteer Sampling for Accurate Poll Results
Surveys help you collect audience opinions that help you, and use the information to help you understand their preferences and opinions. But here’s the thing: if you invite people to a survey, chances are high that the people who respond are mostly people who are already interested in the topic of the survey. Let’s say…