More on Video & Survey Data

Part two of our two part article series about how to make sure that video is not affecting your data collection. Part one can be found here. Make the Text Available Another option to consider is making the text available for the respondent to read.

You can allow them to skip the video and just read the text, or provide them with a popup that allows them to read along with the video, or give them subtitles, etc. But the key is to make sure they have something to read so they do not just have to listen to the entire presentation. Some researchers give the option of not watching the video at all (especially if they are in a public place with no sound or their browsers cannot generally support video) and instead direct them to text they can read.

All of these are choices that you can make with your survey. Have a Skip Button for Non-Loading Videos You should also always make an option available for those whose videos are not loading. You don’t want these people answering the questions about a video they haven’t seen, and if their browsers, computers, or Internet are unable to handle the video, you need to make sure there is a way that they can still provide you with accurate data.

If necessary, you can also consider different questions for those that were unable to see the video, and use that data separately. Full Video Parts Earlier we mentioned that one option is to allow people to see short video clips rather than one long video.

However, if you do want them to watch one longer video, you can also make shorter clips of the video available for those that need a reminder about the questions they need to be answering. Once they finish the long video, every question will have a video above it with the option to re-watch if they need help. Make Sure the User Knows the Length It’s also important to ensure that the user knows that the video itself is going to be played before they even start the survey, along with the length of the video.

That will help ensure that those without time and those in a place where the video cannot play will wait rather than start the survey and drop out. It’s also a good practice to ensure that your respondents are prepared for a lengthy survey when the video itself is long. Shorten the Survey Also, don’t forget that you can shorten the survey itself to make up for much of the time that the videos take out of the person’s day.

Length is the enemy of a good survey, so if you are adding video that is going to increase the length of the survey, cutting down on the questions is a good practice.

Video is a tricky thing to add to surveys, and isn’t meant for most researchers. But if you do decide to add it, make sure you follow the above practices to reduce the impact it has on your respondents.