Survey and question design Essay Example for Free

Survey and question design Essay Initial design considerations Before you design your survey Clearly articulate the goals of your survey. Why are you running a survey? What, specifically, will you do with the survey results? How will the information help you improve your customers experience with your agency? Make sure that each question will give you the right kind of feedback to achieve your survey goals. When in doubt, contact a statistician or survey expert for help with survey and question design. Survey design The opening should introduce the survey, explain who is collecting the feedback and why. You should also include some reasons for participation, and share details about the confidentiality of the information you are collecting. The introduction should set expectations about survey length and estimate the time it will take someone to complete. Opening questions should be easy to answer, to increase participant trust and encourage them to continue answering questions. Ensure questions are relevant to participants, to reduce abandonment. To minimize confusion, questions should follow a logical flow, with similar questions grouped together. Keep your survey short and to the point fewer questions will deliver a higher response rate. If you have sensitive questions, or questions requesting personal information, include them towards the end of the survey, after trust has been built. Thank your participants after theyve completed the survey. Test your survey with a small group before launch. Have participants share what they are thinking as they fill out each question, and make improvements where necessary. Question design  Keep questions short and easy to read. The longer and more complex the questions, the less accurate feedback youll get. This is particularly true of phone surveys. Keep questions easy to answer, otherwise participants may abandon the survey, or provide incorrect information (e.g., giving the same  answer/value for all questions, simply to get through the survey). Keep required questions to a minimum. If a participant can’t or doesn’t want to answer a required question, they may abandon the survey. Use a consistent rating scale (e.g., if 5=high and 1=low, keep this consistent throughout all survey questions). For rating scales, make sure your scale is balanced (e.g., provide an equal number of positive and negative response options). Label each point in a response scale to ensure clarity and equal weight to each response option. For closed-ended questions, include all possible answers, and make sure there is no overlap between answer options. Use consistent word choices and definitions throughout the survey. Avoid technical jargon and use language familiar to participants. Be as precise as possible to avoid word choice confusion. Avoid words like â€Å"often† or â€Å"rarely†, which may mean different things to different people. Instead, use a precise phrase like â€Å"fewer than three times per week.† Try to construct the questions as objectively as possible. Common survey question types and examples Multiple choice questions Questions with two or more answer options. Useful for all types of feedback, including collecting demographic information. Answers can be yes/no or a choice of multiple answers. Beware of leaving out an answer option, or using answer options that are not mutually exclusive. Example 1: Are you a U.S. Citizen? Yes / No Example 2: How many times have you called our agency about this issue in the past month? Once Twice Three times More than three times Dont know/not sure Rank order scale questions Questions that require the ranking of potential answer choices by a specific characteristic. These questions can provide insight into how important something is to a customer. Best in online or paper surveys, but doesnt work too well in phone surveys. Rating scale questions Questions that use a rating scale for responses. This type of question is useful for determining the prevalence of an attitude, opinion, knowledge or behavior. There are two common types of scales: Likert scale Participants are typically asked whether they agree or disagree with a statement. Responses often range from â€Å"strongly disagree† to â€Å"strongly agree,† with five total answer options. (For additional answer options, see table below.) Each option is ascribed a score or weight (1 = strong disagree to 5 = strongly agree), and these scores can be used in survey response analysis. For scaled questions, it is important to include a â€Å"neutral† category (â€Å"Neither Agree nor Disagree† below). Guidelines for using a 5-point scale Semantic differential scale In a question using a semantic differential scale, the ends of the scale are labeled with contrasting statements. The scales can vary, typically using either five or seven points. Open-ended questions Questions where there are no specified answer choices. These are particularly helpful for collecting feedback from your participants about their attitudes or opinions. However, these questions may require extra time or can be challenging to answer, so participants may skip the questions or abandon the survey. In addition, the analysis of open-ended questions can be difficult to automate, and may require extra time or resources to review. Consider providing extra motivation to elicit a response (e.g., â€Å"Your comments will help us improve our website†) and ensure there is enough space for a complete response. Example: What are two ways we could have improved your experience with our agency today? We take your feedback very seriously and review comments daily. Avoid these common question design pitfalls Asking two questions at once (double-barreled questions) Example: How satisfied are you with the hours and location of our offices? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] You wont be able to tell whether the participant is responding about the time, or the location, so you should ask this as two separate questions. Leaving out a response choice Example: How many times in the past month have you visited our website? [ 0 1-2 3-4 5 or more] Always include an option for not applicable or don’t know, since some people will not know or remember, and if they guess, their answer will skew the results. Leading questions Based on their structure, certain questions can â€Å"lead† participants to a specific response: Example: This agency was recently ranked as number one in customer satisfaction in the federal government. How satisfied are you with your experience today? [ 1=very dissatisfied, 5=very satisfied] The first statement influences the response to the question by providing additional information that leads respondents to a positive response, so you should leave that text out. Built-in assumptions Questions that assume familiarity with a given topic: Example: This website is an improvement over our last website. [ 1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree] This question assumes that the survey participant has experience with the earlier version of the website. Tips for technology-based surveys Skip logic or conditional branching When creating technology-based surveys, skip logic can be helpful. Skip logic enables you to guide participants to a specific follow-up question, based on a response to an earlier question. This technique can be used to minimize non-relevant questions for each participant, and for filtering out survey participants. For example, if you are looking for U.S. citizens only to fill out certain parts of your survey, anyone who answers â€Å"no† to the question â€Å"Are you a U. S. citizen?† can be skipped to the next relevant section.

