Surveying Fundamentals for Business Analysts

Surveying Fundamentals for Business Analysts

by Carol Deutschlander
Released September 2009
Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ISBN: 9781567263367

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Book description

An Easy Approach to Using Surveys to Elicit Requirements!
Surveying is an excellent way to elicit requirements, but reliable resources that examine survey methods are hard to find — until now. Surveying Fundamentals for Business Analysts presents the basics of developing and executing efficient and effective surveys. It offers detailed descriptions of the different types of surveys and guidance on how to choose the right survey for your task as well as how to identify stakeholders and participants. Surveying Fundamentals also presents specific instructions on writing effective questions and gearing them toward a particular audience.
This practical guide provides the fundamentals you need to conduct and present the results of surveys — in one simple source. Follow the author's step-by-step approach to:
• Determine the scope of the survey
• Design questions that will capture specific data
• Analyze the data objectively and effectively
• Report the findings clearly
Add effective surveying to your list of business analysis skills! 

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. About the Author
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Preface
  8. Introduction: Why Surveys?
    1. Types of Surveys
    2. Surveys and Structured Interviews
    3. The Survey Process
  9. Chapter 1: Defining the Objective
    1. Setting Objectives
    2. Determining the Variables and Variations
  10. Chapter 2: Identifying the Group
    1. Stakeholders
    2. The Participants
      1. Selecting Potential Participants
  11. Chapter 3: Writing Questions
    1. Writing Effective Survey Questions
    2. Types of Questions
    3. Open-Ended Questions
      1. Argument Open-Ended Questions
      2. Single-Response Open-Ended Questions
    4. Closed-Ended Questions
      1. Dichotomous Items
      2. Multiple-Response Items
      3. Interval Scales
      4. Ranking-Order Scales
      5. Rating Scales
    5. Checklist for Writing Good Questions
    6. Good Habits for Writing Questions
  12. Chapter 4: Ordering and Laying Out the Survey
    1. Appearance
    2. The Length of the Survey
    3. The Order of the Questions
    4. Combining Questions
  13. Chapter 5: Piloting the Survey
    1. The Pilot
    2. Selecting the Pilot Participants
    3. The Cover Letter for the Pilot
    4. Analyzing the Pilot Results
  14. Chapter 6: Sending Out the Survey and Following Up with Participants
    1. The Importance of the Cover Letter
    2. Sending Out the Survey
    3. Following Up with Participants
    4. Response Rates
  15. Chapter 7: Analyzing and Interpreting the Results
    1. Analyzing Data from Open-Ended Questions
    2. Analyzing Data from Closed-Ended Questions
      1. Frequency Distribution
      2. Mean
      3. Median
      4. Mode
      5. Range
  16. Chapter 8: Reporting on the Results
    1. Possible Audiences for Survey Results
    2. The Written Report
    3. The Presentation
    4. Formatting the Results
      1. Lists
      2. Pie Charts
      3. Bar Charts and Line Charts
      4. Tables
  17. Appendix A: Checklist for Writing Good Questions
  18. Appendix B: Survey Process Template
  19. Appendix C: Question-Writing Template
  20. Appendix D: Case Study
    1. Defining the Objectives
    2. Identifying the Stakeholders
    3. Identifying and Selecting Potential Participants
    4. Writing the Survey Questions
      1. Demographic Questions
      2. Questions Related to the First Objective
      3. Questions Related to the Second Objective
    5. Organizing the Survey
    6. The Pilot
    7. Sending Out the Survey
    8. Results: Demographics
    9. Results: The First Objective
    10. Results: The Second Objective
    11. Conclusions
  21. Glossary
  22. Bibliography
  23. Index

Product information

  • Title: Surveying Fundamentals for Business Analysts
  • Author(s): Carol Deutschlander
  • Release date: September 2009
  • Publisher(s): Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • ISBN: 9781567263367