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A citizen's guide to survey research (HTML) (PDF)


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Survey research is obtaining information about a large group of people by contacting or sampling a smaller group within the large group. It is an efficient way of getting information with which to make decisions about the group as a whole.

Any organization that deals with a large group of people -- from the general public to a specialized list of clients or members -- should consider using survey research in its operation.


How do we get started?

It is difficult these days to pick up a newspaper, look at a magazine or watch a television news shows without reading or hearing about the results of a survey.  The pervasiveness of surveys is perhaps the best indicator of this research method’s ability to effectively and efficiently gather accurate and reliable information about individuals’ opinions, beliefs and actions.

The first step in the survey process is to develop a rough idea of the type of information needed. 

Next, contact us. 

We will work with you to develop a research plan and a survey questionnaire that will gather the type of information needed.  In developing this plan and questionnaire, we will help you identify the advantages and disadvantages of different options or alternative approaches.  The development process will continue until a satisfactory research plan and survey questionnaire is identified.


What is the cost of a survey?

Conducting a survey costs money.  However, the cost of a survey varies by the methods used in conducting the research.  In general, survey costs are affected by factors such as

(a) the type of survey being conducted (mail, telephone or in-person),
(b) the ease of contacting respondents,
(c) the size of the sample being used, and
(d) the amount and complexity of the information collected.

Cost is only one of the factors to consider in deciding what methods to use in conducting a particular survey.  It is the case, however, that in many situations a relatively inexpensive survey is appropriate.

Southern Opinion Research will work with a client in every way possible to conduct surveys at the lowest cost and still deliever accurate, reliable and useful information. Our low overhead and efficient methods assure that our surveys are conducted at reasonable costs to the client.

For specific prices on survey projects, call us. The phone call does not obligate you to anything, and we can usually give you an estimate of cost after only a brief conversation.


How long does it take to conduct a survey?

The amount of time needed to complete a research project varies by the methods used.  Mail surveys, for example, taken considerably longer to complete than do telephone studies.  Similarly, surveys based upon larger samples usually take longer to finish than those based upon a smaller number of respondents. 

Still, once data collection begins it is usually a matter of days rather than weeks before final results are available.  Indeed, in our experience, the process of developing a questionnaire usually takes more time than does data collection, analysis, and report preparation.


What kind of information will we get from a survey?

Typically, the reports prepared for our clients cover two areas.  First, the methods used in conducting the survey are described.  Second, and more importantly, the results of the survey are presented. This presentation of results includes the frequencies of responses to the different questions in the survey.  The results may also include tables showing how different types of respondents (i.e. males and females, younger and older citizens) answered the survey’s questions.  When appropriate and possible, the report may also compare the findings of the survey to those of other, related and publicly available, studies conducting at different times or in different locations.