Add a Star to Your Survey
Earlier this year we trumpeted the idea of corporate research groups helping internal business partners do their own research. Sometimes is makes tons of sense, and sometimes not. So when it comes time for something more complicated, how do you educate a client about what matters and what doesn’t in terms of quality and rigor?
In Versta Research’s Summer Newsletter we outline a five star rating system to help. Add a Star to Your Survey lays out the differences between one star surveys and five star surveys and everything in between. In brief:
5 Star Surveys are done mostly by big agencies like the census bureau or academic research centers. They set methodological standards against which all other surveys should be measured.
4 Star Surveys are what most corporate research groups should be aiming for, as they carefully balance the need for rigor vs. the need for speed and cost efficiency.
3 Star Surveys dominate the market, and are often deceptive because the rigor or quantitative expertise guiding the design, fieldwork, and analysis is not what it should be.
2 Star Surveys make good researchers tear their hair out because they blather on about things like statistical significance with no clue as to their true meaning.
1 Star Surveys are insultingly bad, and embody a willful disregard, even mockery, of what surveys can and should be.
We urge you to take a look and to share it with your colleagues. It may inspire them to improve their game by adding a star (you!) to their survey.
