ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries December 1987 / 697 RESEARCHFORUM Conducting a mail survey: Some of the things you probably didn’t learn in any research methods course By M arilyn W urzburger Head o f Special Collections Arizona State University If you need input from your colleagues to “fill in the blanks” for a research project, the obvious way to c o lle c t such in fo rm a tio n is a SURVEY! Innocent-sounding words. W hat precisely do you w ant to know? How do you identify which col­ leagues you w ant to reach? How many responses do you need for a “fair sampling”? W hat percentage response can you expect? Easy questions? W ell… I dived into my first survey w ith my m ind on the anticipated d ata and w ith happy thoughts of some of my colleagues who might respond. Nevertheless I did come back to the above questions. Here are some of the approaches I took (or perhaps should have taken). Designing the survey questionnaire First, determine exactly w hat information you w ant to obtain and form ulate questions th a t at­ tem pt to elicit valid answers. (Those of us who had courses in educational methods or actual teaching experience, will have already learned some of the pitfalls here.) In finalizing your questionnaire, try to group your questions in logical order. Use major catego­ ries; group like questions and try to direct the re­ spondent’s thinking tow ard a logical analysis of the problem (s) you’re researching so th a t the survey di­ rection will be somewhat apparent. Have at least one colleague who knows something about your subject try to answer your survey questions; then ask som eone o u tsid e th e fie ld w ho has good w riting/editorial skills to critique your phraseol­ ogy, sentence structure, gram mar. These assistants may help identify your use of inappropriate jargon th a t might not be universally understood. You may still find th a t terms th a t you believe have the same meaning for everyone working in the field, surprisingly (or maybe not so) do not. Try to avoid these ambiguities, b u t remember there will always be a “semanticist” who is more anxious to point out a misused or ill-placed comma or word than answer the questions. These replies are fun to read, and will alert you to areas in which interpre­ tation might be needed when analyzing the results. As questions are set up in final format, make sure th a t there is am ple room for answers. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to fit a descriptive phrase into space th a t allows only one word. Con­ sider eliminating as many variables as possible. Use a list or multiple-choice form for the most obvious options; respondents merely check the answer that best applies. Then, only the unusual or exceptional cases need be described in phrase or sentence. This organization gives some assurance th a t the replies are based on a similar fram e of reference. It also helps greatly in correlating answers for the compi­ lation of data—a formidable task in any case. Selecting recipients of the survey A bove a ll, o b ta in in g a list of pro b a b le respondents—those who share your concerns or in­ terest in your project—is the first requisite of any survey. It takes tim e to answer a survey; hence you must ask yourself why anyone would spend that 698 / C & RL News tim e for you. If your survey will provide d ata that can be useful to those w hom you contact (and you promise to share the results w ith them) they may be very happy to comply w ith your request. If you are trying to further the quest of “pure scholarship,” you again will probably receive a degree of cooper­ ation, b u t bear in mind th a t an esoteric subject such as com paring bibliographic points of rare books in our collections m ay strike those not inter­ ested in such matters as being a little like discussing the num ber of angels th a t can stand on a pin! In my case, inform ation on library security (par­ ticularly in special collections) was the goal of my research. T he inform ation I needed could best be provided by those people w ho are charged w ith the operation and overseeing of special collections in academic libraries. Although I could identify these people by studying the basic reference sources such as Guides to Special Collections, w here d epart­ m ent heads are listed, o r by w riting people identi­ fied in the literature, w riters of articles, etc., I chose to use a listing of attendees of our specialized Rare Books and M anuscripts Section (RBMS) Pre­ conferences during the past three years. I hoped th a t since I had met most of these people at the pre­ conferences there m ight be a nam e recognition fac­ tor and thus a higher response to my plea for help. To those names I added others—personal friends an d colleagues holding sim ilar positions—who w ould be appropriate respondents. The question of w h at constitutes a “fair sam­ pling” is a knotty problem and has no p a t answer. If your survey w ere to cover only special collections of ra re books on dentistry, your reference base w ould be small. After all, how m any special collec­ tions of dentistry exist in libraries in the U.S. or even around the world? If you located 25, it would be a relatively easy task to survey all 25. However, if you were asking a question th a t could be a n ­ swered by every public library in the United States and abroad, you w ould obviously have to do a sta­ tistical sampling and use complex m athem atical form ulae to ensure th a t your sam pling techniques w ould, indeed, yield significant results. In such a case th e sam ple num ber w ould be m uch larger th a n 25. If your funds and tim e are lim ited, try to narrow th e questions or problems to those th a t can be directed to a specific identifiable audience. If your audience is too broad, the responses m ay not reveal a trend or meaningful pattern. “Packet” design Before m ailing tim e comes around, be sure to take into consideration the w eight of the m aterial th a t you’re sending out. Printing your survey on both sides of the paper reduces a six-page survey to three pages; adding a cover letter plus a return en­ velope puts you into a borderline category of the maximum th a t can be sent for one first-class stam p. You’ll