Overall Purpose
To quickly and/or easily get a lot of information from people in a non-threatening way.
This is also a common way of tracking program metrics.
Advantages
Can be completed anonymously.
Inexpensive to administer.
Easy to compare and analyze.
Can be administered to many people.
Can get lots of data.
Easy to create: many sample questionnaires already exist.
Challenges
Might not get careful feedback.
Wording can bias audience responses.
Impersonal.
Surveys may require sampling and statistical expertise.
Doesn’t get full story
CREE Considerations
Who responds can impact results and diverse voices can be lost if diverse respondents aren’t included in the original sample.
If crafting your own survey, carefully consider the questions you are asking. Work with staff and participants to design questions.
If using existing surveys or questionnaires, look closely at the language used. Will it work with your participants?
Be careful to not center dominant cultures and perspectives.