Ensuring Quality in Public Opinion Research
By: Amanda Barna
Research is the process of collecting and analyzing data, generally speaking. Public opinion research identifies the information required to address issues of importance to the public, designs the method of collecting information, manages and implements the data collection process, analyzes and communicates the findings and their implications. The success of any public opinion research project is measured by the ability to obtain high quality survey data that is timely, accurate, and reliable.
Public Opinion research is used for many different purposes, such as to:
- Reduce risk of making wrong decisions
- "Weigh" the public’s perception of a particular issue
- "Reflect" the public’s concerns, beliefs, and values
- Help determine where tax dollars are needed
In public opinion research, high quality data and accurate data go hand in hand- you can’t have one without the other. There are many reasons why data quality is important:
- Accurate data is crucial to make key decisions regarding important program or service decisions.
- Accurate data is critical when reporting findings to the media or key stakeholders.
- Accurate data is required when investing an organization’s resources in research.
Collecting accurate data is achieved when quality measures are put in place:
- Identify Objectives of the research – Knowing what you are using the data for is key to designing a successful research project that meets your end goals.
- Design the Survey instrument to the identified objectives – Too often surveys are driven by ‘what you want to know’ and what you need to know to meet your objectives. This causes a survey to be either too long or to produce data that doesn’t answer your key questions.
- Design your sample to reach the right audience to meet your objectives – decide who you will interview in order to have your questions answer and the best way to reach them. For instance, if you need to talk to the general public in a given community you need to structure your sampling plan to reach the demographics of that area which will most likely demand phone interviews that include cell phones.
- Train your interviewers to collect data in a manner that reduces error - interviewers determine the quality of your data as they are often the only point of contact between a carefully designed project and survey and the actual respondent. Good training will minimize the effect the interviewer has on the data you are collecting.
- Monitor data as it is being collected to find any inconsistencies and to make ensure your data is representative of the area you are surveying.
