#29869
Online Surveys for the STC Carolina Chapter and Usability SIG 
This paper discusses the processes used to develop two online STC surveys: the 'Employment and Salary Survey' conducted by the STC Carolina Chapter, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and the 'Member Survey' conducted by the STC Usability SIG. Both surveys were available during the winter of 2003. This paper also highlights results from these surveys to demonstrate findings that online surveys can provide. Throughout this paper, we offer suggestions that other groups can apply to their survey efforts, including working methods to employ, types of questions to ask, ways to increase response rates, and approaches to verify and describe the respondent sample.
Kleid, Naomi A. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Usability>Methods>Surveys
#31142
What is the current scenario for applications and systems in the area of technical communication? Who is using which editor? And how many companies are using a Content-Management-System? To answer these and other questions, tekom conducted a survey from July to November 2006, which was conceived as an online questionnaire and made available via the tekom web site. 547 participants took part in the survey.
Straub, Daniela and Wolfgang Ziegler. tekom (2007). Articles>Content Management>TC>Surveys
#30047
Reliability and Validity of the Mobile Phone Usability Questionnaire 
This study was a follow-up to determine the psychometric quality of the usability questionnaire items derived from a previous study (Ryu and Smith-Jackson, 2005), and to find a subset of items that represents a higher measure of reliability and validity. To evaluate the items, the questionnaire was administered to a representative sample involving approximately 300 participants. The findings revealed a six-factor structure, including (1) Ease of learning and use, (2) Assistance with operation and problem solving, (3) Emotional aspect and multimedia capabilities, (4) Commands and minimal memory load, (5) Efficiency and control, and (6) Typical tasks for mobile phones. The appropriate 72 items constituted the Mobile Phone Usability Questionnaire (MPUQ), which evaluates the usability of mobile phones for the purpose of making decisions among competing variations in the end-user market, determining alternatives of prototypes during the development process, and evolving versions during an iterative design process.
Ryu, Young Sam and Tonya L. Smith-Jackson. Journal of Usability Studies (2006). Design>Web Design>Wireless Web>Surveys
#26759
This article examines some advantages and disadvantages of conducting online survey research. It explores current features, issues, pricing, and limitations associated with products and services, such as online questionnaire features and services to facilitate the online survey process, such as those offered by web survey businesses. The review shows that current online survey products and services can vary considerably in terms of available features, consumer costs, and limitations. It is concluded that online survey researchers should conduct a careful assessment of their research goals, research timeline, and financial situation before choosing a specific product or service.
Wright, Kevin B. JCMC (2005). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#29209
Results of a Survey of ATTW Members, 2003 
This article presents the results of an April 2003 electronic survey of ATTW members. Results and interpretations are categorized as follows: a professional profile of respondents; member observations about ATTW and its activities (member participation, appraisal of benefits, and preferred topics for TCQ); and current issues and views of the field's future.
Dayton, David and Stephen A. Bernhardt. Technical Communication Quarterly (2004). Articles>TC>Academic>Surveys
#19193
The Role of Online Surveys in the Usability Assessment Process
I have attended several conferences at which I witnessed a growing debate over the role of survey work in the field of usability. Some practitioners are of the opinion that 'usability is usability' and 'surveys are surveys', and only rarely do the two meet in a harmonious exchange. The more I have considered this viewpoint, the more convinced I am that it is probably valid, unless the usability specialist takes the lead in assimilating survey output into the process of evaluating the overall effectiveness of Web sites and online applications.
MacElroy, William. Usability Interface (2003). Design>Usability>Methods>Surveys
#28726
Seeking an Accessible and Usable Survey Tool
When we set out to survey members of the AccessAbility SIG of Society for Technical Communication (STC), we needed an accessible tool to live up to the SIG's name and charter. Free was also a nice price tag.
