Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Although working through the preceding types of questions when selecting an
online survey vendor may limit poor selections and costly mistakes, there are
no guarantees - just as there are no guarantees that mailing a survey to a set
list of participants will provide an adequate and appropriate response rate for
analysis. We can say with confidence, however, that being clear about expecta-
tions and resources will make the process go much more smoothly and mini-
mize the potential for major problems in a study.
In this chapter we have attempted to give you a general overview of survey
techniques, and how they apply to the web-based environment. It was our
intention to provide you with general tools to think about web-based survey
options and begin to develop your own ideas about what will work best for you
and your research endeavors. As in early chapters, once you have an idea of
which approach you're going to take, and have begun to outline your study
with the tools provided here, we encourage you to look for manuals and online
help services that will enable you to become comfortable within the specific
environment in which you're planning to work.
