Quantitative Research
10/13/15
Weight on What Matters
In May, Kate and I went to AAPOR’s 70th Annual Conference in Hollywood, FL. Kate did a more timely job of summarizing our learnings, but now that things have had some time to settle, I thought I’d discuss an issue that came up in several presentations, most memorably in Andy Peytchev’s presentation on Weighting Adjustments […]
By Beth MulliganRead More
10/6/15
What your response rate says about engagement
When we think about tracking customer satisfaction via surveys, the analysis is almost always on the survey responses themselves: how many said they were satisfied, what is driving satisfaction, and so on. (See a related post on 4 ways to report customer satisfaction.) Not shocking (and of course we should look at the results to questions […]
By David KennedyRead More
8/27/15
Graphs: An effective tool, but use them carefully
Ahh…the graph. Where would the business world be without them? While some of us are just as content looking through a giant spreadsheet full of numbers, graphs can help to illustrate the story more effectively for number geeks and math haters alike. However, while graphs can be a great tool, there are certainly times when […]
By Matt HerndonRead More
9/9/14
Asking the “right” people is half the challenge
We’ve been blogging a lot lately about potential problem areas for research, evaluation, and strategy. In thinking about research specifically, making sure you can trust results often boils down to these three points: Ask the right questions; Of the right people; and Analyze the data correctly As Kevin pointed out in a blog nearly a year […]
By David KennedyRead More
8/19/14
Begin with the end in mind
Don't take a research misstep before you even begin. Set 3-5 major goals for the research up front to ensure the end result will meet the needs for which the research was undertaken in the first place.
By Matt HerndonRead More
8/5/14
Millionaires at McDonalds
A few outliers, such as the uber rich Donald Thump, can have a dramatic influence over your survey results. Carefully consider outliers and read our blog for solutions to handle them in an analysis.
By Matt BruceRead More
6/6/14
A dose of data for your springtime allergies
Like many people, I have “seasonal allergies.” March and April bring sneezing fits and foggy brain days for me. Often I get a sore throat and headaches. One year I went through three strep throat tests and a course of antibiotics before my doctor decided my swollen throat was caused by allergies. Knowing you’re allergic […]
By Beth MulliganRead More
5/16/14
Can you spot statistically significant differences in your data?
Making data-driven strategic decisions frequently involves understanding differences. For example, are there differences in public opinion, demographics, or the way people behave? Are there differences among groups of people, between two points in time, or differences from one program to another? Many of our clients ask for help measuring differences and sparking insights from the […]
By Matt BruceRead More
3/20/14
How to make sense of open-ended responses
As we’ve pointed out before, including an open-ended question or two on a survey can be incredibly enlightening. After all, these kinds of questions really bring the attitudes and beliefs of respondents to life and leave the researcher with a rich pool of genuine opinions on a topic. However, open-ended data can sometimes present an […]
By Sarah WilliamsRead More
3/13/14
How to ask demographic questions
Asking demographic questions (e.g., age, gender, marital status) should be the easiest of survey questions to ask, right? What if I told you asking someone how old they are will yield different results than asking in what year they were born, or that asking a sensitive question (e.g., How much money did you make last […]
By Matt BruceRead More