Learning patterns/Is an online survey the right choice?

A learning pattern forSurvey

Learning Pattern Library

Is an online survey the right choice?

problemIs an online survey the right choice to solve a problem?

solutionFollow these guidelines to see if an online survey will help your problem

creator• EGalvez (WMF)

created on7 March, 2016

What problem does this solve?

Surveys are very useful tools for many reasons. From not only research, but also collaborative input, or even formal decision making (like voting). However, not everything can be solved with a survey, and it is important to know when a survey is the right choice.

What is the solution?

• Read through What to expect when doing a survey to see if you feel comfortable with the steps, or know someone who can help you if you don't have the experience.
• It is recommended to not do a survey if...

1. If you plan to act on the results of your survey (which most often, you should) but you don’t have the money, resources, or ability to act. --learning pattern needed--
2. you have already made the decision and you want to see how the decision will be received --learning pattern needed--
3. you don't have a good reason for your survey (e.g. the purpose of the survey is, “It would be great to know….” ) --learning pattern needed--
4. you do not have enough money, time, or resources to correctly carry out the survey to completion. --learning pattern needed--
5. you have never done a survey before and aren't getting help from someone who has, or if you are doing a survey too large for your experience level. --learning pattern needed--
6. you don’t know much about your target audience and you want to use the survey to learn about them (See the learning pattern about focus groups --learning pattern needed--).
7. you want to use the survey to help you reach a decision about a project that is very small in scope or resources. --learning pattern needed--

This is a Survey Support Desk learning pattern