Marketing survey: types, goals, methods. How to compose a questionnaire correctly

The survey as a type of research is divided into two large types - questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaire is a question-and-answer form of text organization. An interview is a conversation conducted according to a pre-developed plan, involving direct contact between the interviewer and the respondent, during which the interviewer records his answers.

In turn, each of these types of survey is divided into many subspecies: 1) according to the number of respondents (group and individual); 2) at the venue (at home, at work and in target audiences- visitors to the club, patients in the clinic, etc.).

The questionnaires can be divided according to the method of distribution among the respondents: handout (courier) questionnaire; postal (sent by mail); press (published in a newspaper or magazine).

In addition, the types of surveys can be classified according to other criteria, namely: a) quantitative (using statistics) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus groups); b) written (questionnaires, tests) and oral (interviews); c) full-time and part-time; d) standardized, semi-standardized and non-standardized; e) clinical and focused; f) directional and non-directional; g) trial (flight, sounding, express polls) and basic (as the main method of collecting primary information); h) mass survey (for non-specialist respondents) and an expert survey (for specialists in a particular field).

Each type of survey depends on many circumstances: the content of the questionnaire or interview (i.e. the list of questions in which the subject of the research is implemented); the quality of the work of the questionnaire or interviewer who organizes and directly ensures the completion of the questionnaires; the situation of the survey, its conditions, which should be as favorable as possible for the calm and focused work of the respondent; the psychological state of the respondent at the time of the survey and others.

Despite all the differences, the types of survey are united by one circumstance - the questionnaire, i.e. corresponding to the research intent and logically built system of questions - speech messages addressed to the respondent in an interrogative, affirmative or negative form, as well as the answer options offered to them. A questionnaire is a broader term than a questionnaire. It applies to both questionnaires and interviews. In turn, the questionnaire is a survey document (“Questionnaire for a worker”) and a survey method (ie questionnaire). In Western methods, a questionnaire is a questionnaire, which is most often filled out with the help of interviewers, but sometimes sent by mail or handed out to respondents for self-completion.

The group questionnaire is widely used at the place of work and study. The questionnaires are handed out to be filled out in the classroom to which the sampled respondents are invited. Usually one interviewer works with a group of 15-20 people. At the same time, one hundred percent return of the questionnaires is ensured, the respondents can consult on the filling technique, find out difficult and unclear places, and the questionnaire, collecting the questionnaires, can control the quality of filling.

Group questioning requires compliance with some special conditions that provide psychological comfort to the interview situation and improve the quality of answers. The room where the survey is conducted must be psychologically neutral (recreation room), free from interfering factors (phone calls, extraneous conversations, music, TV shows, the presence of strangers, etc.). The respondents are provided with the conditions for filling out the questionnaires: to sit far enough from each other so that there is no feeling that those sitting next to them are “looking over their shoulders”; be able to concentrate and think over their answers individually, without consulting, without commenting on the situation, questions and possible options answers. The intervention of managers of various levels is completely unacceptable, especially the familiarity with the answers of the respondents in the process of filling out the questionnaires. The confidentiality of responses must be strictly ensured. If necessary, the collection of completed questionnaires is carried out in a sealed ballot box, while the questionnaires are not pre-numbered.

V Russian sociology the most popular is the individual questionnaire survey. It is used about 75-80% of the time. When using an individual questionnaire, using a handout (courier) questionnaire, the questionnaire either gives the questionnaire to the respondent, agreeing on the return period when they meet again, or, having explained the rules for filling out and the purpose of the survey, waits for the questionnaire to be completed. In the first case, the respondent gets more time to fill out the questionnaire, think over the answers, but this complicates the problems of returning and it becomes possible to discuss the topic of the survey with strangers, even to replace the respondent. Hand-out individual questionnaires are used both at the place of residence and at the place of work.

Social psychologists are more inclined towards tests and sociometric methods. But the questionnaire procedure is by no means uncommon in psychology, which studies human behavior, motivation for activity and value orientations... In the case of individual questionnaires, questionnaires are distributed at workplaces or at the place of residence (study) of the respondents, and the return time is negotiated in advance. This survey form has the same advantages as the group survey.

The situation is different abroad. Until now, most of the research in the USA, Germany, France is carried out through personal interviews. For various and fairly compelling reasons (people do not like or cannot read and (or) write, avoid long answers, make many mistakes, make many omissions, give answers that are not essential, etc., etc.), sociologists strive avoid questioning, i.e. self-filling. The respondent and then the interviewer turn out to be the weakest links in the long chain of the scientific process.

Be that as it may, but in sociology, the survey in general, including both its varieties (oral and written), is an absolute record holder in popularity. It is no coincidence that sociology is equated with the use of polling. True, to the test psychologist, the sociologist's questioning procedure may seem overly primitive or unreliable. However, it has long been established that there are no rigid boundaries between disciplines, the same methods are used in different sciences. The specialist selects the necessary method to solve his problem, but does not adjust the problem to the existing method.

