It’s September, which means that the dissertation report is under way at many institutions of higher learning across the nation. We have all been at the receiving end of far too many projects and assignments- Midnight
in the library stressed out because your survey data makes no sense and the deadline for your paper is fast approaching.
Worry not, dear beginners!! We’ve got some tips to take the stress out of your academic surveys this year.
Keep it short and specific: Make sure each question brings you closer to your goal. Be compassionate of survey takers’ time, and frame the questions clearly or peruse our list of survey templates for inspiration. A good rule of thumb is your survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete.
Remember the audience: You speak to friends differently than you speak to parents and professors. Keep your audience in mind when you’re writing questions, and adjust according to the target audience.
Do a test run: Once your survey is set up, test it. Test it again! Other people can bring fresh insight and ideas and catch embarrassing mistakes before they go out to a large audience.
Avoid weekends: Best practices of email marketing apply here. The best time to send email to people is between Tuesday and Thursday during a working week. Emails sent on a Monday or Friday are likely to be put off until later, and by then you’ve lost the audience’s immediate attention.
Share: Last, but not least, share the results with your audience and let them know what action you will take. Remember, you’re asking them to take the time to help you, and letting them know how you have benefited will make sure they are willing to help you in the future as well.
Keep these tools on your finger tips and you’ll be ready to slay the research paper dragons.
