UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Survey Research Center

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of surveys do you do?

Our main focus is to serve communities with our services. We have done surveys consisting of but not limited to:

  • Food Co-op Surveys
  • Non profit organization Surveys
  • Education Surveys
  • Farmer Surveys
  • Dairy Farmer Surveys
  • Labor Surveys
  • Local Government Surveys
  • Rural Development Surveys

I have a limited budget, can the SRC help me work within that budget? 

Yes, the SRC focuses on providing quality services at affordable prices. We focus on community improvements, not profits. We offer many different services based upon the clients needs. Along with this, the SRC can help clarify what services we can offer to the client based upon their budget. 

I only need a certain service rather than all the services offered in a typical project, is this do-able?

Yes, if you are needing only a certain service needed, the SRC will be happy to work with you on that. An example of this would be a client needing data collection with no data analysis and final summary report. Another example would be if a client only needs data analysis and a final summary report of previously collected data.

I have an overall idea of the survey project my organization wants to do but I need help with the details, can the SRC help with this?

Yes, the SRC can help identify any specific details in a survey project. Examples of this would be finding recipients, choosing which population to survey, recipient size, creating the survey questions, and more.

What is the typical survey timeline process at the SRC?

The typical survey process at the SRC is dependent on many aspects of the survey project itself. Such aspects include but are not limited to: 

  • Paper survey vs online survey
  • Survey length
  • Recipient size

What is the typical paper survey process?

1. The director of the SRC meets virtually with the client to discuss the overall path and identify key goals.

2. The director sends the client a cost proposal. 

3. Once approved, the director drafts a survey and sends it to the client for review.

4. Once approved, the survey is sent to print.

5. Once printed, the student research assistants begin mail preparation and send out the survey to recipients.

6. Completed and received surveys are logged and kept track of.

7. A postcard reminder is sent to recipients who have not yet completed the survey.

8. A second mailing of the survey is sent to recipients who have not yet completed the survey.

9. All received surveys are collected and securely scanned into a computer software program.

10. Data from the survey responses are collected and securely sent to the director and the analyst of the SRC.

11. The director and analyst create a written summary report of the survey data results.

12. The summary report is sent to the client for final review.