The First Generation Of Computers :: essays research papers

The First Generation of Computers The first generation of computers, beginning around the end of World War 2, and continuing until around the year 1957, included computers that used vacuum tubes, drum memories, and programming in machine code. Computers at that time where mammoth machines that did not have the power our present day desktop microcomputers. In 1950, the first real-time, interactive computer was completed by a design team at MIT. The "Whirlwind Computer," as it was called, was a revamped U.S. Navy project for developing an aircraft simulator. The Whirlwind used a cathode ray tube and a light gun to provide interactively. The Whirlwind was linked to a series of radars and could identify unfriendly aircraft and direct interceptor fighters to their projected locations. It was to be the prototype for a network of computers and radar sites (SAGE) acting as an important element of U.S. air defense for a quarter-century after 1958. In 1951, the first commercially-available computer was delivered to the Bureau of the Census by the Eckert Mauchly Computer Corporation. The UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first computer which was not a one-of-a- kind laboratory instrument. The UNIVAC became a household word in 1952 when it was used on a televised newscast to project the winner of the Eisenhower- Stevenson presidential race with stunning accuracy. That same year Maurice V. Wilkes (developer of EDSAC) laid the foundation for the concepts of microprogramming, which was to become the guide for computer design and construction. In 1954, the first general-purpose computer to be completely transistorized was built at Bell Laboratories. TRADIC (Transistorized Airborne