Four types of polling - individual and group, oral and written - complement each other, forming a logical square, in the cells of which, as a combination of two signs, many types of polling are formed (Fig. 1.3).

For example, a group questionnaire survey falls into the GP box, and an individual questionnaire survey - into the IP box; telephone survey - in the PS box, and the focus group - in the GU box.

A logical square is a very convenient and visual form of building a classification or typology of something, in this case, survey methods. It is applicable only to situations where each cell (quadrant) of the table is filled in. For example, with four other types of polling - face-to-face and part-time, individual and group - it will not be possible to construct a logical square. The reason is that one cell remains empty. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a group correspondence survey. Although, perhaps, it was once carried out by someone, but it remained in the history of science as an exotic example, rather than an established practice.

The most common method of obtaining primary information is a survey, which is widely used to justify decisions. Poll as a method of obtaining primary information characterized by efficiency, simplicity and economy, which makes it popular among entrepreneurs and managers, public and political organizations.

However, to ensure the representativeness of the survey data, it is important to correctly form the population of respondents.

The survey can be conducted in the form:

Sociological survey

Among the population, the idea of a sociologist as a person who now and then conducts surveys of the population on various pressing problems is widespread. Indeed, as the analysis of domestic and foreign publications based on the results of sociological research shows, most of them contain data obtained precisely by the survey method.

At the same time, the survey is successfully used by a number of other sciences to solve research problems. Thus, statisticians have long and successfully used the survey to collect data on the structure of the population, labor resources, consumption budgets, family structure and many other spheres of society. Journalists traditionally turn to the interview method to obtain information of interest to them on topical issues for readers and TV viewers. Many leading Russian TV companies use this method in a journalistic manner (but, according to sociologists, unprofessionally). The problem is that TV journalists deal not only with respondents selected for some reason, but also with a huge TV audience, which noticeably affects the quality of the poll and distorts its results. Teachers use student survey as a means of control over the assimilation of knowledge given in previous lessons. Doctors conduct a survey of patients, especially "primary patients" standard set questions to find out the anamnesis - information about a person's ailments preceding his visit to a doctor.

In any case, the questions asked must comply with the requirements of logic, take into account psychological characteristics respondents, the situation that develops during the survey. On this general basis, specific varieties of the survey method were formed, sometimes so different that the transfer of methodological, organizational and technical rules and survey techniques from one sphere to another is unacceptable.

A sociologist, conducting a survey, solves a somewhat different range of cognitive tasks than specialists in other branches of knowledge. The required information is obtained only in communication situations, while communication options can be different: personal or mediated (telephone, mail, etc.), oral or written, individual or group. This information is necessarily recorded in the form of answers to questions formulated by the survey organizer either in advance (formalized or standardized survey), or directly during the conversation in accordance with common goal poll.

There are two main types of sociological survey - questioning (written survey) and interviewing (oral survey).

Logical survey type schema, based on the typology of Gorshkov and Sherega, with the only difference that we have added an online survey as new method The survey, which is still only institutionalized in the system of methods of applied sociology, is shown in Fig. 1.2.

Questionnaire

When questioning, the following ways of communicating with the respondents are possible:

questionnaire survey by publishing a questionnaire in a newspaper, magazine, book (press);
by distributing questionnaires to a group of respondents.

Depending on the purpose, the survey can be carried out at the place of residence and at the place of work of the respondents.

For example, to assess the effectiveness of the activities of municipal bodies in the field of organizing the service sector, it is advisable to conduct a survey at the place of residence.

Application form is a structurally organized set of questions, each of which reflects the programmatic and procedural objectives of the study.

Each questionnaire has an introductory part containing an appeal to the respondent with an explanation of the purpose and need for the questionnaire, a brief description of the expected results and their usefulness. The degree of anonymity of the survey is indicated.

The questionnaire should express gratitude to the respondent for answering the questions.

Requirements for the questionnaire:

it is necessary to give instructions on how to fill out the questionnaire;
on title page the questionnaire should have a name that reflects the topic or problem of the survey, the name of the organization conducting the survey, place and year of publication;
questions and answer options should be highlighted in font, color, frames, arrows. The text of the questionnaire should be easy to read.

Included in the questionnaire issues are classified for various reasons. Depending on the attitude towards the goal of the study, programmatic-thematic (meaningful, effective) and procedural (functional) polls are distinguished.

According to the subject content, the following questions are distinguished: about the facts; knowledge; opinions, attitudes, motives of behavior.

According to the degree of standardization, questions are divided into closed, semi-closed and open questions.

Closed questions can be: dichotomous ("yes-no"); alternative and "questions-menus".

