I 100% believe that if you’re administering surveys, you have an obligation to the larger research and evaluation community to make the survey-taking experience positive.
It’s like paying it forward. If the participant has a good experience with your survey, they’re more likely to engage when asked to take another survey down the road.
That’s why the following quote from a newsletter by Kirsten Lee Hill, Ph.D. really resonated with me.
Here’s what Kirsten said: “A good survey is clear. It only asks what it can use. It adapts based on what you say. And it never forgets that a real person is on the other end. When you get that wrong, the damage lingers. Not just for your data—which will be garbage—but for the person who was willing to engage. They took time. They made an effort. And now they’re left feeling ignored, offended, or annoyed.”
Perfectly stated, Kirsten!
Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share some tips for accomplishing what Kirsten outlined above:
- About 80% of survey takers will complete their survey on a phone or tablet. Make sure you test the survey both on a desktop and a mobile device.
- Surveys for adults should not exceed 6 to 8 minutes. Even 8 minutes is pushing their attention span. Surveys should be even shorter for children and adolescents, ideally under 5 minutes.
- Money talks. Add an incentive for participants who complete your surveys. To maximize your funds, try a raffle. For example, participants who complete the survey could be entered in a raffle to win one of two $100 gift cards.
- Always pilot your survey with a small number of participants. Every survey pilot we’ve ever conducted has provided critical feedback that has improved the participant experience and the quality of the data that the survey generates.