Mardahl, Karen and Lisa Pappas. Usability Professionals Association (2007). Articles>Usability>Methods>Surveys
#24213
"Sell" Your Survey With Direct Marketing Design
We think about them every day. We try to anticipate their every need, predict their every question. They are our readers, our audience, the users and consumers of our documentation.
Stelmack, Rebecca L. Intercom (1999). Articles>User Centered Design>Methods>Surveys
#30376
A Standardized Analysis Method for Customer Inquiries
The Documentation Development Department (DDD) of Hitachi has been improving its software manuals by analyzing inquiries from its customers to the Hitachi Computers Customer Answer (HCA) center. In order to improve inquiry application procedure the DDD isolated and studied inquiries about Hitachi’s workstation, OA software products, from October, 1991 until March 1992.
Ieda, Fumitaka. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Assessment>Surveys
#30709
A Study of Beliefs and Behaviors Regarding Digital Technology
This study analyzed individual perceptions of various situations involving actions likely to be considered unethical by most people. It explored perceptions of the acceptability of parallel technology-based and non-technology-based vignettes, self-rated behavior regarding the survey scenarios and consistency between self-rated behavior and the level of acceptance of the vignettes. The responses from 453 participants were analyzed by age, gender, ethnicity and amount of weekly access to computers at home.The participants were more accepting of the technology-based survey items and were also more likely to engage in those behaviors than the non-technology items; however, the participant responses indicated a low level of acceptance for the scenarios and only a minimal likelihood that they would participate in them. Additional findings across the comparison groups are reported and discussed.
Poole, Dawn. New Media and Society (2007). Articles>Technology>Ethics>Surveys
#18593
We were asked recently if we knew of any research on 'standard' ratios between developers and technical authors. We decided to carry out some research and this article covers our preliminary findings.
Cherryleaf (2003). Careers>Project Management>Standards>Surveys
#13994
The TECHWR-L website periodically polls users' opinions about the current state of the field. Review the recent findings.
#31595
Unraveling the Mysteries of Sampling
The number of surveys to send out depends on how many employees you have and what rate of response you are likely to achieve. If you have a relatively small number of employees, you might need to send out surveys to everyone. If you have over several thousand employees, you would need only 500-600 completed surveys to have fairly reliable results for your population as a whole, assuming the respondents accurately reflect the demographics of the entire group. So, if you expect to have a 100% response rate, you would mail out surveys to a random sample of 600. More realistically, if you typically have a response rate of 50%, you'd need to survey 1,200 people (600 divided by 0.5).
Sinickas, Angela D. Sinickas Communications (2001). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#15080
Questionnaires are the most frequently used tools for usability evaluation. This page is a list of usability questionnaire resources, extending the information presented on the questionnaires page of Usabilitynet.
#26834
User surveys are a means of finding out how the software or web site is likely to be used by a specific set of users, and who these users are likely to be. The answers user surveys provide must be relevant to the issues that are important to the design team. User surveys are traditionally carried out by post, but increasingly, the internet is used for this purpose.
#30098
Between April 24th and May 22nd, 2007, A List Apart conducted the first survey of 'people who make websites'; 32,831 web professionals participated. Straightforward survey responses are summarized. Detailed findings, derived by cross-referencing various data, make up the remainder and bulk of this report, and constitute its chief claim to significance.
List Apart, A (2007). Careers>Web Design>Statistics>Surveys
#30477
White Papers in Technical Communication: Results of a Survey
With this survey, I sought to address the question, 'To what extent are practicing technical communicators involved in writing white papers?'
Willerton, Russell. Texas Tech University (2005). Articles>TC>White Papers>Surveys
#32247
DETC Member Survey on Online Learning
Survey respondents reveal the focus on change and growth. Almost every responding institution disclosed plans for improvement – new course designs, additional online options, or experimentation with various Learning Management Software. DETC schools are prepared to embrace the changes in technology and increased online delivery while continuing to provide superior education to the distance learning student. The results also demonstrate reluctance to abandon a synchronous, print-based method of learning.