In open-ended questions, there is no set of possible answers, which makes it somewhat difficult to process the material received. However, with open questions, the respondent's opinion on the issue under consideration is taken into account to a greater extent.

Interview

Interview is a specific type of survey... It is most often used in a pilot study to organize samples at sites. complex structure(enterprises, organizations).

The interviewer fills in the questionnaire in direct contact with the respondent based on the latter's answers.

Personal interview there is individual and group. This method is expensive, but it can optimize the survey by establishing friendly relationships. Therefore, interviewers must undergo psychological (communication) training.

Telephone survey assumes a brevity of the conversation that does not allow for personal and sensitive questions. Thus, such a survey allows obtaining information within a limited thematic framework.

Poll by mail is cheap, but requires clear definition of issues. In addition, the addressees may not answer the questions posed.

Socio-statistical diagnostics allows you to get an opinion on various socio-economic transformations, the work of state and municipal authorities, the impact of television on young people and other groups of the population.

Having seriously delved into the sea of specialized sources for creating polls, I decided to publish my knowledge in the form of a serious manual. But its volume with each new block of information began to drag on to a full-fledged brochure. Therefore, I decided to divide it into the following three articles:

in the first, I will explain the concept of polling, and also explain its importance in internet marketing and blogging. You will learn how it is done, what questions it may contain, I will explain in detail the essence of the questionnaire, and I will show my procedure for conducting a questionnaire.
in the second post, I'll show you the different ways to create a questionnaire on your site. To accomplish this task, I will use step-by-step instructions with original pictures.
in the third article you will see my way of creating a questionnaire using a special script from LimeSurvey. I will tell you in detail how you can implement the knowledge of the first article in various polls on your resource.

What is social survey

If we talk simple language, then a social survey is a communication option in which specific information is collected. Here the creator of the poll (interviewer) asks questions to his opponent (respondent), and then processes them to complete any tasks.

In scientific terms, the survey method is psychological way communicative interaction between the interviewer and the respondent, which allows you to get answers to the questions posed. In another way, we can say that conducting a survey is a kind of research that allows you to find out the needs of respondents. Basically, the following two survey methods are commonly used - laddering and questionnaire.

Ladder method (laddering)

This type of social survey is actively used in various marketing research. Thanks to him, the causal relationship between the properties of the product (service, brand), the benefits of use and the values of consumers is easily identified.

The implementation of this method is as follows - the respondent is asked questions about various properties of a product (service, brand), about consumption options, etc. Usually there is such a scheme of conversation - the interviewer asks "why ...?", The opponent of the survey gives a specific answer. Depending on the answer, there are the following questions, the opponent answers them. Roughly speaking, this is such a conversation in which questions are often formed according to the answers of the respondents.

The advantage of this method is that there is a live feedback - the respondent gives exhaustive answers, the interviewer can ask more precise questions to obtain complete data for the study.

Disadvantage of laddering - respondents may due to lack of practical experience on the use of the investigated object to invent answers. That is, they offer the interviewer little understood or habitual reasons as answers.

What is questionnaire

This research method uses a specially created questionnaire with pre-prepared questions. In another way, it is called a questionnaire. The questionnaire survey does not require live communication with the respondent - you can answer the questionnaire questions remotely.

Therefore, this method of conducting a poll has a number of positive aspects:

a questionnaire survey using pre-prepared questionnaires can be carried out with a large number respondents (mass character of the study);
The survey can be carried out anonymously, without requiring the respondent's details (allows you to cover all segments of the population as much as possible).

The disadvantage of the questionnaire is significant:

without full-fledged live feedback, a large percentage of questionnaires are unanswered.

How does a survey differ from a questionnaire

In the first case, the interviewer can get full answers for research thanks to his clarifying questions. The respondent is actively involved in communication, the interviewer monitors the progress of the conversation and, if necessary, carefully changes the direction of his questions. The main thing here is to ask the first questions on the topic, and then specific leads will follow, already according to the respondent's answers.

When questioning, such a full-fledged contact cannot be. Therefore, the interviewer has to think in advance of the entire range of possible questions (and, accordingly, answers) that will allow him to obtain the maximum results for the study. Therefore, it is the initial preparation that is very important here - the creation of the questionnaire.

Using survey in internet marketing and blogging

Using Surveys in Internet Marketing

Social polls have always accompanied those spheres of human activity where there are goods and services. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that in internet marketing this tool getting answers is widely used in various fields. Here's an example of some:

consumer market research (checking the popularity of a trend, assessing purchasing power, etc.);
assessment of the success of a specific product or service (satisfaction with a specific product, customer survey, etc.);
research of human resources (assessment of working personnel, analysis of employee motivation, etc.);

Most often, the second method of conducting a survey is used - a questionnaire. Usually, the questionnaires are filled out either before receiving the product (service), or after the purchase.

Laddering is also used for various marketing research... But in this case, full feedback from the buyer is required (often used in the form of an online consultation).

