Modes of Collecting Data
Since collecting high-quality data is the central objective of every study, selecting an appropriate datacollection strategy is a critical step of the design process. No matter what methods or media your design calls for, SSG offers the practical experience and methodological expertise to develop a research plan that meets your specific needs. We can help you understand the relative merits of each mode of data collection, as well as whether a single- or multi-mode administration is most appropriate to your research agenda.
Paper Surveys
SSG has extensive experience in designing and administering both in-person and mailed paper surveys. Our paper instruments are individually tailored, methodologically sound, and professionally designed. We call upon an in-house paper-survey expert and external design consultants to offer the latest design techniques while maintaining data quality.
SSG offers great flexibility in our paper-survey capacities. We can design studies of any scale, including “marketing quality” instruments in large volume. We can also create questionnaires that can be read by an optical scanner, “brand” your survey to a sponsoring organization, or create matching letterheads for pre-notification letters and other respondent correspondence.
Telephone Surveys
SSG is adept at conducting telephone surveys—both as a stand-alone effort and as part of a multi-mode study. Our headquarters feature a 14-seat telephone center utilizing Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology to meet the most advanced survey needs. We employ a highly capable Computer-assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) system, which we have found especially useful for nonresponse follow-up studies. Our custom sample management system streamlines such studies by seamlessly integrating study sample, the interviewer, and the data collection system.
We also offer the services of survey methodologists with years of experience in telephone interviewing techniques, as well as a team of interviewers who can be mobilized to conduct interviews and field incoming calls during the daytime, evening, and weekends. For large telephone surveys, we collaborate with a nationwide network of qualified organizations with similar values.
Web-based Surveys
Web-based surveys—which offer an unprecedented level of flexibility—have surged in popularity as respondents have become increasingly difficult to access by other means. We offer a particular expertise in web survey design and implementation. SSG founder and CEO Scott Crawford is a pioneer in championing the Internet as a viable survey medium, and we actively contribute to scholarship and technology in this field.
SSG can develop a web-based instrument of any design, length, or scope. Our surveys include all standard computer-assisted survey-information collection capabilities, including:
- Branching
- Skipping
- Data fills
- Validations
- Complex logic
- Complex design considerations such as matrices
