What’s the Best Sample Size? We’re often asked, “What’s the best sample size?” Seems simple enough, but it isn’t. Larger is better, because the more responses you have, the lower your margin of error (MOE). However, we realize there sometimes is the need to balance precision with budget. For many applications, an acceptable MOE is […]

Lousy List, Lousy Survey? We all know that a mail survey’s mailing list is the lifeline of a research project. The mailing list, or survey sample, is meant to represent your population of interest—the group of people you wish to learn something about. Recently, we implemented a mail survey that was intended to represent a […]

The Importance of Questionnaire Design Planning a survey requires many steps and decisions along the way: “How many people do I need to survey? How am I going to distribute the survey?” And, while people often figure out what questions they want to ask, many overlook the importance of expert, unbiased questionnaire design. When you […]

Evaluating Research Proposals Comparing proposals “apples-to-apples” is crucial to establishing which one will best meet your needs. Consider these ideas to help you focus on the details that contribute to a successful survey. Make sure the proposal responds to your objectives. The proposal process begins well before you ask any research firm for quote. The […]