Using polls in blogging

The blogosphere mainly uses questionnaires - it is very difficult to conduct live communication on blogs. It is easier for a blogger to conduct his research by sending a questionnaire to his subscribers. Of course, not every respondent will answer the questionnaire. But this version of the survey requires an order of magnitude less cost than conducting a study using laddering.

What topics do bloggers do most of their polls on? In my opinion, the most popular research topics are the following topics of blogging life:

assessment of the blogger's activities, research of his ability to serve full-fledged content to readers;
researching the functionality of your blog, identifying design errors, getting recommendations;
testing their information products, researching their consumer value for their customers;

The survey is carried out different ways, which I will discuss in more detail in the following articles on this topic. You can see an example of one such questionnaire in the last part of this post.

In the future, all information on creating a survey on your site will be based on the second method, questioning.

Drawing up a questionnaire for conducting a survey

As I already said, in the survey method, the most important and difficult question is the moment of creating the survey. The interviewer needs not only to understand the research topic, but also to draw up the questionnaire correctly. Below you will see a number of recommendations and my outline of the questionnaire survey.

Rules for compiling a questionnaire for a survey

Formation of research tasks... Before creating a questionnaire, you need to think over the objectives of the survey. To do this, it is necessary to compose only such questions, the answers to which will evaluate the study.
Brevity is not only the sister of talent, but also poll success.... Formulate your questions briefly and succinctly - you should not add clarifying phrases when everything is clear from the question itself. They will distract the respondent.
Consistency of questions... Veiled and meaningless phrases will lead the opponent away from the real answer. This can confuse the respondent in the causal relationship of the question, which will negatively affect the research results.
Sequence of questions... Follow the order of the questionnaire questions. If there is an incorrect sequence in the survey, the interviewer will receive distorted information on the research at the exit. To prevent this, a simple technique is often used - first, simple questions are shown, and then the degree of their complexity is increased.
One question, one topic... It is better to ask the respondent only one answer in one question. Then it will be considered the only important one. Otherwise, in the presence of several topics, the emphasis on the primary issue may go to another.
No clues... There should be no obvious prompts in the questionnaire questions. Otherwise, the research will not be natural - its answers will lead to distortion of the results. Only an explanation of a complex issue is allowed.
Using open-ended questions... By giving the respondent the opportunity to give his own answer, without choosing from the proposed ones, the study will turn out to be more accurate and complete (it covers different sides).

The scheme of the questionnaire survey

Having thought over the topic of research and compiled a list of the necessary questions in your head or on paper, you can proceed to the stage of creating a questionnaire. Here's my scheme for running my anchor polls:

This plan is only used for anonymous polls... If, for the questionnaire, it is required to record the details of the research participants, then another item "Registration" appears. It comes right after the "Greeting" item.

Also, to create a successful questionnaire, I am guided by the following guidelines:

The questionnaire should not contain spelling errors. Otherwise, the respondents' confidence in the interviewer falls, which may affect the quality of the research results.
I give all possible answers to each question. If necessary, I add a field for the respondent's personal answer.
Before publishing, I test the created poll. I usually read aloud everything that is written in the questionnaire. And also I answer the questions of the so-called aerobatics worksheet:

Classification of questions in the questionnaire

All questions used in the questionnaire can be classified:

questions about the facts of consciousness (show the opinion of the respondent, his wishes and plans for the future);
questions about the facts of behavior (identify the actions and actions of the respondent);
questions about the personality of the respondent (show his personal characteristics - gender, age, etc.).

in form

closed questions. In the questionnaire, there are ready-made answers to them, from which the respondent chooses his own version;
open questions. They do not affect the respondent's answer (no suggested answers). Thus, they allow him to express his point of view on the issue. Therefore, they are more informative and complete than closed ones.
semi-closed questions. They contain both obvious answer options and the opportunity for the respondent to write his own version.
direct and indirect questions.

A few words about closed questions. They can be alternative (the respondent can choose only one answer from the proposed ones) and non-alternative (several answers). Mostly used in simple questions where the choice is obvious (one or more). Otherwise, if a detailed answer is required from the respondent, open or semi-closed questions are offered.

by the method of transmission of the question

This type of questions will be discussed with examples in the last part of this manual (3rd post about the script).

Common mistakes when designing a survey

The illogicality of the questions (answers). This mistake is often found in questionnaires - questions (or answers) contain semantic logical inconsistencies and contradictions. As a result, such questionnaires are difficult to analyze, and the research results will be unreliable. Here is an example of a semi-closed question with an extra answer (the last one) that can confuse the respondent for a while:

Multiple survey topics... In order not to distract the respondent from the questions, you should not cram two topics into one question at once. Otherwise, the results may lose their information content (information distortion). Here is an example of a questionnaire question with several discussion topics:

Lack of equal choice... It happens that the question of the questionnaire divides the respondent's opinion into opposite halves. Not only is he unable to choose a normal answer, but it also makes him overstrain his brain. Here's an example of such a question:

The presence of specific issues requiring special knowledge... I recently answered a questionnaire of a popular information businessman on the Runet about his mailing. Many of the questions in his questionnaire contained specific terms. I had to climb Yandex in search of deciphering tricky phrases.

