How to prepare a survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to prepare a survey - Essay Example ds to know, which demographic constitution of the population are being surveyed, is it the old, the youth, women, men, children, the schooling, the working population, among the rest of the population. Moreover, he should know their geographic distribution, and how they can be reached effectively and which survey method will give accurate results (Acebit, 2012). Furthermore, he should understand the time schedule for the target population, which will assist in setting up the period and budget for the survey. According to Acebit (2012) & Creative Research Systems (2012), the second step is defining the survey type and the method that will be applied in conducting the survey. Since most of the surveys are quantitative in nature and involves a lot of data collection and analysis, the crucial thing here is to pick methods that will give the most precise and accurate answers as possible. Depending on their target group, surveyors can pick from the following: they can choose interview methods, which can be person-to-person or via telephone conversation. Another method is a questionnaire, which can be sent via mail, email, or given to the population in person, then collected after a given time by the surveyor. The surveyor can also use observation, whereby he/she can interact with the target population, whether participatory or non-participatory to gather data. The choice of the method in the survey shall also determine the cost and outcome of the survey, depending on the demographic nature an d distribution of the population (Creative Research Systems, 2012). The third final step in conducting a survey is designing questions and means of analysis the results after the survey. The design of the questions whether in questionnaires or interviews needs to be pointed out clear, where all audiences can answer without strain. The questions should also be well structured and not ambiguous to enable the surveyor get the most accurate results. The questions are then pre-tested