BA Techniques: Survey or Questionnaire

Purpose

A survey or questionnaire is used to elicit business analysis information including information about the customers, products, work practices, and attitudes from a group of people in a structured way and in relatively short period of time.

Business Analysis Body of Knowledge^® (BABOK^®)

The survey or questionnaire can be very useful in gathering opinions and information from multiple sources. The business analyst choose to distribute the survey using a web or paper based form. It is useful in gauging the user perceptions and gaining insight into the pertinent issues. If questions are asked using the most appropriate medium, results can be achieved easily. Questionnaire can be completed at the convenience of the respondents, they can come back at a later time to alter or complete the form. It is relatively inexpensive to use the questionnaire to gather data from a large number of people. Survey are the preferred elicitation technique faced with the large number of the stakeholders.  

The survey or questionnaire presents a set of questions to stakeholder or subject matter experts, whose responses are then collected and analyzed in order to formulate knowledge about the subject matter of interest. The questions should be asked in a way that does not influence the response data. They should be expressed in a neutral language and should not be structured to condition the respondent to provide the perceived desirable answers. There are two types of survey or questionnaire,

• Close-ended - The respondent is asked to select from a list of predefined responses, such as yes/no response, a multiple choice selection, a rank/order decision, or a statement requiring a level of agreement.
• Open-ended - The respondent is asked to answer the question in a free form without having to select an answer from a list of predefined responses. It results in more detail and wider range of responses than close ended questions.

Some of the articles related to Survey or Questionnaire techniques are as follows,

• Surveys and Questionnaires - https://www.rds-yh.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/12_Surveys_and_Questionnaires_Revision_2009.pdf
• Survey or Questionnaire Methodology - https://www.mitre.org/sites/default/files/pdf/05_0638.pdf
• Overview of Survey and Questionnaire - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/questionnaire-survey
• Survey or Questionnaire Technique - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/205801675_Questionnaire_Designing_for_a_Survey
• Techniques of Survey Method - https://www.managementstudyguide.com/survey_method_techniques.htm
• Uses of Survey or Questionnaire - https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/9/1307/2009/nhess-9-1307-2009.pdf
• Guide to Survey - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih/pmc/articles/PMC3964639/
• Survey Methods and Techniques - https://soc.kuleuven.be/ceso/historischedemografie/resources/pdf/ML/survey10.pdf
• Principles of Survey Methodology - https://www.lbor.ucla/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Principles-of-Survey-Methodology.pdf

The survey or questionnaire technique will assist you in examining the present condition of the business and the planning future tactics to succeed in a competitive atmosphere. Some of the factors in survey or questionnaire technique are,

• Prepare - An effective survey requires a detailed planning in order to ensure that the needed information is obtained in an efficient manner. When preparing a survey, the business analyst do the following,

1. Define the objective
2. Define the target survey group
3. Choose the appropriate survey or questionnaire type
4. Select the sample group
5. Select the distribution and collection methods
6. Set the target level and timeline for response
7. Determine if the survey should be supported with the individual interview
8. Write the survey questions
9. Test the survey or questionnaire

• Distribute the Survey or Questionnaire - It is important to communicate the survey objectives, how its results will be used, as well as any arrangements for the confidentiality that have been made.
• Document the Results - When documenting the results of survey, the business analysts collate the responses, summarize the results, evaluate the details, formulate the categories for encoding the data, break down the data into measurable increments. 

Advantages of using survey or questionnaire technique are,

• Easier to collect the information from a large number of people
• Does not typically require significant time from the respondents

Some of the books for Survey or questionnaire techniques are ,

• Survey or Questionnaire: How to get Better Information for Better Decisions | David F. Harris | https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Writing-Questionnaires-Information/dp/0615910674/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=questionnaire+books&qid=1592608706&sr=8-7
• Questionnaire Research | Mildred Patten | https://www.amazon.com/Questionnaire-Research-Practical-Mildred-Patten/dp/1936523310/ref=sr_1_39?dchild=1&keywords=questionnaire+books&qid=1592908976&sr=8-39