It is important to have a plan to conduct a successful survey. One of the most important things is to have a goal which helps in formulating the question presented to the subjects. To have a successful survey, one must select the right group and find the best way to reach this target. A different target group might require a different approach to reach them and finding out about one’s target group is essential for the survey. The next step is posing the right questions to the people being interviewed. The questions should progress slowly from the beginning. For instance, question three will build on the answers provided in question one and two (ACE Bit, n.d.). The selection of using open-ended or close-ended questions depends on the analysis of the research. Close-ended answers are easier to analyze since the answers are simply, yes or no. However, open-ended answers provide a lot of details that are difficult to analyze. The last step is the analysis of the results, which, if not handled correctly can make the entire survey meaningless. It is important to select the right tools to analyze the answers depending on the type of questions presented and the method used to present these questions.
Are drugs easily available to people in your community? Yes, No
What kind of drugs can teenagers in your community access? Marijuana, Alcohol, Cocaine, Heroin, Others (specify).
When conducting a survey, it is important to understand the unique characteristics of the target group and also to know how the general attitude of the target group towards the subject. For instance, adolescents might have problems opening up on subjects like sex, teenage pregnancies, and drug abuse. By knowing this, the survey should be geared towards making it easy for them to share their information comfortably. This leads to addressing issues like anonymity. Further, such a group of respondents would require permission to participate in the study. Failure to use viable measures to seek permission, would be unethical.
References
ACE Bit. (n.d.). How to Create a Successful Survey. Retrieved from www.winsurvey.com/know-how/successful_surveys.htm
Geramian, N., Gharaat, L., Taheri, S. A., Mohebpour, F., Nahvizadeh, M., Farajzadegan, Z., & Heidari, K. (January 01, 2014). Development of a Questionnaire to Assess Drug Abuse among High School Students of Isfahan Province, Iran: An Action Research. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 5(Supplement 2), 146-153. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4475999/
Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse. (2003). Conducting School Surveys on Drug Abuse: Global Assessment Programme on Drug Abuse Toolkit Module 3. New York: United Nations Publications. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/GAP/GAP%20Toolkit%20Module%203%20ENGLISH.pdf
Stewart. (2013, November 8). Social SBA Sample- Questionnaire on Drugs. Retrieved from http://classtalkers.com/socialstudies/social-sba-sample-questionnaire-drugs/
