Survey Checklist
Is a survey necessary to collect this information, or is the information obtainable elsewhere?
What are the specific goals for the survey?
Have ethical considerations been fulfilled?
- Ethical treatment of human subjects
- Confidentiality, privacy, and avoidance of harassment of respondents
- Informed consent
- IRB approval
What is the population to be surveyed? What sampling method was used?
Is the wording of the survey items appropriate to the target population?
Have questionnaires been pre-tested?
Have interviewers been trained?
Have response rates been maximized without harassing respondents?
Have appropriate analytic techniques been used, including the reporting of errors?
Reports should contain the following information about the survey:
- Who sponsored the survey, and who conducted it
- The purpose of the study, including the specific objective
- The dates on or between which the survey was done
- A definition of the population under study and a description of the sample, including size
- The questionnaire or survey instrument
- Statistical tables, including estimates of sampling errors and other possible sources of error
- A description of any special scoring or data adjustment procedures used
- Copies of interviewer instructions or manuals, validation results, and other important working papers
- Any other information that a layperson would need to make a reasonable assessment of the reported findings.
Internet or E-mail research has some special requirements
• Respondents should have had a pre-existing relationship with the surveyor
• Respondents should expect that they might be contacted for research
• Respondents must be offered the choice to be removed from future e-mail contact
• Their choice in this regard must be honored
Source: Angelo State University, 2601 W. Avenue N, San Angelo, Texas 76909
