Chapter 12
A Checklist for Samples and Surveys
IN THIS CHAPTER
Defining and getting good samples from the target population
Crafting and administering good surveys
Making appropriate conclusions
Surveys are all around you — I guarantee that at some point in your life, you’ll be asked to complete a survey. You’re also likely to be inundated with the results of surveys, and before you consume their information, you need to evaluate whether they were properly designed. In this chapter, I present a checklist you can use to evaluate or plan a survey.
The survey process can be broken down into a series of ten elements that should be checked:
- Target population is well defined.
- Sample matches the target population.
- Sample is randomly selected.
- Sample size is large enough.
- Nonresponse is minimized.
- Type of survey is appropriate.
- Questions are well worded.
- Survey is properly timed.
- Personnel are well trained.
- Proper conclusions are made.
This list helps you carry out your own survey or critique someone else’s survey. In the following sections, I address each item and discuss its role in getting a good survey done.
The Target Population Is Well Defined
The target population is the entire ...