Very difficult questions... Simplicity is the key to success in any business. The rule is simple - the simpler the question, the more adequate the result will be. Here is an example of one question about instant coffee, after which the desire to answer may decrease:

An example of a questionnaire to evaluate your site

In conclusion, I offer you a small template version of the survey for evaluating a personal site. The questions in this questionnaire are simple, the answers contain a little humor. You can make your own version of the questionnaire using this template and get a lot of useful and relevant information about your site. Here is a link to this profile:

This concludes the theoretical part of the survey design. In the next part I will talk about how to create a questionnaire already on your site in various ways.

Respectfully yours, Maxim Dovzhenko

To evaluate a particular program in a broad sense means to compare the indicators of interest before and after the program, on the basis of which conclusions can be drawn regarding its effectiveness. However, such a comparison requires a large array of reliable comparable data for at least two periods, without which the results of the program will remain undetected. The most obvious way to collect the data you need is through surveys.

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Subtitles

Survey (eng. poll) - a method of collecting information from the words of the respondent.

One of the main problems in evaluating a program is obtaining high-quality and reliable data, the collection of which can be very costly in both time and money. Therefore, to ensure that no effort is wasted, it is especially important to follow the basic principles when conducting the survey.

Basic principles of conducting a survey

The interview should be conducted on a representative sample: the sample of interviewees should include representatives of all major groups affected by the program in order to obtain reliable data consistent with reality.
It is necessary to carefully consider the sample size: due to the significant limited resources, the optimal survey scale should be chosen, which does not go beyond the budget, but allows you to obtain a sufficient amount of information
The survey questionnaire should be practically useful: the result of the survey should be the receipt of information that is important for evaluating the program, as a result of which the questions should be designed in such a way that the respondents can give meaningful answers to them, and the researcher can receive valuable information for him.
The answers received should be reliable and unbiased: during the survey, the respondents should not have a desire to distort the information. By designing the questions correctly, the problem of bias in the answers can be avoided, thus obtaining reliable data.
Before conducting the survey, it is necessary to study the already available data: the information of interest to the researcher could have been collected before him by non-governmental organizations or government bodies. This will significantly expand the amount of available knowledge regarding the issue under study, and will also help to significantly reduce the costs of collecting information.

However, getting really high-quality and necessary research information requires not only following the basic principles. Who needs to be interviewed to obtain comparable and consistent data on program performance? When should you do it? The answers to these questions are established as part of the study design.

Study design

Study design (eng. research design) - a form of research, within the framework of which, among other things, a method for collecting comparable data to assess the effectiveness of the program is specified. By emphasizing the use of comparative data to interpret the effect of the program, it is the study design that determines whether the identified changes are a consequence of the implementation of the evaluated program, or are the results of external variables.

Among different types study design can be divided into two main categories: experimental (eng. true-experimental design) and quasi-experimental design (eng. quasi-experimental design).

Experimental design

Experimental design (eng. experimental design) is a way of conducting research in which the objects of research (students, teachers, retirees - that is, the target audience of the program) are randomly assigned to two groups: the group exposed to the program, and the control group, that is, the base for comparison. One of the most commonly used experimental designs is the randomized sample design.

Randomized sample design (eng. r andomized control trials - RTC) is a form of experimental research, in which the effects of one or more interventions are assessed based on a random randomized distribution of subjects into treatment and control groups. The randomized distribution of objects into groups means that each of them has the same chance of being in the program. The experimental group is exposed to the program, while the control group is not exposed to it and is used as a base for comparison. After the implementation of the program, by interviewing all groups, the researchers try to understand how significant the changes in the experimental group are compared to the control group.

Only random distribution provides confidence that the groups are truly comparable and that observed differences in results are not due to extraneous factors or pre-existing differences. For example, what conclusion can be drawn from what the exposed group of students showed top scores than the control group if more qualified and creative teachers were involved with the first group of students before the program than with the second? How can the observed difference between the groups be explained: by the effect of the program, or by the inherent differences between them? A random distribution of students into groups would only show the effect of the program.

Limitations of using experimental designs

However, using experimental design has its limitations. Experimental design is usually unsuitable for the analysis of complex programs, where, as in most political programs, the results obtained are the result of the simultaneous interaction of several factors at once, which the experimental design in most cases cannot capture.

