Surveys for Information Gathering

Most researchers think of surveys as tools for large research projects. The goal of most surveys is to receive information that can be successfully analyzed to show the thoughts of the larger population. It is extremely important that these surveys be scientifically sound, because they're used to make important judgments that affect your company or your research projects.

But surveys are also nothing more than an information gathering tool, and as an information gathering tool, you can use them for a variety of reasons – some of which may not require as much scientific validity. With the low cost of running survey research and the high value of collecting data, using surveys in any way that helps your business is worthwhile.

Imagine you hold a big meeting for your company, with hundreds of participants. The meeting is so important that you need to make sure the meeting was as effective as you'd hoped it would be. You want to know: If the employees understand the information that was presented.

If the employees have any questions about the content of the presentation. If the employees are excited about the future of the company. If the employees have any frustrations or ideas that would enhance your ideas.

Rather than ask employees individually, you can ask them with a survey. Follow up any presentation with an immediate survey to the emails of your employees sent out as soon as the presentation is over, and use that survey to answer all of those questions. This type of survey is not scientific – you're not looking to necessarily analyze the data or use it to make business decisions.

You're simply using it as an information gathering tool so that you can answer the questions you had about your presentation. From there you can decide if there is anything else you need to do to satisfy your employees or prepare your company for the exciting changes you already planned to enact.

These are the types of untapped ways that companies and researchers can utilize survey research software. It's not just about making educated business decisions. It's about gathering data any time you need to gather data. A makeshift, brief survey that checks to make sure that your employees correctly understood and were excited about the information presented at an important meeting is still an excellent use of survey research and survey software.