inFocus on writing survey questions for human beings, not robots

Episode 6 March 05, 2021 00:40:08
inFocus on writing survey questions for human beings, not robots
inFocus with David Coletto
inFocus on writing survey questions for human beings, not robots

Mar 05 2021 | 00:40:08

/

Show Notes

The questions you ask are more important than the answers you get. I think that should be the mantra of every public opinion researcher and consumer of polls.

More important, good researchers must be inquisitive, open-minded, and prepared to understand and appreciate the true nature of the human being who is about to be tasked with completing your questionnaire.

My guest this week on inFocus knows a thing or two about writing survey questionnaires. She wrote a book about it.

Dr. Annie Pettit is a public opinion and market researcher with more than 20 years experience working with some of the leading research agencies in Canada. Dr. Pettit has a PhD in psychology from York University where she specialized in online survey data quality. She currently consults for a range of traditional and technology research suppliers, is a member of the Canadian Research Insights Council Standards Committee, and is chair of the Canadian ISO standards committee.

She’s also the author of the book “People Aren’t Robots: A practical guide to the psychology and technique of questionnaire design” published in 2016.

She joined me this week to talk about asking questions, writing questionnaires, and why this step in the research process is so important.

Other Episodes

Episode 14

April 14, 2025 00:08:28
Episode Cover

The Resilient Appeal of Mark Carney is One of the Biggest Stories of this Election

With just two weeks to go before Canadians head to the polls, David Coletto dives into one of the most remarkable trends of the...

Listen

Episode 6

April 22, 2021 00:42:19
Episode Cover

"Trust the data" - inFocus with Biden's chief pollster about the 2020 campaign and the first 100 days of Biden's presidency

What is it like running the polling operation for a US Presidential Election? My guest on this episode of inFocus is John Anzalone, one...

Listen

Episode 4

August 20, 2021 00:44:00
Episode Cover

Election '21 - Why is a wealth tax so popular and how is it connected to affordability?

Canada’s deficit ballooned to over $350 billion in 2020/2021 and is projected to be north of $150 billion this year. And as political parties...

Listen