Problems arise because the researcher is unable to eliminate the influence of all possible external factors, and sometimes this turns out to be unnecessary. Indeed, in reality, the random distribution of students does not seem plausible, and the purpose of the implementation of any program is to influence the distribution of objects that takes place in reality in different territories. This means that the effectiveness of the program often needs to be assessed in conjunction with external factors... As a result, within a randomized sample, it is difficult to assess the causal relationship between outcomes and factors, which means that the effectiveness of the program and methods for its improvement can hardly be determined.

Quasi-experimental design (eng. quasi-experimental design) - a way of conducting research, in which the emphasis from the probability distribution and causality of experimental designs is shifted to the analysis of interactions between variables. Quasi-experimental designs are commonly used in program evaluation when random assignment is not possible or practical. However, despite the frequency of use, quasi-experimental designs suffer from some interpretation problems. Commonly used types of quasi-experimental designs include numerous designs of nonequivalent groups ( nonequivalent group design) and time series design ( time-series design).

Design of non-equivalent groups

Design of Non-Equivalent Groups with Post-Intervention Assessment (eng. Nonequivalent group, posttest only) includes measuring the results by surveys in two experimental groups, but only after the implementation of the program. For example, one group of students could receive instruction on reading in a foreign language using the exercises and rules of the entire course as a whole, while the other - only instructions on phonetics. And after two weeks, a screening test would show which of the two programs was more effective. However, the main drawback is the problem of interpreting the results obtained, since it becomes unclear whether the best reading results in one group are a consequence of the implementation of the program, or whether the groups initially differed in different abilities in foreign languages.

Design of non-equivalent groups with pre- and post-intervention assessment (eng. Nonequivalent group, pretest-posttest) partially eliminates main drawback of the previous design with evaluation only after the intervention. In this design, the researcher empirically evaluates the differences between the two groups at the very beginning of the experiment - that is, an assessment takes place before the program is carried out. Thus, if the researcher, when assessing the changes after the program, finds that one of the groups performed better, he can exclude the influence of the initial differences in favor of this group (if such were not found), or, on the contrary, draw conclusions regarding the influence of this factor, together with the effect programs.

One-to-one design

Feature one-to-one design (eng. One to one matched comparison group design) is that both the experimental and the control group are selected after the implementation of the studied program. The experimental group is recruited from those who have been influenced by the program, the base for comparison includes those who themselves decided not to participate in this program, but fit all the characteristics and received an "invitation". Thus, this design wins over the others in that the comparison takes place between two completely identical groups of people in the ideal: as if before and after the program. However, in practice it turns out to be very difficult to find such a control group, since there are always some external factors.

Time series design

Time series design (eng. Time series design) includes a repeated assessment of current changes in two groups - control and experimental - both before the program and during its implementation. A series of observations of two groups provides comprehensive information about gradual changes under the influence of the program, which means that the design is most sensitive to determining the general trend of the changes taking place. However, despite all the advantages of time series design, albeit to a lesser extent, all the disadvantages and limitations of quasi-experimental designs are inherent.

Literature

Campbell DT, Stanley JC: Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research. Chicago: Rand-McNally, 1963
Cook TD, Campbell DT: Quasi-experimentation. Chicago: Rand-McNally, 1979
David M. Streinberg, William G. Hunter Experimental design: review and comment. University of Wisconsin, Madison 1984
John Bynner Experimental research strategy and evaluation research designs. British Educatiobal Research Journal, 1980
Introductory Guide to Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA)

A variety of questionnaires are the most common methods for obtaining initial information in a particular direction. The main types of surveys are characterized by the promptness of obtaining results, economy, and simplicity. These parameters made such studies popular among politicians, entrepreneurs, school teachers... To obtain reliable types of questions in the survey, they are selected taking into account the age of the respondents and their level of education.

Forms of conducting

Depending on the functions assigned to the survey, it can be carried out in two ways:

interview;
questioning.

Features of a sociological survey

A sociological survey is a variant of primary sociological information. Its main types are based on an indirect or direct connection between the respondent and the researcher. The purpose of such a relationship will be to obtain specific data from the respondent in the form of answers to the questions posed.

The essence of the methodology is to communicate directly or indirectly through the questioner with a group of people (respondents). Almost all types of sociological polls involve a question-and-answer dialogue. The specificity of such communication lies in the fact that it must not only clearly correspond to the algorithm, but also take into account that the participants will be simple people answering questions using their everyday experience. The types of sociological survey are selected depending on the objectives of the study, requirements for the reliability and reliability of the information being studied, organizational and economic capabilities.

The value of sociological research

Such a survey plays special role in a variety of sociological studies. Its main purpose is to obtain sociological information about the state of collective, personal, public opinion, as well as facts, assessments, events directly related to the activities of the respondents. Scientists are convinced that almost 90 percent of important empirical information comes from sociological research. Various types of surveys are recognized as the leading research on human consciousness. They are especially important for the analysis of social processes, as well as those phenomena that are inaccessible with simple observation.

