5 Tips for Maximizing Research Results

Whether you are conducting a member needs assessment, a readership study of your publication, or a broader communication audit of all publications, getting credible data on which to base decisions is key. Consider these five goals:

1. Beware of surveying bias. Everyone wants to conduct their own research online. But the truth is, there's an inherent bias to online surveys versus mail research unless your organization has valid email addresses for at least 85 percent of your membership.

2. Know your goals. Don't try to accomplish too much in one study. You can opt to conduct narrowly focused research, say on a simple publication, and dig deep into content, usefulness, readership, or broadly on how one publication compares with others.

3. Use incentives for response. In today's climate, you need to encourage participation as much as possible. Give away the chance to win an iPad, flip phone, Kindle, or some other hot gadget. Or consider a free conference registration, or one of several $50 to $100 gift certificates.

4. Make more than one push. Once you field your first effort by email or by mail, send a more urgent follow-up letter/email to all nonrespondents encouraging them to respond.

5. Make it easy to respond. Test your survey questionnaire to make sure it's logical and easy to answer (mostly closed ended questions).