Online surveys

Phoenix I think, even before piloting, questionnaires should be seen and approved by somebody with some expertise in questionnaire design.

Like you, I have considerable experience of questionnaire design. We used to use the old computer adage, adapted, 'garbage in, garbage out' about questionnaires.

I never answer a questionnaire unless I am happy with the design, which was why I did not answer the Gransnet questionnaire.

Survey design comes somewhere between an art and a science, and all questionnaires should be tested on a small sample size to identify any anomalies/errors before being used in anger, as we used to say.

One that I have recently completed (other than the one previously mentioned) has had glitches that would (in my opinion) compromise the end data.

(Not sure if "compromise" is the word I was looking for, but hopefully you will know what I mean!)

I recently saw a newspaper report on the Gransnet survey on grandmother's attitudes to modern child rearing methods. I refused to complete that questionnaire because the design was so deeply flawed - and I posted on the subject on Gransnet.

Reading the newspaper interpretation of the deeply suspect results only reinforced my reasons for not completing it.

I make £10 a month and ask for M&S vouchers and these I get from Valued Opinions. I do lose a lot of money because I will not identify myself by giving my postcode. The closest a company gets to where I live is "London".

I have just had £50 paid into my current account, that took about a year but at 5 or 15 minutes here or there filling in short surveys, it slowly mounts up. I cannot remember the name of that company.

The surveys are very varied ie who I intend to vote for if there was an election tomorrow, who I voted for at the last election. Another could be the type of electrical appliances I have and run or whether I have a desk computer or a laptop. I do not pay to register with any of them.

£10 a month is not much but I only drink M&S coffee so to me, it is "free".

I am also registered with a company called Summit but I have a feeling that they only operate in London and they pay £40-£200 but one has to go to eg somewhere in central London to take part in a 2 hour discussion. Having had surgery and I cannot get on a bus, tube or train I cannot participate which is a pity.

Charleygirl hope you don't mind me asking, but how much money and how? I seem to remember a friend doing this some time ago, but she had to pay some sort of fee to get registered.

Ditto Jane or I give out an email address I keep just for situations like this. Sure enough the level of spam increases. No doubt, many sell your details.

Recently I've filled in a couple which, right at the very end, demanded to know my address and telephone number, at which point I hit the exit button.
Far too much information !

I make money from them on a monthly basis but I am not sent so many surveys now because I have reached 70. I would imagine it is thought that I am totally brainless as I no longer work and have reached that age.

I have just done one for the Total Jobs website. t was short, but one of the questions related to where you live. They had London, South East, North East, West Midlands etc etc but had totally omitted the South West!

I took some pleasure in contacting them to point this out, and adding the fact that it renders the data practically useless.

As someone with experience of designing questionnaires, it amazes me how many are not thought through or tested before going "live".

If I can mess them up I will otherwise I lie !

Like you, I give up half way through.