CASRO - Surveys And = You

Surveys And You=20

Answers to some questions = about survey=20 research:=20

What is it. . . Who does it. . . =
How=20 does it involve you. . . How does it help you. .=20 .

=20 When did marketing and public opinion = research start=20 . . . and why?

The first known survey done in the United = States was=20 the U.S. Census of 1790. While some organized survey = research=20 was done between then and the early 1900's, the real = growth of=20 the industry came after World War II.

In the first part of this century there weren't = enough=20 consumer goods available for everyone. Most of what=20 manufacturers made could be sold easily. Manufacturers = didn't=20 have to be concerned about "marketing." For example, = soap was=20 made a batch at a time in kettles and sold in chunks = from door=20 to door. There was no variety in color, fragrance, or=20 performance. Soap was. . . just soap. And the soap = makers=20 didn't make big enough batches to go around.

The great Depression of the 1930's, and then World = War II,=20 changed all that. Changes in our economy and = technological=20 advances during and after the war greatly increased=20 manufacturing capacity. Consumers had more and better = products=20 to choose from and manufacturers had to pay attention = to their=20 customers. Soap makers, holding unsold chunks of "just = soap,"=20 began to respond to demands for better cleaning soap = and more=20 fragrant soap.

It was at this time that the industry known as = marketing=20 research came into its own as the consumer's spokesman = to the=20 manufacturer. Today, the gathering and analysis of = public=20 opinion for business, political, and social issues is=20 sponsored by government agencies, academic = institutions, and=20 business organizations. The growth of survey research = has=20 enabled these sponsors to develop specific programs = and=20 strategies to satisfy what Americans really want and = need.=20 Your opinions do count. Surveys are how your opinions = are=20 collected.

=20 How is = marketing and=20 public opinion research done?

Most survey research simply involves surveys = among a=20 representative sample of individuals. Very carefully = designed=20 questionnaires, usually administered in a structured = manner,=20 are used to guide the interview. They could be about=20 attitudes, needs or preferences. The questions could = be=20 "closed-end" types (for example "yes" or "no") or they = could=20 be "open-ended" ("what do you think of. . ."). There = are not=20 right or wrong answers in survey research. We are only = interested in the opinions of the people being = questioned.=20

=20 How are the interviews conducted?

In a variety of ways. The most = popular means=20 today is by telephone. Some survey research is also = conducted=20 by mail. And some interviews must be done in person = when there=20 is something that must be seen by the respondent (the = word=20 used in our industry to describe the person = interviewed).=20 In-person interviews are conducted door-to-door or in = shopping=20 centers and other high-traffic locations. Sometimes = groups of=20 respondents are invited to the research company's = office.=20

=20 Why are there some questions that don't = sound very=20 sensible?

In order for the answers to a = research=20 question to be usable, the questions have to be asked = in=20 exactly the same way of everybody--even though certain = questions may be more interesting, or seem more = relevant, to=20 some people than to others. This sometimes causes a = situation=20 where a specific question may not seem meaningful, or = is=20 difficult to answer, to a specific person. But the = answers are=20 always important to the research company. =

=20 What are some of the products or services = that=20 market and public opinion research has helped = develop?

Practically everything you can name. Marketing = research=20 is one of the reasons why America has the highest = standard of=20 living in the world. Manufacturers are very responsive = to what=20 they learn from research. We have plastic containers = in the=20 bathroom, instead of breakable glass, because the = public=20 preferred them. We have child-proof closures on = medicines=20 because research helped define the most workable = designs. We=20 have warning labels on products because of public = needs and=20 demands for protection. The location of stores and = shopping=20 centers is based on research. The list is endless. The = product=20 or service that you like best probably came to you = with the=20 aid of marketing research.

Public opinion research determines the best mass = transit=20 systems, what social service programs are needed, what = special=20 services school children and senior citizens need, and = the=20 list goes on.

=20 Who are the "research companies?"

There are well over two thousand = research=20 companies in the United States today. There is usually = at=20 least one in every major town or city. Most are fairly = small=20 companies of two types. One type is called = "interviewing=20 services." Their principal job is to interview people. = The=20 second type is called "full service" research = companies. They=20 do such things as designing the questionnaire to be = used,=20 tabulating the answers, analyzing what the tabulations = mean=20 and reporting the results to the study sponsor. Some=20 "full-service" research companies also do = interviewing, but=20 most use interviewing services for some of their = projects.=20 Universities and colleges and local, state and federal = governments also frequently conduct surveys. =

=20 How can a sample of people for an interview=20 represent everyone?

