7 steps when conducting survey research: A beginner-friendly guide

Conducting survey research encompasses gaining insight from a diverse group of people by asking questions and analyzing answers. It is the best way to collect information about people’s preferences, beliefs, characteristics, and related information.

The key to a good survey is asking relevant questions that will provide needed information. Surveys can be used one-time or repeatedly.

Wondering how to conduct survey research correctly?

This article will lay out—even if you are a beginner—the seven steps of conducting survey research with guidance on how to successfully carrying it out.

How to conduct survey research in 7 steps

Conducting survey research typically involves several key things to do. Here are the most common seven steps in conducting survey research:

  • Step 1: Identify research goals and objectives
  • Step 2: Define the population and sample (who will participate in the survey?)
  • Step 3: Decide on the type of survey method to use
  • Step 4: Design and write questions
  • Step 5: Distribute the survey and gather responses
  • Step 6: Analyze the collected data
  • Step 7: Create a report based on survey results

These survey method steps provide a general framework for conducting research. But keep in mind that specific details and requirements may vary based on research context and objectives.

Steps of survey method: Things to know before conducting survey research

To understand the process of conducting a survey, start at the beginning. Conducting a survey consists of several steps, each equally important to the outcome.

Before conducting survey research, here are some resources you might find helpful regarding different methods, such as focus group interviews, survey sampling, and qualitative research methods. Learn why a market research survey is important and how to utilize it for your business research goals.

Finally, it is always a good idea to understand what is the difference between a survey and a questionnaire.

Step 1: Identify research goals and objectives

The first of seven steps in conducting survey research is to identify the goal of the research.

This will help with subsequent steps, like finding the right audience and designing appropriate questions. In addition, it will provide insight into what data is most important.

By identifying goals, several questions will be answered: What type of information am I collecting? Is it general or specific? Is it for a particular or broad audience? Research goals will define the answers to these questions and help focus the purpose of the survey and its goal.

An objective is a specific action that helps achieve research goals. Usually, for every goal, there are several objectives.

Pay attention to questions

The answers collected from a survey are only helpful if used properly. Determining goals will provide a better idea of what it is you want to learn and make it easier to design questions. However, setting goals and objectives can be confusing. Ask the following questions:

  • What is the subject or topic of the research? This will clarify feedback that is needed and subjects requiring further input.
  • What do I want to learn? The first step is knowing what precisely needs to be learned about a particular subject.
  • What am I looking to achieve with the collected data? This will help define how the survey will be used to improve, adjudicate, and understand a specific subject.

Uncertain about how to write a good survey question? We got you covered.

Step 2: Define the population and sample (who will participate in the survey?)

Who is the target audience from which information is being gathered? This is the demographic group that will participate in the survey. To successfully define this group, narrow down a specific population segment that will provide accurate and unbiased information.

Depending on the kind of information required, this group can be broad—for example the population of Florida—or it can be relatively narrow, like consumers of a specific product who are between the ages of 18 and 24.

It is rarely possible to survey the entire population being researched. Instead, a sample population is surveyed. This should represent the subject population as a whole. The number required depends on various factors, mainly the size of the subject population. Therefore, the larger and more representative the sample is the more valid the survey.

Step 3: Decide on the type of survey method to use

Precisely determine what mode of collecting data will be used. The ways to conduct a survey depend on sample size, location, types of questions, and the costs of conducting the research. Not sure how many people you need to survey to be statistically significant!? Use our survey sample size calculator and determine your needed survey size.

Based on the purpose of the research, there are various methods of conducting a survey:

Are interviews or in-person surveys better than written ones?

In-person surveys are useful for smaller sample sizes since they allow for the gathering of more detailed information on the survey’s subject. They can be conducted either by phone or in person.

The advantage of interviews is that the interviewer can clarify questions and seek additional information. The main risk with this method is researcher bias or respondent equivocation, though a skilled interviewer is usually able to eliminate these issues.