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Marquez

Gabriel Marquez is famed with producing a large collection of fine literature. A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings guides readers into the depths of deep moral and spiritual truths—all done through the vision of a children’s tale; yet, it’s far from a simple short story for elementary students to digest. It’s Gabriel Marquez’s method and style that reaches out to the cultured individual as we look at point of view, character construction, and symbolism. Marquez, in fact, is very deliberate in his tone and thematic language which creates the power behind his tale. I will assess this short fiction piece and offer critical evidence to aid in dissecting how and what is the author’s true message: He blended magical realism with satirical undercurrents against the Columbian government. Marquez complicated his meaning by incorporating religion with government upheaval into Columbia, a country based in Catholicism. This steadfast government preferred to control its people instead of creating unity. The characters, too, hide their motive as Gabriel Marquez provides vivid descriptions of why the human mind has become so tainted by its own grip on material vices and following a strict higher order. Materialism and the Columbian government have put up walls, according to Marquez, between the spiritual world and the individual. In fact, an entire village in A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings is so blinded of the true essence of human spirit that they cannot tap into it—even when a village cages an angel in town. Yet, could this1968 publication, an early creation by Marquez instead be a satirical stab at an artist who hopes to fool a small village of simple-minded folks? This idea generates great conflict as readers attempt unravel this complicated piece. Marquez’s story stirred up religion, the Latin American government, and social disharmony. Symbolism surrounding the ideal of his vision of the Latin American government was a tricky undertaking for Marquez. The main reason that this was a risk for Marquez is that if someone were to chastise or publicly mock the Columbian government, the repercussions most often led to the arrest of an individual. The government didn’t allow free-press or speaking out against the government. Since Columbia, by-and-large, is a catholic country Marquez’s angel can be viewed as a symbol of the constant praying done by their lower-class society. They prayed for their freedom, safety, and peaceful survival. It’s very ironic how a poor community is forced to save every peso they work so hard to earn. The limited funds netted by individuals and households winds up being just enough for survival. The government, in turn, looks the other way as it pilfers every peso they can from individuals and families. It’s almost a dictatorial monarchy that could be likened to the story of Robin Hood and the problems he faced when trying to share the wealth with the less fortunate. In Marquez’s story, he showed readers that the people of this simple Columbian village prayed often and deeply to God, praying for an angel to save them from this constant torment. Many times, their prayers were focused solely on having a just government to represent them. They, however, never new what a just, fair legal system was. This small Columbian village and its political practices remained hidden from many neighboring countries. In dissecting this short story, I must look further into symbolism. Marquez also painted a picture of the poor woman in the story. The poor woman is actually the symbol of the poor Columbian people. The poor people prayed; yet, nothing seemed to be going their way—whether they held rosary beads or not. Marquez, in his compassionate, writerly ways used his poetic license when he brought an angel to this community that was in dire need of reconciliation. The angel, however, does not fit the stereotypical white-winged halo of beauty, grace, and heavenly wisdom. Here, the angel arrives on the scene in its crumpled state of near-paralysis. Even the angel’s wings are covered in stench. This stench on these heavy, infected wings is symbolic of a suffering community. Marquez wrote the following to initiate this winged-angel into the story, which created a tone of what was to come from our angel: his huge buzzard wings, dirty and half-plucked, were forever entangled in the mud. This description helps to create the theme of a troubled Latin American society. Every time a new election brings about a different government official or president, there seemed to be a need for spiritual aid for the Columbian nation. They always feel back on spiritual healing, but the healing never came to them. So, to display this, Marquez created the new government official, or president, as an angel coming to save Columbia in hopes of solving their massive problems. It so fitting, and ironic, that Marquez depicts the president as an angel. The president and government were anything but angelic toward its people. So to bring the message home, Marquez described a withered up, decrepit angel that is caged by the community—partly because they didn’t know what to make of this bird-creature. Marquez added in the short story, a poor woman who since childhood had been counting her heartbeats and had run out of numbers; the Portuguese Man who couldn’t sleep because the noise of the stars disturbed him†¦and many others with less serious ailments. Marquez further conveys meaning by creating characters that seem to have something missing. The angel, although it is a fantastic sight with its huge wings, appears to be very human, even ordinary. At best, it’s a disappointed angel that was forced into a standstill by the seeing eye of the people who yearned for a better system of government. We sense upheaval and emotions from the characters, yet he does not create concrete characters that the reader can relate to. There is a purpose to his magic, though. Our angel is described as a helpless angel, one that is caged by the people. Even though he appears to be so weak and unable to even walk, they cage him. This, in effect, symbolizes how the government has instilled decades of fear into the people, blinding them and weakening them. They cannot speak for themselves for fear of being imprisoned by the government. More irony can be seen here because the people are fearful of being imprisoned by the government rule when they are already caged by this oppressive government. The character of our angel creates the style of the story. It is, both fascinating and distressing. Readers discover an underlying source of tension by how ill-mannered they treat this angel-like creation. In reality, we know that people don’t sprout wings. So this is either some kind of monster, a cruel trick, or completely imagined. When the doctor examines this caged winged-man, he feels that the wings are perfect for this creature. He is left to wonder—since he believes the wings are a perfect fit—why God did not grace us with wings as well. They are a natural addition to the old man’s frame. When we look at the logic of the situation, we either feel it has supernatural intentions or its wings were meant to fit him. The author even has Pelayo and Elisenda overcome their own shock and dismay when they, too, feel he is a familiar creature. As readers, we are steered in the same direction and simple acceptance of this winged angel. In fact, none of the people that come to view the winged-man ever question its existence. At the end, we are left to wonder whether he was or was not an actual angel. In any event, he is, at the very least, an old man with wings. The caged angel is placed on a families’ property. The family living on the property are representations of the cabinet of the government figure. Marquez created a poor family for the angel to land on. Once the angel arrives, the family accepts it and discovers a means of generating some income. They use the angel as if the angel were a sideshow freak at a carnival attraction. The people in the village, as displayed by Marquez’s talented ability to create plot, are tainted by conventional wisdom, superstition, and ignorance. This ignorance is something that has been instilled by a government that refused to allow its people to grow and expand their individual knowledge base. Even though the angel is treated distastefully—and the angel appears pensive and even in pain—it is in no way, a bad angel or a representation of the angel of death. He is just a vulnerable creation who is plagued by the heavy burden of his wings. Again, these dysfunctional, stench-ridden wings represent the cabinet of the government that has plagued the community into submission. The following phrase written by Marquez helps signify the fact that these villagers are a people easily swayed by the voice of confidence. First, out of all the people they might call on to help decipher who, what, and where this apparent winged creature came from, the villagers called upon a fortune teller of sorts. Marquez wrote, They called in a neighbor woman who knew everything about life and death to see him, and all she needed was one look to show them their mistake. Marquez, then, related how quickly this apparent all-knowing woman comes to a conclusion about this winged man without more than a bat of her eye at the winged individual. â€Å"He’s an angel,† she told them. â€Å"He must have been coming for the child, but the poor fellow is so old that the rain knocked him down. Here, Marquez uses clever wit to state this woman as either a gifted clairvoyant or another peasant who has found a crafty way to make some money by offering counsel to people in need of aid. In closing, it’s important to remember that several techniques aided in developing the old man’s existence. Marquez used detailed sensory imagery that were visual (his wings, fading hairline, and parasites) and ocular (we could smell this angel and feel his wings brush up against us as it pressed ag ainst the cage. Furthermore, Marquez does not depict the angel as some glorified dove or eagle with thick plumage. Instead, we are given the image of the withering, stench-filled feathers of a buzzard. This, in essence, is the picture we are to visualize when we think of the Columbian government and how it treated its people. Marquez purposely goes against the stereotypical angel and makes his point in poetic fashion. Marquez presents us with a new slant on angels: What if they were real and were nothing like we expected them to be? He develops stress and apprehension between this old man’s dying magical qualities with his equally unclean human characteristics. Thus, we cannot clearly place our character in one mental state. For one, he doesn’t appear omnipotent or heavenly. He does appear to be lost and in the wrong place, unable—or unwilling—to communicate with the people of Columbian. Once again, this symbolically drives home Marquez’s point: The Columbian people are living in a harsh reality of an unjust governing body. In the end, the old man is a stubborn, dying man of flightless wings who has lost his wings of life by sucking the life out of its people.

Apollo 8 First Mission to Leave Earths Orbit