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When DIY Surveys Become DYI Surveys

Posted by Jeffrey Henning on Tue, Aug 18, 2009
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handler kissing chimp
Last month’s Research magazine had as its cover story “World of temptation”, focusing on the negative ramifications of DIY (Do It Yourself) survey research:
 
The problem for the future of research as a discipline isn’t so much that SurveyMonkey has made simple research more accessible, but that the people doing the research might not be very good at it. This could be, as the prostitute said looking at two lovers kissing, a great profession ruined by amateurs.

“It’s great on one hand because it shows how much passion there is to get information about customers, but if any monkey can do a survey, perhaps any monkey will. In some cases there will be no control over design, no control over the sample,” says [Brad Bortner, a Forrester Research analyst specializing in the market research industry].
 
This article has inspired follow-on editorials and blog posts (e.g., “Setting research free”) and quite a bit of discussion. One comment in particular stood out to me: “DIY is great as a means for firms to engage with their customers and generate customer feedback,” commented Gill Wales, an independent market researcher. “But the purveyors of DIY solutions need to make clear the limitations of the DIY solution in unskilled hands.”
 
As a fine purveyor of survey software since 1993, I’ll take Gill up on her challenge. If survey tool providers were to write a Surgeon General’s style warning about the dangers of Do-It-Yourself research, what should it say? My take on it:
 
SURVEY GENERAL'S WARNING
 
If you were the Survey General, what would you put on the label? How would you keep Do-It-Yourself surveys from becoming Do-Yourself-In surveys?
 
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Comments

Surgeon General's Warning: DIY surveys can annoy your customers, mislead your coworkers and cost you your career.
Posted @ Tuesday, August 18, 2009 1:17 PM by Carson Campbell
Survey General Warning: Do It Yourself surveys yield Got It Wrong business decisions.
Posted @ Tuesday, August 18, 2009 1:50 PM by Seth Dewitt
Surgeon General's Warning: making decisions under the influence of DIY surveys can lead to hair loss
Posted @ Tuesday, August 18, 2009 3:46 PM by Brandon Bertelsen
From @sheilamac1: @JHenning Warning. Conducting a survey does not guarantee meaningful data if participants are self-selected.
Posted @ Wednesday, August 19, 2009 10:28 AM by Jeffrey Henning
Survey General's Advice: Just because you can do a survey, doesn't mean you should.
Posted @ Tuesday, September 08, 2009 10:54 AM by Bill
Hi everyone, 
 
I agree that people and companies have to be careful regarding DIY surveys. That's right that it is definitely a method to consider because of the min cost of it but for me it is more to get some customer feedback and it has to be well made (type of questions, answers proposition...). 
 
Online surveys could be cost effective even with an agency so sometimes it is worth to carry it out with a professional. 
Have a look or ask if you want more information about it.
Posted @ Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:48 AM by Eric Brandenburg
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