EE and The Media Gazette,

Survey Methods

 

Opinion surveys or polls are perhaps the most familiar method of obtaining and disseminating information about general or target audiences.  The purpose of most surveys is to obtain valid and reliable data that can be used to inform the sponsors and/or the public; however, these survey methods often necessitate using hundreds of respondents to ensure statistical validity and reliability.  Surveys of small groups of approximately 10 to 20 (or more) respondents, although effective for collecting valuable data, lack such statistical surety. 

 

Typically,   a national survey has 1,000 respondents, a 3.1 percent margin of error and is at the 95 percent level of confidence.  This means that in a survey that uses a random sample of 1,000 respondents, 95 out of 100 answers given to a question will be within 3.1 percentage points of the answers that would have been given if the entire population was interviewed.  For a survey of a population over 2,500 with a sample size of 200 respondents the margin of error is plus or minus 7 percent, a sample size of 500 has a 4.5 percent margin of error, and a sample size of 750 has a 3.5 percent margin of error.  All these surveys are also at the 95 percent level of confidence.  It should be noted that all surveys are subject to other sources of error beyond sample error.

 

Telephone or door-to-door surveys are generally expensive, time-consuming and require rigorous preparation.  Moreover, conducting these surveys usually involves a special mechanism such as a telephone bank or a bevy of canvassers. 

 

A widely used method for obtaining useful attitudinal and behavioral data and insight about audiences is the use of a focus group.  Often used to garner market research data about product acceptance and consumer preferences, focus groups are also frequently used to determine how target audiences view and respond to a given social issue, political candidate or electoral message.  A formal focus group normally comprises 8 to 12 members of a general audience or a distinct subgroup (i.e., white, urban middle aged men, African-American women, mixed gender senior citizens, and so forth). 

 

A professional facilitator is used to guide the focus group through a series of general and in-depth questions on a particular topic.  The group members normally receive payment for their time (usually 1and 1/2 to 2 hours) and are pre-screened for various factors.  Often, the focus group session is conducted in a room with a large one-way mirror so those financing and conducting the focus group can observe and videotape the session.  Participants are asked for their full candor during the process and told that their responses are being taped but will not be made public.  This method is expensive (ranging roughly between $3,000 and $10,000 per session) and requires significant preliminary work to generate the set of questions or “question path” and secure the appropriate participants.

 

One inexpensive survey method is to "piggyback" onto another poll scheduled for the target region or state.  Some national polling firms specialize in this service and it is possible that various statewide pollsters make this option available as well.  One aforementioned suggestion for survey research was to invite the talents of a sociology or political science professor from a local school, college or university.  This could lead to another inexpensive survey method in that the professor may wish also to incorporate your EE issue into a survey as part of a curriculum. 

 

One useful, but decidedly less scientific method of understanding the target audience is the “stop by the coffee shop” survey to listen to and talk with members and leaders of that audience.  This community research technique can be used to learn about cultural values, language, and local perspectives on EE, attitudes on related environmental issues and concerns about current affairs they consider important.   A variation on this research tool is simply to talk with friends and family members who may fit the general description of the audience you want to reach.  In this type of outreach effort, we suggest avoiding interviewing people who may have a direct or indirect involvement with EE so as to eliminate a potential source of bias.

 

The Mall Intercept Survey (MIS) is another inexpensive method for obtaining information about audiences.  MIS requires roughly 5 to 10 volunteers, all armed with adequate instructions, questionnaires and visual self/group identification badges, to “intercept” people in a local mall to ask them a series of questions about a social or political issue.  While this research method is cheap, it is better conducted when designed by someone experienced in survey research and it requires time to create the survey instrument as well as aggregate the data after the survey is complete.  It also may be difficult to gain permission from the Mall managers to conduct the survey, especially if the survey topic is controversial.  This technique, however, can be used in other public spaces where private permission is not a prerequisite.

 

If groups are interested in conducting their own polls, a useful book on the subject is: Public Opinion Polling: A Handbook for Public Interest and Citizen Advocacy Groups, written by Celinda Lake and published by Island Press in 1987.  A hands-on description of the do’s and do not's of grassroots polling, the book is particularly applicable for EE groups that want to investigate the viability of conducting their own poll.

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