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IABC Research Foundation Feature
Tips for Getting to Know Your Audience
In "Measuring and Evaluating Organizational Communication,"
a communication research primer commissioned by the IABC Research
Foundation and sponsored by Deveney Communication, author Joey Reagan,
Ph.D., discusses proper protocol for conducting a study. The 21
sections of this book address topics that range from defining the
problem and identifying when research is necessary to designing
research questions, selecting the sample, analyzing and applying
results, and reporting findings. The following is an excerpt on
how to gather key data.
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DATA GATHERING - TECHNIQUES
Choose your data gathering technique based on the project's needs. Such techniques include in-person interviews, questionnaires sent via regular mail, phone interviews, or use of the Internet. Keep in mind that different cultures and subcultures respond differently to various techniques, and that you should not limit yourself to one technique if combining two or three methods provides optimal results.
In-person interviews
Researchers who conduct in-person interviews can benefit by:
- Receiving high contact and response rates
- Conducting long, in-depth interviews
- Supplementing participants' responses with observations of them
- Allowing respondents a chance to interact with stimuli (i.e.,
pictures, products)
At the same time, in-person interviews have their disadvantages.
Such interviews
- Can take weeks to complete
- Are expensive (US$20-$50+ per interview)
- Fail to contact gated communities
- Can be skewed by possible interviewer bias through expressions,
comments, etc.
Mail
Like in-person interviews, questionnaires sent via regular mail
provide participants the chance to submit thoughtful responses,
since they have time to look up information and reflect before responding,
plus there is a high contact rate. Mailing out questionnaires is
effective for surveying homogeneous groups, and there is relatively
low cost involved with surveying a wide geographic area.
This technique should not be used for general population studies,
however. Some people cannot read or write well, so their responses
can be unclear or skewed by misinterpretation of the question. Also,
mailing questionnaires offers low return rates and can take weeks
to complete. Hence, a company should entice potential participants
by providing:
- An immediate prize (e.g., university sticker from alumni association
included with questionnaire)
- A future prize (e.g., foreign postage stamps sent after participant
returns questionnaire)
- A chance to win something (e.g., entering name in raffle drawing).
Additionally, the company should explain the value of the study
and send a letter before the study announcing it and a reminder
after potential participants receive the questionnaire with a set
deadline.
Phone
While mailing questionnaires works when targeting a homogeneous
group, a phone interview is the most popular method for researching
general populations. This method boasts a good response rate, is
effective in reaching most people and is quick and inexpensive.
However, phone interviews are typically limited to eight to ten
minutes, which demands that participants give short, top-of-mind
responses. Phone interviews also limit whom you contact, since most
households have answering machines or caller ID, or people mistake
a researcher for a telemarketer.
Database generators
For a more accurate depiction of continuing behavior, you may want
to merge existing information the company has about its customers'
lifestyle with information obtained by tracking how often they use
checks, credit cards, discount cards, etc.
Likewise, employee databases provide a way to assess productivity
by tracking their sales volume and expenses, for instance. Also,
you can combine employment statistics (i.e., length of employment,
job classification) with behavioral statistics (i.e., use of in-house
communication, e-mail, Internet) to develop communication.
Internet tracking
Internet tracking that records how often a Web site is "hit"
can be skewed by search engines that count a "hit" even
if a person does not see the page. Also, a "hit" does
not indicate that a person paid attention or found the information
useful. To address this, install a cookie on the computer that keeps
track of an audience's behavior while on the Web site.
Internet and e-mail
Using the Internet and e-mail to gather information is inexpensive,
quick, and offers immediate analysis of perhaps thousands of responses.
This technique, useful for surveying within an organization, is
not suggested for general population studies, as it is limited to
those with Internet access. Setting up such a complex database can
prove costly, and privacy concerns arise. Researchers who use this
method encounter similar problems as those who use regular mail.
Additionally, you should consider the following when conducting
an Internet survey:
How to control who gets questionnaire
- How to prevent the same person from responding twice
- Whether all computers format the questionnaire correctly
DATA GATHERING - QUESTIONNAIRES
When designing a questionnaire, keep in mind:
- Questions and response categories embody your variables
- Response categories quantify variables for analysis
- Standardizing how data is collected reduces bias and allows
study to be replicated
Keep in mind that a general population study is usually limited
to an eight-minute phone call or four-page mail.
Types of questions
Researchers typically ask questions leading to responses that are
fixed or open-ended. Fixed responses, used when you know the likely
answers, are easy to code and analyze.
Consider open-ended questions when you are uncertain of the response.
Such questions should be used sparingly because they take time away
from other short questions, and answers must be categorized. These
questions should be written with "probes" (i.e., "Are
there any other issues?") that allow respondents to elaborate.
Rules of thumb
These rules will make questionnaires more efficient and less biased.
Sometimes there is a good reason for breaking these rules, but for
the most part, you should:
- Keep it short, simple and to the point
- Write clearly in the language of the target population
- Keep a logical order for asking questions
- Save sensitive items for the end
- Avoid leading/loaded questions or combining multiple questions
into one
Pre-test
Have people fill out the questionnaire or answer on the phone, and
ask them at the end if they found anything difficult to answer.
Make all necessary adjustments, and pre-test the questionnaire again.
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