Classification of contacts with respondents

Currently, it is customary to subdivide the types of surveys into several main groups:

personal conversations (face-to-face polls);
apartment (held at the place of direct residence of the respondents);
street (carried out on the streets, in shopping centers);
variant with a central location (hall-test).

Remote polling

They involve obtaining information remotely. There is a certain classification of survey data:

internet polls;
telephone conversations;
self-filled questionnaire forms.

Let's analyze the features distance forms: telephone conversation and internet survey.

Telephone survey

These types of surveys are indispensable in those situations where attitude research is being carried out. Also, similar options are used for areas that are significantly distant from each other. How is a telephone survey done? To begin with, it will be necessary to create the largest possible database of telephone numbers of candidates for respondents. Further, several numbers are randomly selected from the created telephone base, which will become direct participants in this study.

The advantages of this survey option:

speed of execution;
insignificant research cost;
the use of a rather large territory in the survey;
the ability to involve different groups of respondents in research;
no problems with quality control of interviewers' work.

Among the main disadvantages of telephone research, we note significant limitations on the duration of the interview. Besides, similar option not always possible, as in many settlements There are problems with telephone lines in Russia. If you analyze modern species polls, then the telephone option will be the most efficient. It makes it possible to identify the opinions of different groups of the population on all issues. There is a subdivision of such survey options according to the type of respondents used: interviews with legal entities, interviewing individuals.

In a telephone interview, certain stages are distinguished:

development of questionnaires;
sampling.

Depending on the purpose of the study, the sample can be targeted when subscribers are selected according to certain criteria: age, position held. These types of citizen interviews are carried out by pre-trained interviewers. They listen to the subscriber's answers, enter them into a special electronic or printed questionnaire. Further, questionnaires are processed, tables are created, graphs and diagrams are built. Experts carry out analytical processing of the received data, provide the customer with a report. In it, all the answers of the respondents are divided into certain groups, the tables are accompanied by the main conclusions. Telephone polls will be effective in those settlements in which more than 75 percent of the population has telephones. Otherwise, it will be difficult to talk about the reliability of the information that will be obtained as a result of the questionnaire.

Why do you conduct telephone surveys?

These types of questionnaires are intended to identify the attitude of the population towards certain brands, goods, companies. A telephone survey makes it possible to receive prompt information on how the market and consumers react to actions competitive companies... Such a study guarantees, without significant financial costs, to carry out a market analysis before the start, as well as after the completion of promotions, to identify the effectiveness of the measures taken.

Based on the results of the telephone survey, it is impossible to collect in-depth material, since there are restrictions on the degree of complexity of the questions, the time of the conversation. Such a study is not suitable for studying the company's income, analyzing the work of the management team.

Internet survey

Let's analyze different types Internet surveys that allow you to collect sociological information on specific facts, events online.

Considering the multi-million army of Internet users, this research option is quite effective and gives good results. The main advantages of such a survey are its efficiency. This testing has its drawbacks, which should also be mentioned. The results are influenced by the attendance of those sites on the basis of which the survey is conducted. It is difficult for developers to control the respondent's actions, so the results are highly questionable.

By the end of the last century, the World Wide Web began to be used by many sociologists to carry out serious research on topical issues. Information can be obtained from all countries of the world and even from different continents. Thanks to Internet technologies, the collection of initial information for conducting research on various social processes is accelerating. IT allows conducting expert surveys, personal interviews, virtual focus groups. In our country, opinion polls conducted via the Internet are still considered a rare occurrence. In European countries, such surveys are carried out much more often, replacing them with an oral survey. The types of oral questioning used in a regular interview do not allow obtaining the desired results in a short period of time. Networked research has certain advantages over traditional forms.

Benefits of Internet Surveys

Such studies make it possible to save material and human resources as well as the time receiving data High Quality... The decisive factor is precisely the saving of resources in the implementation of Internet surveys. Traditional forms do not attract respondents, since they have to break away from their current activities. If the questionnaire is presented on several pages, not all people have the patience to read it to the end. The disadvantage of the paper questionnaire is that it does not allow the respondent to evaluate the intermediate test results.

Web-based tests provide individual feedback after completing the survey, encouraging the respondent to participate systematically in such surveys. The surveyed web users develop a positive attitude towards such research, and there is a desire to attract friends and colleagues to them. Scientists also highlight the environmental validity of Internet surveys. When interviewing, a person is in his usual, comfortable conditions. You can take the survey at any convenient time, so the respondents do not want to get rid of the questionnaire as soon as possible. The methodology of such a study assumes direct visual contact between the respondent and the sociologist. As a result, a communicative situation is created in which there is no psychological discomfort. The absence of coercion, shyness, awkwardness, nervousness typical for a classic survey, guarantees frank and complete answers to the questions offered in the questionnaires.

