Guidelines for surveys?

meeera · 08-14-2014, 12:57 AM

Hi,

I'd really like it if there were some posted guidelines for people wanting to conduct or link to their "surveys" on Mobileread. Not the just-for-fun internal polls, of course, but others.

These should include, in my opinion, disclosure who the person posting the survey is, their commercial/academic affiliations, the exact purpose of the survey (market research? a school project? other?), whether responses will be anonymous, what personal information will be obtained (for example, some surveys grab IP addresses of respondents), how the information obtained will be handled and stored, and contact details for the person conducting the survey.

jersysman · 08-14-2014, 08:13 AM

That sounds like a good idea. I just don't take part in the surveys list at MR. I'm just too cynical and always think that there is an ulterior motive. Maybe something like this would make me a little more willing to participate. Of course, there would need to be honesty on the survey creators part. Here comes Mr. Cynical again.

AlexBell · 08-14-2014, 07:54 PM

I agree also. Your suggestion has some similarities (I think) to earlier suggestions about guidelines for designing ebooks from 19th century originals which went nowhere. I wish you every success in establishing guidelines for surveys, and would be glad to help in any way I can.

meeera · 08-15-2014, 07:50 AM

I don't see the similarity, but thanks for the support. I'm always suspicious of people coming in, not saying who they are, and linking to their external polls. A fair few of the surveys show all the signs of having been slapped together and not pilot-tested, and I really wonder what is going on and why exactly they want the information they're trying to solicit.

ApK · 08-21-2014, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meeera

I don't see the similarity, but thanks for the support. I'm always suspicious of people coming in, not saying who they are, and linking to their external polls. A fair few of the surveys show all the signs of having been slapped together and not pilot-tested, and I really wonder what is going on and why exactly they want the information they're trying to solicit.

While it's perfectly possible that students who do not know any better simply try to do a survey that way, there are several more disingenuous reasons I can think of.

Driving traffic to an affiliate link is among the simplest I can think of.

It can range from there all the way to being the beginnings of a long con of some kind.

I like the survey guidline idea. The contact info is key among them. Not just an email address for the poster, but real verifiable contact info to the school department, marketing company, teacher in charge of the project, sponsor, or whomever.

08-14-2014, 12:57 AM	#1
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,658 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	Guidelines for surveys? Hi, I'd really like it if there were some posted guidelines for people wanting to conduct or link to their "surveys" on Mobileread. Not the just-for-fun internal polls, of course, but others. These should include, in my opinion, disclosure who the person posting the survey is, their commercial/academic affiliations, the exact purpose of the survey (market research? a school project? other?), whether responses will be anonymous, what personal information will be obtained (for example, some surveys grab IP addresses of respondents), how the information obtained will be handled and stored, and contact details for the person conducting the survey.

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08-14-2014, 08:13 AM	#2
jersysman Wizard Posts: 1,747 Karma: 3761220 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Device: T1 Red, Kindle Fire, Kindle PW, PW2, Nook HD+, Kobo Mini, Aura HD	That sounds like a good idea. I just don't take part in the surveys list at MR. I'm just too cynical and always think that there is an ulterior motive. Maybe something like this would make me a little more willing to participate. Of course, there would need to be honesty on the survey creators part. Here comes Mr. Cynical again.

08-14-2014, 07:54 PM	#3
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	I agree also. Your suggestion has some similarities (I think) to earlier suggestions about guidelines for designing ebooks from 19th century originals which went nowhere. I wish you every success in establishing guidelines for surveys, and would be glad to help in any way I can.

08-15-2014, 07:50 AM	#4
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,658 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	I don't see the similarity, but thanks for the support. I'm always suspicious of people coming in, not saying who they are, and linking to their external polls. A fair few of the surveys show all the signs of having been slapped together and not pilot-tested, and I really wonder what is going on and why exactly they want the information they're trying to solicit.