{"id":49618,"date":"2022-10-25T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inmoment.com\/?p=49618"},"modified":"2024-10-28T07:55:34","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T13:55:34","slug":"survey-methodology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inmoment.com\/blog\/survey-methodology\/","title":{"rendered":"Survey Methodology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to collecting data, one of the best ways to do so is a survey. Most companies put out surveys of some kind for customers and employees at different points. But there\u2019s more to a survey than just a series of questions. In fact, surveys typically have a method behind them to gather specific types of data and to make them as effective as possible. But what is a survey method? What is survey methodology? Read on to learn about survey methodology and why that matters.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Survey Methodology? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is survey methodology? To begin, it\u2019s important to distinguish between a survey methodology and a survey method. A survey method is the process or tool you use to gather information via a survey. For example, you might create an online survey<\/a> with multiple choice questions, and that would be your survey method. A survey method can be qualitative or quantitative. We\u2019ll talk more about survey method options and their pros and cons later on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey methodology, on the other hand, is the study of survey methods. It\u2019s looking at all of the survey methods available and using applied statistical information to determine what methods give certain errors and where accuracy can be improved. Essentially, survey methodology studies sampling techniques and practices and determines the accuracy, so researchers of all kinds can improve their methods and get more accurate results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Purpose of Survey Methodology? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So what is the purpose of survey methodology? Why do we have an entire field of applied statistics working on surveys? It\u2019s important to understand why survey methods matter first. Survey methods are designed to help researchers and companies get information as accurately as possible. After all, the data you gather isn\u2019t worth much if it\u2019s completely inaccurate or riddled with errors that make it difficult to use. Survey methods are how you get data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey methodology exists to support survey methods. Survey methodology is all about studying the ways to improve the accuracy of survey methods, so researchers and companies can get the most accurate results from their surveys. It\u2019s a field that exists to minimize errors\u2014any deviations from your desired outcome\u2014and help create data that\u2019s as accurate to a population as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about it this way. The common stats phrase for setting up a survey is, \u201cGarbage in, garbage out.\u201d That means that if your method gathers bad data, you\u2019re going to get bad results. The bad data can come from a variety of sources, but one major source is that your tool for gathering the data isn\u2019t very accurate. Survey methodology\u2019s purpose is to make those tools as accurate as possible. It\u2019s what helps researchers and companies get great tools or methods to gather reliable data and get accurate results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of Survey Methods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that it\u2019s clear what the difference between survey methods and survey methodology are, we can look at common types of survey methods available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantitative and Qualitative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Methods can include both qualitative and quantitative data, but what\u2019s the difference? Qualitative data is descriptive data and more conceptual data. For example, if your survey is gathering qualitative data, you would want to collect quotes from respondents and try to look at the emotions and sentiments of your potential customers, rather than performing a statistical analysis. Qualitative data is the heart of data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantitative data is data that\u2019s numerical\u2014or quantifiable. When you perform a quantitative survey, you\u2019re gathering information you can do a statistical analysis on; you want to know numbers. While qualitative data is the heart of your data, quantitative data is the bones and muscles; it\u2019s what gives your data structure and support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both quantitative and qualitative data are incredibly important. When you\u2019re choosing to collect data, think about what you hope to accomplish with your data and whether you\u2019re collecting qualitative data or quantitative data. That\u2019s an important part of your survey methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structured and Unstructured<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another important part of your methods is the structure you choose. Some surveys are very particularly structured while some or more unstructured and allow respondents more liberty with how they answer and where the conversation goes. To determine how much structure you want, think about what kind of data you want at the end. If you want very specific types of data and quantitative data, you would probably choose a structured method that has people responding to exactly what you\u2019re exploring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking more at qualitative data, you might find it beneficial to take either route. On paper, a structured survey might be easier and get you the information you need. In an interview survey, you could go either way\u2014or even strike a balance between the two\u2014depending on if you\u2019re interested in seeing where the conversation ends up going or in gathering data on something specific. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Open Ended or Closed Ended Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now it\u2019s time to think of the methods for questions. In general, you can gather information from open ended or closed ended questions. Open ended questions are ones without answer options, a yes or no response, or a true and false response. These kinds of questions are typically geared toward qualitative data (but can be flexible, of course). Closed ended questions typically have respondents choose from some kind of option or require a one-word or one-number kind of answer. These questions are common for quantitative methods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, a great survey may combine both open ended and closed ended questions to get a variety of data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survey Collection Methods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The final aspect of your survey methods is the method of collection. There are many ways to collect data, but these are a few common ways with their advantages and disadvantages: <\/p>\n\n\n\n