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Clark University
Office of
Strategic Analytics and Institutional Research

Thinking of conducting a survey?

Research and Survey Checklist

Research is important because it helps us expand our knowledge and understanding of the world around us. Through research, we can answer questions, solve problems, and inform how we advocate for our community. To ensure we’re able to accomplish these aims, we must first develop our research project and survey instrument.

Before launching your survey or sending it to the Strategic Analytics & Institutional Research Office (STAIR), use this checklist to determine where you are in the process of developing your research project. This checklist is an overview of the process for developing a research project for review by the STAIR Office. More detailed information on any of the steps can be found by clicking through to the linked page.

Phase 1: Planning your research project

Phase 2: Developing your survey

Phase 3: Piloting and testing your survey

Data Request

If you are a member of the Clark community, you may complete our Data Request We ask that you give us as much advance notice as possible (i.e., 2–4 weeks).

Members of the Clark community also can view the Factbook to answer common questions, such as: How many students have majored in my program over the past five years? How many faculty members does my department have?

Contact us with any questions.

Resources

Internal:

External:

To ensure the protection of human subjects and compliance with federal regulations, survey administrators must adhere to Clark’s IRB procedures.

Is there a privacy policy in place?

Survey administrator(s) should clearly state whether the survey is anonymous or confidential.

When promising survey subjects anonymity, researchers must ensure that any identifiable data is not collected or stored in a manner that could link it to individual responses.

For surveys guaranteeing confidentiality, researchers must take utmost care in safeguarding sensitive information and preventing anyone outside the project from associating individual responses with identities.

The survey should include contact information should the respondents have any questions about the study.

Timing your survey

To reduce survey fatigue, as part of efforts to coordinate the administration of institutional surveys involving students, faculty, and staff at the University, we created a Survey Calendar.

If you are planning a survey, we encourage you to check the calendar. Please contact us to have your survey added to this calendar.

Contact Information

Strategic Analytics and Institutional Research

Office Location
Tableau Office Hours

  • Thursday’s from 9 – 10 a.m.

    Please contact us to book a meeting during the office hours.