w ant to avoid a packet th a t takes double postage for both outgoing letter and/or reply (un­ less you w ant to divert at least tw o–weeks’ grocery money to pay the postage tab). F urtherm ore, if the s u rv e y a n d a c c o m p a n y in g m a te r ia ls a r e too “w eighty” (and I mean this m ore in physical th a n a philosophical sense) you’ll frighten off even the most dedicated respondent. Bigger is not necessar­ ily better in this case, so strive to be concise and to the point w hen m aking the final selection. Enclos­ ing a stam ped self-addressed envelope should help to ensure a better response. Cover letter O nce your survey is developed, w rite your cover letter. These letters m ay end up going to people you’ve never m et so you will have to introduce yourself and your subject of research. Tell the re­ cipient w hy you w ant the inform ation and w hat you plan to do w ith it. Be honest from the begin­ ning. Tell them how long (approximately) it takes to com plete the survey. Technicalities You m ay w onder w hether to address question­ naires to a person’s hom e or w ork address. For some, things are less hectic at home and more time can be devoted to thoughtful consideration of your docum ent; for others a query received at home m ight not receive consideration at all. From infor­ mal discussions w ith colleagues I’ve learned th a t the majority w ould prefer receiving w ork-related questionnaires a t w ork, b u t m a n y sta te d they w ould give equal or possibly more attention to a docum ent received a t home. Much will depend on how effective you are in gaining the attention of the recipient. If you’ve hit on a timely topic, you stand to garner a reasonably good response, b u t if the topic looks like a rehash of w ell-worn themes, don’t expect much. A reasonable supposition m ight be th a t if noth­ ing has appeared in library literature during the last five years covering the topic from the angle you’re probing, you m ay have a timely topic and get good responses. The logistics of sending a survey involve more details th a n you might expect a t first glance. You’ll probably w ant address labels carrying your name and address for return envelopes as well as for the envelopes being m ailed out. You can prepare these efficiently by using a m em ory-typew riter. Set up a m aster to prin t a vertical column on a page of blank labels (i.e., type in the nam e and address to be re­ produced as m any times as there are labels in a colum n). T he typical label sheet (8 x 1 1 ) consists of th re e columns of 11 labels each. Program your memory typew riter to produce one column; then repeat th a t program tw o more times to fill th e 3 blank columns. You can then produce a “paste-up” th a t can be photocopied on label stock as many times as you wish. You will need tw o of these labels for every survey being sent out. Addressing the en­ velopes to your colleagues poses more of a problem . December 1987 / 699 Unless you plan to do a lot of follow-up, you’ll need your survey to attendees of the conference, saving postage costs. However, you do risk having the sur­ veys lost or misplaced when they are shuffled into a briefcase, along with conference handouts, possi­ bly not to surface until some time after the meet­ ing. Also, this method may not give you a con­ trolled sample. Wrapping it up When your surveys begin to come back to you I can guarantee you’ll be excited! It’s a professional thrill to realize that your colleagues and friends have taken their valuable time to assist you in your research project, and you’ll feel a special bond with them. Start tabulation right away—it’s much easier to do a few replies at a time, as they arrive, than w ait to do them all at once. If you decide to analyze all replies together, after the majority have been re­ ceived, you may wish to again enlist the help of a friend. Tabulating is a time-consuming process. Depending upon the nature and depth of your questionnaire, you should allow from 15 to 30 min­ utes to record the data from each one. Recruitment open for editor of Rare Books & Manuscripts Librarianship ACRL’s newest journal, Rare Books 6- Manuscripts Librarianship, will require a new editor to serve on a volunteer basis when Ann Gwyn completes her term of ser­ vice. The incoming editor will assume full editorship in July 1988. Besides ACRL membership, candidates should have a background of service in aca­ demic or research librarianship, as well as experience and expertise in special collec­ tions librarianship; experience in research, editing, and bibliographical activities; a concern w ith publication as a means of pro­ fessional communication; and an ability to analyze manuscripts for content, research methods, form, structure, or style. Together with the editorial board, the editor is charged w ith encouraging research and writing that may be appropriate for the journal, soliciting topics and suggesting them to appropriate authors, and editing ­ and refereeing manuscripts. Persons wishing to be considered for the ­ editorship should communicate their inter­ est, accompanied by a statement of qualifi­ t cations and names of references, by Febru­ ary 1, 1988, to: R uth J. Person, D ean, College of Library Science, Clarion Univer­ sity, Clarion, PA 16214; (814) 226-2271. those addresses only once—hence, as I see it, it’s as much work to set up a label program in a computer to run them off, as it is to type directly on label stock (or even hand-write, if your penmanship is reasonably readable). With a promise of a fine dinner (or something equally appealing) try to enlist a friend to assist you in getting your survey ready for posting. The sur­ vey has to be collated and stapled, the cover letter added, the label and stamp attached to the return envelope, and the whole thing folded and inserted into the main envelope that’s been previously ad­ dressed, stamped and labeled with your return ad­ dress. One hundred or more surveys will take two people at least six hours (each, not total) to get such a packet ready for mailing. The final step—sealing the master envelope—takes additional time. Approximate costs Photocopying costs for a six-page survey plus a cover letter for 125 packets will run approximately $25. Envelopes, when purchased on sale can run as little as one cent each. At the current rate of 22 cents per letter, first-class postage, for 100 letters and return envelopes, will cost $44. Miscellaneous costs of labels, staples, paper, new ribbon for your typewriter (or printer if you’re composing on com­ puter or word processor) have not been figured in. But for a rough estimate, it will cost in the neigh­ borhood of $100 to mail a survey to 100 people (or $1 per person surveyed in this size sample). If you promised to send the survey results to respondents, be sure to count additional money needed for post­ age, envelopes and photocopies. Allow an esti­ mated 30-40 cents for each return letter, depend­ ing upon the number of pages in your reply. If you’re applying for funding, such an amount will cover the bulk of your expenses for a no frills mailing. (If you add in the cost of “dinner at the Ritz” for your friend as payment for help rendered, you m ay need to allow for a slightly higher budget.) Once you’ve mailed your survey you’ll be beset by doubts, and think of several modifications you wish you’d made to the original document. Just forget it! Timing The tim e of year when you send out your survey may affect the response you’ll receive. If the survey arrives during the middle of Christmas holidays or summer vacation it might be buried—other de mands will be taking higher priority. Moreover, your return date should not overlap into these pe riods. Consider the school term when contacting academic librarians—neither the first nor las weeks of the term are propitious times. If you have your survey ready at a time that coincides with a meeting or conference th a t will attract people you’re trying to reach, you could plan to distribute 700 / C& RL News Percent o f response If you’re fortunate, I’ve been told, you will re­ ceive a response from about 30 % of those you con­ tacted. If you’ve targeted your audience carefully, you may receive a greater return. In my own case I mailed 121 questionnaires on January 19 and had received 57 responses by April 2, or 47 %; 60 replies by May 1, or 50% . Added benefits You’ll probably receive responses th a t will make your day—colleagues who realize they have some of the same concerns you do. The next tim e you m eet any of these people at a library conference, you’ll greet each other a bit more warm ly, sharing a bond of having helped each other try to solve problems of m utual concern. W hile it m ay take m ore hours th a n you antici­ pate to prepare and/or collate the results, a survey can open new doors for you. If you are able to use the inform ation gleaned as a basis for an article, be sure to give credit where credit is due. If another colleague or institution has been particularly help­ ful and would appreciate recognition, give it! You may even be asked to share the results of your research w ith other colleagues at local, re­ gional or national conferences. So, dear first–time- or tenth–time-surveyer, be prepared to add a “new dimension” to your life. A survey is well w orth the effort! To better the best and brightest undergraduates By M young C hung Wilson Inform ation Services Librarian Rutgers University an d K evin M ulcahy Reference Coordinator Rutgers University T here is a renew ed interest in im proving the quality of undergraduate education in institutions of higher learning—especially in large, public, re­ search universities w here, it is alleged, laboratory w ork and grant dollars are often p u t ahead of stu­ dents, teaching and learning, and where attention to undergraduates has a low priority.1 Some have also said that faculty members in this environment have little incentive to increase th e ir teaching workload by making assignments th a t require close student supervision.2 In order to ensure high quality education, par­ ticularly th a t of undergraduates, the Council on Improvements on Teaching at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, annually solicits and funds projects th a t encourage creative and innova­ tive instructional methods. A project th a t was pro­ posed by three librarians3 at the Rutgers Alexander L ibrary (the research library for the social sciences and hum anities), entitled “Com prehensive Re­ search Access Training: A Proposal to Enhance the Research Capabilities of U ndergraduate Honors Students,” was funded during the 1985-86 aca­ 1Scott Heller, “Ways to Improve U ndergraduate Education Sought by New Alliance of State Uni­ versities,” Chronicle o f Higher Education, January 14, 1987, pp.13-14. 2Susan H. Anthes & Lawson Crowe, “Teaching Library Literacy,” College Teaching 35 (Summer 19871:92-94. 3They are M arianne I. G aunt, Kevin Mulcahy, and Myoung Chung Wilson. demic year. U ndergraduate honors students were selected for participation in the project for the following reasons: 1) N ationally the needs assessments for biblio­ graphic instruction require, among other things, identification of library user groups for w hom a bibliographic instruction class or series of classes is targeted o r designed. W hile undergraduates as a whole, and especially freshmen and academically disadvantaged students, are frequently identified as target groups for bibliographic instruction, little has been done w ith u n d ergraduate honors stu ­ dents, i.e ., those w ho seek academic excellence. The identification of this group for the purpose of bibliographic instruction is im portant because they tend to fall between the general undergraduate population and the more advanced graduate stu­ dents and faculty. 2) At Rutgers University, w here there has been a n expansion of the u n d ergraduate honors pro­ gram and w here a prem ium has been placed on in­ terd iscip lin ary endeavor an d in d e p en d en t re ­ search, neither the university nor the library has provided honors students w ith systematic training in the acquisition of new inform ation and research materials, particularly by the utilization of new technology. 3) The honors students at Rutgers, as well as at other universities, are potential scholars at the very outset of their careers. An advanced com prehen­ sive training in research techniques is considered essential for their future work.