Online surveys are the easiest way to reach a broad audience

If the correct steps are followed, conducting an online survey has many advantages, such as cost efficiency and flexibility. In addition, online surveys can reach either a vast audience or a very focused one, depending on your needs.

Online tools are the most effective method of conducting a survey. They can be used by anyone and easily customized for any target group. There are many kinds of online surveys that can be sent via email, hosted on a website, or advertised through social media.

To follow the correct steps for conducting a survey, get help from SurveyPlanet. All you need to do is sign up for an account. Creating perfect surveys will be at your fingertips.

Mail surveys: Control who participates

Delivered to the respondents’ email addresses, mail surveys access a large sample group and provide control over who is included in the sample. Though increasingly the most common survey research method, response rates are now relatively low.

To get the best response rate results, read our blogs How to write eye-catching survey emails and What’s the best time to send survey emails?

Step 4: Design and write questions

Survey questions play a significant role in successful research. Therefore, when deciding what questions to ask—and how to ask them—it is crucial to consider various factors.

Types of questions: What are the most common questions used in survey research?

Choose between closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions have predefined answer options, while open-ended ones enable respondents to shape an answer in their own words.

Before deciding which to use, get acquainted with the options available. Some common types of research questions include:

Content, phrasing, and the order of questions

To make sure results are reliable, each question in a survey needs to be formulated carefully. Each should be directly relevant to the survey’s purpose and include enough information to be answered accurately.

If using closed-ended questions, make sure the available answers cover all possibilities. In addition, questions should be clear and precise without any vagueness and in the language idiom respondents will understand.

When organizing questions, make sure the order is logical. For example, easy and closed-ended questions encourage respondents to continue—they should be at the beginning of the survey. More difficult and complex questions should come later. Related questions should be clustered together and, if there are several topics covered, then related questions should be grouped.

Step 5: Distribute the survey and gather responses

Surveys can be distributed in person, over the phone, via email, or with an online form.

When creating a survey, first determine the number of responses required and how to access the survey sample. It is essential to monitor the response rate. This is calculated by dividing the number of respondents who answered the survey by the number of people in the sample.

Step 6: Analyze the collected data

There are various methods of conducting a survey and also different methods of analyzing the data collected. After processing and sorting responses (usually with the help of a computer), clean the data by removing incomplete or inaccurate responses.

Different data analysis methods should be used depending on the type of questions utilized. For example, open-ended questions require a bucketing approach in which labels are added to each response and grouped into categories.

Closed-ended questions need statistical analysis. For interviews, use a qualitative method (like thematic analysis) and for Likert scale questions use analysis tools (mean, median, and mode).

Other practical analyzing methods are cross-tabulation and filtering. Filtering can help in understanding the respondent pool better and be used to organize results so that data analysis is quicker and more accessible.

If using an online survey tool, data will be compiled automatically, so the only thing needed is identifying patterns and trends.

Step 7: Create a report based on survey results

The last of the seven steps in conducting survey research is creating a report. Analyzed data should be translated into units of information that directly correspond to the aims and goals identified before creating the survey.

Depending on the formality of the report, include different kinds of information:

  • Initial aims and goals
  • Methods of creation and distribution
  • How the target audience or sample was selected
  • Methods of analysis
  • The results of the survey
  • Problems encountered and whether they influenced results
  • Conclusion and recommendations

Last but not least: Frequently asked questions

Follow the seven steps of survey research with SurveyPlanet

Now that we’ve gone through the seven steps in survey research and understand how to conduct survey research, why not create your own survey and conduct research that will drive better choices and decisions?

Were these seven steps helpful? Then check out Seven tips for creating an exceptional survey design (with examples) and How to conduct online surveys in seven simple steps as well.

Sign up for a SurveyPlanet account to access pre-made questions and survey themes. And, if you upgrade to a SurveyPlanet Pro account, gain access to many unique tools that will enhance your survey creation and analysis experience.

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