Module 2, Video 4: Formal Research: Advantages and

Disadvantages (Part Two) Transcript

Now let's look at survey organization, some sample topics and question structures. A survey is usually divided into
three parts.

Part one is the demographic profile to understand basic information about the respondent. This can include
gender, age, professional work status, income, family or living situation.

Part two is information about past or current experience. This can include habits, things that people do regularly
such as brushing their teeth and
preferences related to a new product.

Let's imagine that we're writing a survey for a new toothbrush, a new type of toothbrush while we look at question
types for habits and preferences.
Questions about habits could include some of the following:
1. Do you ever brush your teeth?
2. What do you use to brush your teeth?
3. How long does it take you to brush your teeth?
4. Where do you brush your teeth?

Under habits, there could also be questions about frequency, such as:
1. How often do you brush your teeth?
2. How many times a day do you brush your teeth?

Questions about preferences could include:

1. What do you like best about your toothbrush?
2. What do you like least about your toothbrush?
3. Do you like your toothbrush?
4. If no, why not?

Part three is information about future needs. Here the researcher is interested in the respondent's reactions to the
new product's specific features and benefits. In this section the researcher will also be trying to understand the
perceived value of the new product. In other words, how much the respondent would be willing to pay for the
product. These are probably the hardest questions to write in the survey and could include some of
the following questions forms:

1. Would you like to try New Toothbrush?

2. If yes, which New Toothbrush would you prefer?
3. Are you interested in buying New Toothbrush?
4. If yes or maybe, how much would you be willing to pay for one New Toothbrush?

In this video we talked about how formal research surveys are more quantitative, objective, and persuasive than
informal research. However, they also require finding respondents, costs more to do, and require more planning.
We also reviewed three parts of a new product survey, demographic profile, past/current experience, and future
needs. And some common question types.
© 2022 by FHI 360 M2 T4 Formal Research: Advantages and Disadvantages (Part Two) Transcript for the
Online Professional English Network (OPEN), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding
provided by the U.S. government and administered by FHI 360. This work is an adaptation Formal Research:
Advantages and Disadvantages (Part Two) University of Pennsylvania licensed under the Creative Commons
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