It does, if done carefully, and is = more=20 efficient than interviewing everybody. Even the U.S. = Census=20 Bureau interviews a small, but very carefully chosen = sample at=20 the end of its regular Census, and uses the results to = adjust=20 the findings of the whole Census! Smaller samples are=20 obviously much more economical for research purposes = and,=20 because they are small, can be controlled better for = fewer=20 errors. It is an established fact that a properly = chosen=20 sample can be perfectly representative of the whole. = For=20 example, a doctor takes only a sample of blood for a = blood=20 test. He doesn't need to take it all.

=20 How are names selected for a sample of = research=20 interviews?

First of all, "names" are almost = never=20 selected. Telephone numbers are usually taken at = random for a=20 telephone interview. Street locations of houses or = apartments=20 are often systematically selected to give proper=20 representation of the area when door-to-door = interviews are to=20 be made.

Why do interviewers ask for names = or=20 addresses or other personal information?

Interviewers often ask for what is = called=20 "demographic" information to help define the interest = that the=20 sample is likely to have in the product or service = being=20 studied. Soft drinks, for example, are more likely to = be=20 consumed by young people than by older people, so that = in a=20 survey about soft drinks, it would be important to ask = the=20 respondent for his or her age. For the same reasons, = it is=20 important to ask for such "demographics" as family = income or=20 education levels, etc.

This information is never looked at by individual = answers.=20 Instead, each person's answers are combined with those = of many=20 others reported as a group to the client who requested = the=20 survey. Most research companies destroy individual=20 questionnaires at the end of the study and names and = addresses=20 of participants are separated from the answers if = additional=20 tabulation of the results are done.

In some studies, interviewers might ask for your = name or=20 address at the end of the interview. This could be for = several=20 purposes--to send a new product to your home to test, = or=20 perhaps for a later check by the interviewing = supervisor to be=20 sure the interview was carried out exactly as = specified.=20 Again, all of the personal records are destroyed after = the=20 study is completed or the validation check has been = made.

The important thing to remember is that = respondents' names=20 and other identifying information are kept strictly=20 confidential. CASRO's Code of Standards for Survey = Research,=20 which must be followed by all CASRO members as a = condition of=20 membership, requires survey research companies to = protect the=20 identities of respondents, and to insure that = individuals and=20 their responses cannot be related.

Do marketing or public opinion = research=20 companies sell anything?

No. They are interested only in summarized = information=20 on the attitudes, opinions, market practices, etc. of = the=20 sampled groups. Occasionally, survey research = companies will=20 offer a gift to the respondent in appreciation of his = or her=20 cooperation. Such a gift could be a cash donation to a = charity, a product sample, or a nominal monetary = award. But,=20 sales or solicitation is not acceptable or permitted = in=20 legitimate and professionally conducted survey = research.

Again, CASRO's Code of Standards states that = "deceptive=20 practices and misrepresentation, such as using = research as a=20 guise for sales or solicitation purposes, are = expressly=20 prohibited."

Who are the "research = companies?"

What do you do when a "research = company"=20 calls you on the telephone and tries to sell you = something?=20

Such companies are not survey research = companies.=20 While selling by telephone is not against the law, = pretending=20 to be "conducting" a survey, when it is not true, is = certainly=20 unethical. Survey research companies don't do this. =

Companies that use the cover of a survey for = another=20 purpose, like sales pitches or soliciting = contributions, often=20 will not say who they are until the respondent has = agreed to=20 buy something. If you think a "phony" survey is taking = place,=20 ask for the name of the research company. If the = company=20 refuses to give it, do not continue the interview. All = research companies state their names at the beginning = of the=20 interview. If the company gives you a name, (1) ask if = it's a=20 research company, (2) ask if it abides by CASRO = research=20 standards, and (3) ask what is the purpose of the = survey. If=20 these questions are answered adequately in your mind, = then you=20 should proceed with the interview. If the answers are = not=20 satisfactory, please contact CASRO, your Better = Business=20 Bureau, and/or the Chamber of Commerce.

May we thank you in advance for the time you will = spend=20 answering survey questions. Your cooperation is a way = of=20 helping improve society, since it will mean better = products=20 and services for you and your neighbors, and because=20 companies, agencies, and government bodies will know = what you=20 want. Your opinion counts.

We would like to hear your suggestions or give you = more=20 information. The CASRO Code of=20 Standards for Survey Research mentioned is = available if=20 you would like a copy. And, if you feel that you've = been=20 subjected to a questionable survey technique or one = whose=20 honesty you aren't sure of, let us know. Just write or = call--=20 CASRO.

Council of American Survey Research = Organizations
3=20 Upper Devon
Port Jefferson, NY 11777
Phone: = (631)=20 928-6954
E-Mail: casro@casro.org