Distance Education and Training Council (2004). Articles>Education>Online>Surveys
#32708
Response Rates and Surveying Techniques: Tips to Enhance Survey Respondent Participation
Sufficient response rates are important for surveys. A survey that collects very little data may not contain substantial information. In order to collect successful responses, researchers must take into consideration the audience, the quantity of online surveys in circulation, and the potential for surveys reported as spam. These factors may result in lower respondent interest and acceptance of survey invitations. But there are ways to increase response rates!
SurveyMonkey (2008). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#32709
This guide provides information on writing successful and effective survey questions, creating survey flow and layout, calculating response rates, tips for increasing response rates, and the pros and cons of online surveys. (Plus an appendix of links and works cited for additional help in survey design.)
SurveyMonkey (2008). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#32844
Attitudes to Web Accessibility
During the summer of 2003, we ran an online questionnaire, conducted interviews and carried out a literature review on Web accessibility. One hundred and seventeen respondents participated and they included designers, information officers and accessibility advocates. This initial set of results are intended to encourage debate on the subject.
Knight, John. Usability News (2003). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Surveys
#33343
A Comparison of Questionnaires for Assessing Website Usability
Five questionnaires for assessing the usability of a website were compared in a study with 123 participants. The questionnaires studied were SUS, QUIS, CSUQ, a variant of Microsoft’s Product Reaction Cards, and one that we have used in our Usability Lab for several years. Each participant performed two tasks on each of two websites: finance.yahoo.com and kiplinger.com. All five questionnaires revealed that one site was significantly preferred over the other. The data were analyzed to determine what the results would have been at different sample sizes from 6 to 14. At a sample size of 6, only 30-40% of the samples would have identified that one of the sites was significantly preferred. Most of the data reach an apparent asymptote at a sample size of 12, where two of the questionnaires (SUS and CSUQ) yielded the same conclusion as the full dataset at least 90% of the time.
Tullis, Thomas S. and Jacqueline N. Stetson. Usability Professionals Association (2004). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Surveys
#33344
QUIS: The Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction
Subjective evaluation is an important component in the evaluation of workstation usability. We have developed and standardized a general user evaluation instrument for interactive computer systems. The methods of psychological test construction were applied in order to ensure proper construct and empirical validity of the items and to assess their reliability. A hierarchical approach was taken in which overall usability was divided into subcomponents which constituted independent psychometric scales. For example, subcomponents include character readability, usefulness of online help, and meaningfulness of error messages. Evaluation on these scales is assessed by user ratings of specific system attributes such as character definition, contrast, font, and spacing for the scale of character readability.
#33496
The Mid-Point on a Rating Scale: Is it Desirable?
This study examined the effect on survey results of having no neutral or mid-point on a Likert scale. Participants in a face-to-face omnibus survey were shown either a five point (with mid -point) or four point (no mid-point) Likert scale of importance on a card and asked to state their opinion about the importance of product labelling (additives, ingredients etc.) on packaged foods. This research provides some evidence that social desirability bias, arising from respondents' desires to please the interviewer or appear helpful or not be seen to give what they perceive to be a socially unacceptable answer, can be minimised by eliminating the mid-point ('neither... nor', uncertain etc.) category from Likert scales. There is also some evidence that the presence or absence of a mid-point on an importance scale produces distortions in the results obtained.
Garland, Ron. Marketing Bulletin (1991). Articles>Research>Methods>Surveys
#33623
The WritersUA 2008 Skills and Technologies Survey
There is no question that the software development world offers a lot of excitement and challenging work. In the area of software user assistance we are particularly challenged by having to master a wide range of disciplines. From foundation skills like writing and editing—to the coding of content—to usability testing and user interface design, we find ourselves in a profession that is difficult to define. What is it that we really do? The objective of this survey is to take a snapshot of our collective professional life in an attempt to identify what we value in our daily work as user assistance professionals.
WritersUA (2008). Careers>TC>Technology>Surveys
