Developing Your Research Instruments – Survey Questionnaires

This page is intended to help graduate students on academic sabbatical who are designing research projects that include the administration of a survey questionnaire at their Employer Organization.

When you are designing a survey, I think it helps to think of yourself as an Experience Designer who is crafting an experience for the Participants in your Study. If you embrace this stance and design the best possible experience, then your target [Sample] Population is more likely to embrace your research and complete your Survey Questionnaire. Win-Win.

– Sean M. HACKETT

STEP ①: Preparing to Request Permission to Administer a Survey: Develop the Research Instrument(s) and Supporting Documents

• 1. Letter of Request for Permission to Administer a Survey Questionnaire
  • If you are planning on surveying your colleagues, then you might need to request permission from your employer. Obtaining permission can take time; please allow enough time to clear all administrative hurdles.
• 2. Survey Protocol
  • Step-by-step instructions on how you will conduct the survey. (This is so others could replicate your methods if they wanted to do so.)
  • Include a description of your target Sample Population and the required minimum number of respondents.
• 3. Cover Letter (E-mail) to Participants: Requesting Participation in the Survey and URL link to the Survey Questionnaire
  • Disclosure: Provide full disclosure of your researcher identity (i.e. Graduate Student conducting research at this University) and your purpose in collecting survey data.
    • Please talk about your D.V. only in broad, non-academic terms; if you provide information about the I.V. you risk biasing the participant. 
  • Non-Disclosure: Explain that the individual-level identity of participants will not be revealed. Results will be published in aggregate; i.e. not at the individual level. 
• 4. Follow-up Cover Letter (E-mail) to Participants: Gentle Reminder Requesting Your Participation in the Survey and URL link to the Survey Questionnaire
• 5. Survey Questionnaire
  • This is the Research Instrument that you use to collect the data. (Items 1-4 are the Supporting Documents).
  • Note: If this is your first significant academic Research Project, then you should almost definitely use published, validated scales for the key items in your Survey Questionnaire.

STEP ②: Process Leading Up to Administering A Survey

• Submit Thesis Proposal including Research Instrument(s) [1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 above] to the Professor.
  • Receive a green light from the professor to conduct the study. (The light is only actually “green” after you receive permission from your employer organization to administer the Survey Questionnaire).
• Successfully defend your Thesis Proposal and make any required improvements specified at or after the Defense.
• Send 1. Letter of Request for Permission to Administer a Survey [Addressed to Decision-Maker at your Employer Organization] (who?) + Attachments: [2, 3, 4, and 5] for their review.
  • Receive a green light from your Employer Organization to administer the Survey Questionnaire?

STEP ③: Administering the Survey Questionnaire

• Send 3. Cover Letter (E-mail) to Participants: Requesting Participation in the Survey and URL link to the [5.] Survey Questionnaire to the target Sample Population
• One week later send 4. Follow-up Cover Letter (E-mail) to Participants: Gentle Reminder Requesting Your Participation in the Survey and URL link to the [5.] Survey Questionnaire to the Sample Population asking them to complete the survey if they have not already done so.