You can appreciate since our inception in 2001 we have literally seen thousands of online research designs. We have therefore compiled the following short list of basic considerations that all researchers may consider when writing their online surveys and more importantly the services i-Link can offer in support of each.

Focus:  When writing an online survey it’s always important to define clearly the objectives of the research study in advance and stick rigidly to them. Only ask of the respondent what is necessary, there is an irrefutable correlation between questionable survey data and studies where respondents are required to answer irrelevant questions or complete unnecessarily long surveys.

At i-Link we have a number of QPMR accredited researchers on staff, who regularly consult with clients on how their research can be undertaken effectively within the online environment, for the most part the fundamentals of good research always remain, however there are some nuances that apply, which we are happy to advise you of. From design, planning, field services and analysis, we have both quantitative and qualitatively experienced staff that will be happy to guide you every step of the way.

Survey flow:  Always ensure your survey flow is intuitive and makes logical sense to the respondent, the more confused a participant becomes, the more likely they will be to drop out, begin speeding or straight-lining through your survey to effect a quicker conclusion. It is also good practice to order your survey in line with how you intend to analyze and report the research data, whilst prioritizing your most important questions and asking them early. The end report will prove much less cumbersome to compile if the data file broadly reflects the structure of your intended report.

In addition to consultation  around your research design, we have on staff a number of data specialists who can analyse your survey and advise you on the likely implications for the end data output. This is critical as often small changes can make a huge difference to the usability of the end data file. We also offer a full suite of data processing and reporting services, thus allowing you to receive your data in an instantly reportable format, making the critical process of analysis and consultation more streamlined and effective.

Survey length: Less is certainly more in this regard, no longer than 15 minutes being the accepted wisdom in relation to general interview length. Consider your respondents engagement experience, when completing your survey, did they enjoy the experience or were they left feeling frustrated and bored by an unnecessarily long and tedious survey? Strip out any unnecessary questions and keep the focus on topics you strictly need answers to.

Again speak with the team at i-Link; we can produce irrefutable evidence to show you the negative effect longer surveys have on data quality. The i-Link team will be happy to look at your survey, advising you on how it may be condensed, amended or streamlined to ensure a better more representative data output.

Question types: Be mindful to understand what question types are available to you and where traditionally it is best to employ them. Screeners, actual usage or preference measures tend to use a dichotomous question type, whereas questions that allow for any degree of agreement or preference most often make use of the multiple choice, grid or scale approach.

i-Link is a registered Australian R&D company, with all of our research systems and technologies being 100% proprietary. Our survey system, i-Question, is a sophisticated application for implementing online quantitative research projects. With a library of over 60 customisable question types, it is a highly adaptable tool for creating surveys of all kinds - from the simple right through to the highly complex.

Our system can be configured to accommodate almost any questioning and reporting style, whilst always ensuring research quality is maintained. Our strength is undoubtedly our ability to build whatever question type our clients can imagine, our system grows the more diversity and complexity it is exposed to. By continual request for customisations our system innovation is significantly researcher driven and developed.

Metrics: Ask questions that lend themselves to easily measurable results, this makes it easier for the researcher to spot trends in their resultant data, uncover insights, devise recommendations etc, essentially if the question is targeted so too will the data. Open ended questions are valuable in further qualifying the picture created by a specific data set, however when possible to define all possible answer options using a close ended question type, then it is invariably better to do so.

As part of our bureau service i-Link, at no additional cost, can provide you with a fully labeled SPSS file as a standard output. This generated file can be further exported to an Excel spreadsheet or delimited text file. Verbatim responses to open-ended questions within an online survey can be subsequently coded and quantified as required. This allows our clients to concentrate on the value added component of reporting and consultation, relying on i-Link to provide the expert back up in terms of technology, field services and data provision.

Sparing use of logos and icons: A client logo at the top of a survey can lend it both credibility and authenticity. Use of visual ‘point & click’ style question also offer the respondent a more engaging and intuitive way of making selections within a survey.  To be avoided however is use of icons and graphics that are not directly related to the questions being asked. All content must be for research proposes only, your research partner should maintain a strict exclusion on any material that is considered either promotional in nature, or attempts to market to the respondent in any way.

As mentioned our i-Question survey system is 100% proprietary, which therefore allows us to program the client’s survey to look, feel and operate in whatever format they wish. We again however have clear data to show how overuse of icons and graphics within a survey can influence a respondent’s selections, so as standard we recommend a grey scale on white format to effect a neutral style research environment. However in consultation with our client we can effect whatever style survey environment is required for the task at hand.

Survey logic and programming: Write a survey that is programmed to only ask questions relevant to each individual participant. Our i-Question survey system effortlessly makes use of complex skip routines, routing, piping, rotations and randomisations to ensure a respondent is exposed to question sets relevant only to responses they have made across various profiling type questions. Whilst ensuring the accuracy of the end data file and also preserving the need to create a positive participant engagement experience.

The i-Question system also has the ability to include high quality multimedia images, streaming video and audio and can be deployed in multiple languages. It also includes drag-and-drop and click-to-select styled questions and the ability to add conjoint and choice modelling tasks with ease.

Test your survey:

Most likely the single most important aspect of the design process, at i-Link as part of our ISO 20252 accreditation we rigorously test our clients survey in advance of sending them any test link, this involves full electronic testing of the survey logic using our i-Bot survey validation tool, whilst simultaneously testing manually to ensure the survey makes sense from the participants perspective.

From there we provide the client with their test link, asking them to test fully on their side before we go into field. Furthermore we then conduct a soft launch to ensure the survey is collecting data in the correct format, only then do we launch fully to collect the required sample specification. In May 2008 we achieved the ISO 20252 accreditation, this being the International Quality Standard for Social Opinion and Market research. Our accreditation audit was independently undertaken by SAI Global and found zero non-compliance, a milestone we are very proud of.

Contact either John Leahy or Scott Clark at any stage to talk about your upcoming research project. We will be delighted to ensure your project benefits from the most up to date online research technology, experience and expertise.