Problems associated with the use of alcohol, drugs, and suicide are difficult to identify with conventional surveys, as many see this as an attempt at invasion of privacy. Traditional methods do not guarantee the anonymity of the respondents, so the Internet is dealing with the problem of openness. Unlike paper interviews, electronic surveys have detailed and detailed answers. This methodology opens up new horizons for there are certain technical and methodological problems in the use of Internet questionnaires.

First of all, it should be noted the limited number of people who have Free access to the internet. In addition, the types of survey questionnaires have a certain scope by topic and are not suitable for carrying out global research. Among the technical problems, we note the limitedness of the proposed answer options. When the respondent enters his own version, it becomes difficult to process the results of the questionnaire. There are problems with software, a significant distortion of the results obtained is possible. Some respondents answer the same questionnaire several times, especially if the questionnaire involves material reward. As a result, the objectivity of the results decreases, it is impossible to talk about their reliability.

Comparison of a telephone survey and an Internet survey

Comparing these types, methods of polling, sociologists give preference to Internet technologies. Telephone interviews are often rejected by potential respondents. About 10-15 percent agree to take part in research, the rest of the people just hang up. There is no interest in the polls, since the respondents have no material interest. Online questionnaires are faced with technical problems; they are inaccessible to villages remote from communications.

School Surveys

The most common types of survey in the lesson: frontal, individual. Let's analyze distinctive features each option for testing the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of students used by teachers of educational institutions. suitable for a quick homework check. For example, the teacher might ask the children questions, including the whole class. Such types of questioning in the classroom allow the teacher, in a short time period, to assess the knowledge of the students, the practical skills they have acquired.

For chemistry and physics lessons, thematic dictations are suitable. The teacher offers questions, the answers to which will be formulas or units of measurement of physical (chemical) quantities. The dictation test can also be carried out frontally, calling each student in the class to the board "in a chain". Such a survey will take a matter of minutes, while it will allow you to evaluate almost all students in the class. Humanities teachers (history, social studies, Russian language, literature) prefer individual surveys. Of course, the questionnaire is used in their work not only by teachers, but also by the students themselves. Catching up extracurricular activities while working on their own research, project, the guys use different types of polls, types of interviews. First, the teacher explains to the child the specifics of the questionnaire, and only after that the young sociologist starts his own research.

Among the nuances that are important to pay attention to when preparing for sociological surveys, one can single out their complete anonymity. For example, a child, through a questionnaire, finds out which shampoos his classmates, teachers, and parents prefer to buy. Further, the young scientist conducts his own research in a chemical laboratory, armed with scientific methods, he finds out the effectiveness of this product. At the next stage of work, he compares the results of the questionnaire with the results of the experiment, compares them.

V modern school polls have become commonplace; no event is complete without them. For example, in order to assess the degree of comfort in the classroom, the psychologist invites the children to answer the questions of the questionnaire. Then the obtained results are processed, psychological condition collective. When a teacher passes qualification tests, a questionnaire survey of parents, students, colleagues at work is also provided. The results obtained are drawn up in the form of a graph or diagram, attached to the correspondence of the teacher to the declared category. Among the latest innovations used in the learning process, it is possible to note the final tests for graduates of primary and secondary schools, offered in the form of tests.

Conclusion

Currently, in all spheres of human activity are used different kinds survey methods: telephone interviews, Internet surveys, frontal conversations. Depending on the purpose, the optimal form, type, duration of the questionnaire are selected. The synthesis of interviewing and questioning is a telephone survey. It is mainly used during advertising and election campaigns... Polls are used by science to solve practical problems. Statisticians have been using similar methods for a long time to collect information about labor resources, structure, family expenses.

Journalists use a similar technique to determine the rating of programs and publications. TV journalists do not select respondents based on certain criteria; therefore, the research results are significantly distorted. Teachers use a survey of pupils as a way to control the acquired knowledge, check homework. Doctors conduct a survey of primary patients, finding out information about existing diseases. The questions asked should take into account psychological characteristics respondents, the situation before the conversation. Thinking over the survey, the sociologist chooses one of the options: a questionnaire or an interview. Considering that an interview can be individual or group, its form is selected in advance.

A common variant of the questionnaire survey is the distribution of questionnaires to the respondents. Such a survey can be carried out at the place of residence, work of the respondents. Thus, the assessment of the quality and efficiency of the work of the public sector bodies involves surveys of residents. The questionnaire implies a certain set of questions, each of which reflects certain research objectives. The questionnaire has an introductory part, it contains an appeal to the respondent, explains the purpose and objectives of the survey, a brief description of expected results, their benefits. Also, the questionnaire should indicate the degree of anonymity of the survey being conducted.

In order for the questionnaire to be complete, it must have detailed instructions for filling out, name, place and year of publication.

Full-fledged social and statistical diagnostics makes it possible to obtain information about various social and economic transformations, the activities of municipal and government agencies management, impact on the youth of television and radio.