GIGO-Proofing for Quality Data
As a data quality mantra, GIGO stands for “Garbage-IN-Garbage-OUT”. It
means that if the data you collect is suspect, then the conclusions you draw
and the insights you develop from that data are also going to be suspect.
You want to avoid gathering worthless data because it undermines the goal of
your web surveys, which is to gain valuable knowledge in order to take
actionable steps in addressing a particular issue.
To achieve data objectives and comply with your data strategy, it is
important to always ask yourself how quality your information really is. How
was the question asked? Is there a possibility that questions could be
misinterpreted by the respondent?
One Response Per Respondent
“Ballot-box-stuffing” is when survey participants intentionally respond to web surveys many times in order to sway the results in one direction. To eliminate this detriment to data quality, Survey Administrators can make their survey “Private Survey with Unique Key”.
3 Types of Web Surveys:
1. Private Survey With Unique Key:
No Ballot-Box-Stuffing - One Answer Per Person
The Private Survey with Unique Key ensures best-of-breed data validation and allows for the greatest amount of control over your survey. You can proactively send an email which only allows that particular respondent to respond just once to your web surveys. If they try to click on the link in their invitation or use their unique key more than once, the system will not allow access to the survey. Because of this feature, the Private Survey with Unique Key prevents ballot-box-stuffing, which should be of significant concern to any data quality management team.
How does the Unique Key work?
The Zarca platform can limit multiple access through the assignment of a unique key. We do not use cookies or IP addresses to limit access. This unique key "talks" directly to the database to determine if the key has been already used. If it has not been used, the platform will allow the survey to appear and the respondent can participate. If the unique key has already been used, the platform will prohibit access to the survey and display the error message indicating the date and time of the response.
What other features are available with Private Survey with Unique Key?
Because the Zarca platform "knows" (based on the unique key) if the respondent
has already participated in the survey, it also allows you to send reminders to
non-participants. In addition, you can access the responses tied to the specific
email address or unique key assigned to the respondent.
Also, within the invitation, there are three ways to access the survey; clicking
on a link, copying and pasting a URL in a browser, and typing in a login and
password via a URL. If you do not have email addresses, you can generate unique
keys whereby participants will type in a login and password at a website in
order to access the survey.
Are there any limitations to Private Survey with Unique Key?
The limitation is the inability to participate in any more web surveys, and then forward the invitation or unique key to another person for use.
When might I want to use a Private Survey with Unique Key?
If you want a very controlled study that will only allow one response per participant and also the ability to send reminders, you will want to use the Private Survey Unique Key.
2. Private Survey with Common Key:
What is the Private Survey with Common Key?
The common key survey allows you to proactively send an invitation to a respondent for their participation. Because the survey is common key, the participant can then forward the invitation to other participants and also re-use the same invitation.
What are the features available with the Private Survey with Common Key?
With this type of survey, you can reach people on your email list as well as
those individuals that your original invitees wish to invite to participate in
the survey. The links can be accessed over and over again.
Access to the survey is limited to a hyperlink or a URL that can be pasted into
a web browser.
Are there any limitations with Private Survey with Common Key?
Because you can re-use the link in the invitation, you cannot prevent
ballot-box-stuffing, and respondents can take the survey more than once. Also,
because the link can be re-used by the same individual or others, reminders
cannot be sent to non-participants.
Additionally, because multiple participants can access the same invitation, you
cannot link the email address to answers provided by the respondent. The survey
can be accessed only through an email invitation.
When might I want to use a Private Survey with Common Key?
When your email list is limited and you want to give your respondents the opportunity to get feedback from others they may know and who aren’t included on your list, and ballot-box-stuffing is not an issue that will adversely affect analysis of the data.
3. Public Survey Without Key:
What is a Public Survey Without Key?
A Public Survey Without Key allows you to post a survey as a hyperlink off a website or to direct traffic to a URL for participation. There are no logins required to gain entry. As the name implies, it is public and anyone with knowledge of the URL can access this survey and respond multiple times.
What are the features available with the Public Survey Without Key?
You can create a hyperlink on a website, drive traffic to a URL carrying the survey, or point respondents to your public survey located on your Zarca Homepage.
What are the features available with the Public Survey Without Key?
Zarca provides a Homepage where all Public Surveys can be found. You have the option of driving traffic to your Zarca Homepage, to the designated URL or a hyperlink on a webpage.
Are there any limitations with Public Survey Without Key?
Because the survey is open and public, you cannot restrict who participates in your survey, nor can you restrict the number of times one can participate. So if data validation and data quality are considerations for your research, Private with Unique Key surveys are probably the way to go.
When might I want to use a Public Survey Without Key?
When you have no email addresses and ballot-box-stuffing is not an issue that will adversely affect analysis of the data.
