ISR strives for excellence in the design and execution of survey research. We have a particular interest in medium- and large-scale projects requiring expertise in sampling, questionnaire design, and data collection for repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal surveys.
We also have considerable experience in survey experimentation, in which the content and/or order of questions is varied systematically to gain methodological insights. ISR collects high quality, timely data with good response rates for a reasonable fee.
We offer survey research services using various methods of data collection:
TELEPHONE SURVEYS
For telephone surveys, ISR selects respondents by random digit dialing (RDD), followed by a random selection of respondents within households.
To maximize response rates and sample representativeness, our usual practice is to make at least 12 attempts to reach a household, on varying days of the week and times of the day.
Telephone surveys are conducted from our centralized Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) laboratory with 75 workstations. To ensure the quality of the data, supervisors monitor interviews in progress.
MAIL SURVEYS
For survey populations with known addresses, mail surveys offer an attractive, low cost means to gather data from well-defined populations. We have surveyed physicians, nurses, lawyers, students and voluntary organization members.
Critical to mail survey quality are carefully crafted invitations to participate and repeated strategically spaced efforts to reach respondents.
WEB SURVEYS
Increasingly, web surveys are an alternative or supplement to other methods of data collection. Web surveys are hosted on dedicated, secure, in-house servers.
Our web surveys employ carefully timed, repeated appeals to maximize response.
Textual responses are captured directly, saving transcription costs.
For information on survey research design, implementation and cost contact Lorne Foster by e-mail (lfoster@yorku.ca).
For a list of projects conducted for the academic, public and private sector, click here.