Yes, it is all about getting the small details right in survey research and evaluation. I would not advise leaving the tablet at a reception desk without a systematic sampling plan (and detailed instructions and training for the reception staff) in place.
My default approach for visitor surveys is to intercept people on their way in to the site (30 seconds - 2 minutes), following a systematic sampling procedure. People complete a relatively short survey on the way in with a data collector either holding the tablet or handing it over temporarily. Then at the end of the day, they automatically receive a post-visit survey request (with automatic reminders). Observable data are collected on non-respondents by the data collector (called a ‘refusal log’) in order to calculate response rate and identify any systematic sampling bias that may be visible.
In order to do this kind of fundamental quality assurance, a person is needed to administer the initial survey (or you need advance access to people’s details). Without this kind of systematic approach, quantitative claims about visitors cannot legitimately be made (e.g. % of people satisfied with their experience) as the level of sampling bias is unknowable.
Of course, this is challenging when you do not ever have a data collector available, so creative solutions have to be identified. I don’t see how paper survey forms per se make these issues better though (and someone then needs to put the time into typing up the data, there is risk of data entry errors, you cannot use skip logic elegantly, etc.).
Best,
Eric
---------------
Dr Eric Jensen, Fellow Higher Education Academy
Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer), Department of Sociology, University of Warwick
http://warwick.academia.edu/EricJensen
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On 7 Sep 2018, at 16:20, Elin Bornemann <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
It has been our experience that many visitors are reluctant to interact with tablets as well. We tried doing visitor surveys via a tablet for a while, but it was not a success. We never hit on the right app to use either, they all had problems. It might have worked better if we had used the tablet in conjunction with a person, i.e. have a person approach visitors with tablet in hand. The way we tried it, however, was with the tablet set up on the reception desk, and we didn’t get much data that way. We have now gone back to paper.
Elin Bornemann
Collections Officer
Abingdon County Hall Museum
Market Place
Abingdon
OX14 3HG
01235 523703
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jensen, Eric
Sent: 07 September 2018 03:36
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Collecting visitor data
Just a quick note that I have sometimes found visitors are reluctant to have their data collected via smartphone. (Perhaps because these are so associated with being personal devices)
So I would recommend a low cost android tablet as the on-site data collection device. You can get these got as little as £45 each. (Though if you can afford the £100-120 level, the added processor speed does make the data collection interaction smoother)
Eric
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