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Surveys

Informal polls. Surveys. In general. Informal surveys can be used to gain a general sense of what a group of people think about an issue. Not rigidly, statistically based. Surveys tell communicators what people think about a topic - Generate responses. Localization.

brielle-schmidt
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Surveys

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  1. Informal polls Surveys

  2. In general • Informal surveys can be used to gain a general sense of what a group of people think about an issue. • Not rigidly, statistically based. • Surveys tell communicators what people think about a topic- Generate responses

  3. Localization • Informal surveys can allow us to localize (gauge local opinion) on a topic: • For example – Legal medical marijuana- Good idea or bad idea?- Why or why not? Explain- College students vs. others?- Other questions?

  4. Survey topics • Issue in the news:- MSU football team’s hot start- Upcoming election- End of ban on gays in military • Ongoing issues:- Economy- Roads- Environment

  5. Keep in mind • A survey does not:- Give us the opinion of the entire community.- It gives us the general opinionof the group of people surveyed.- Make sure when you present your story/report, you assemble it accordingly

  6. Questions • Your survey questions should be a mix:- Closed ended questions – what are they? Why ask these?- Open ended questions – what are they? Why ask these?

  7. How many questions? • People are busy. Better chance of response if you have fewer questions. • Ask no more questions than you need in your survey. • What’s a good number?

  8. How many people? • Depends on your audience, the population you are trying to survey, etc. • Tons of variables as to how many responses you will receive. • For a typical campus issue story, 50-100 probably works. • Round number of surveys sent out.

  9. How many responses? • Again, there are many variables with response rate. • More>fewer responses • If you need to, send out more surveys. • If few people respond, might that be part of the story?

  10. Who should I survey? • Depends on your topic. • CMU-related topic – best to survey CMU-related audience members. • Equal number of men and women? Depends on topic. • Equal number of freshmen and seniors? Depends on topic.

  11. Who should I survey? Cont. • Looking for a wide variety of opinions related to your topic. • For example: Want to do a story on how international students view CMU. • Who do we survey? • Report on bike paths. Who to survey? • Report on dorm food. Who to survey?

  12. Survey characteristics • Have your questions move in a logical order. • Start with explanation of the issue. Summarize quickly, but clearly. • Alternate closed and open-ended?- For example …

  13. Example • 1. Do you support stem cell research in Michigan? (Closed-ended) • 2. Can you please explain your answer to question one? (Open-ended) • 3. Do you think stem cells should be used in commercial research? (Closed) • 4. Is there a moral or societal reason not to use stem cells in for-profit ventures?

  14. Logical order • Having the questions go in a logical order: • Helps to focus the respondent • Lets the respondent get comfortable with the survey – no odd twists • Can speed the process – good for more responses.

  15. I’ve got responses! • Now what? • Look over the results – any trends? • Interesting open-ended responses … good for quotes? • Or might it be interesting to talk to that person further? • Do I have enough responses? Send out more?

  16. Assembling the info • Reports, statistics, document research – done before questions formulated and surveys sent. • Review that along with responses. • What angle/focus should my report take?

  17. Writing the story - lead • Lead - let’s hook the reader. • Two approaches:- Describe the major finding.“A survey of 50 CMU students found that most do not support a new medical school on campus.”- That’s one approach. Is it very interesting?

  18. The lead, part two … • Joe Smith came to CMU to become a teacher. He wonders why the tuition he pays is helping to fund a medical school. • “CMU should stick to doing what it does best – educating undergraduate Michigan residents,” he said. “I don’t want my money paying for a medical school.”

  19. Continued … • Smith was one of 37 CMU students in a 50-student survey who said the medical school is not a good idea for the university. • Second lead – uses an average person to introduce. Why do that? Good approach or not?

  20. Rest of story … • Two or three paragraphs after lead should tell us the survey findings. • Arrange in logical order, flow smoothly from one point to another. • Mix in direct quotes with results. Quotes from survey responses, or if you collected others via interview after.

  21. Rest of story, cont. • Clear, smooth transitions from one point to the next. • Avoid anonymous sources. • If someone doesn’t want their name used for whatever reason, and you are OK with that, identify why. Example … • Beyond name, other identifying characteristics? Year, hometown, major, age, gender, etc. Why or why not?

  22. Be careful with … • Wording that may criticize or attach labels to survey answers. • Thoughtful, interesting, insightful • Bizarre, strange, uninformed • Just tell us what the respondents said, and use the word “said.”

  23. Multimedia • Graphics/charts/polls with our report? • Link to any statistical reports report uses • Sidebar talking to experts? • Short video interviews? • Photos, maps, etc.

  24. Surveys, summary • Are like a cousin to polls. Are not polls. • Give us an idea of what some people think about an issue. • Do not write report as if everyone thinks that way about an issue. • Good for generating a variety of responses.

  25. Surveys, process • Topic – idea, then research • Formulate questions • Send out surveys • Gather, consider results • Plan report – lead/intro? • Write report • Present/turn in

  26. Questions?

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