I got my PhD in a super-specific line of study, but now I actually prefer being a super-generalist.
It’s been almost a year since the words “coronavirus pandemic” entered our daily lexicon.
When the pandemic started back in March, at 7:00 sharp every night, my Brooklyn neighbors would cheer and bang pots and pans out their windows, thanking all the healthcare workers who we couldn’t thank in person.
Despite high levels of concern about the virus, few Americans will be running to the clinic for a Covid-19 vaccine once it is available.
November 3 is right around the corner, and Southpaw Insights is excited to share some results from our latest pre-election study!
This summer, Southpaw joined forces with Gazelle Global and Zebra Strategies to conduct research about how Americans are being impacted by the pandemic and racial reckoning sweeping the country. We
As part of my personal Alzheimer’s prevention program, I’ve added ukulele lessons to my life. In addition to now being able to play both “Sea of Love” and “Hallelujah,” I
….please be aware of how you present research results in the news. Happy Election Day! In the spirit of our great democracy, I wanted to share a few articles I’ve
When I’m not trying to save the world through research, I’m on the board of a tiny non-profit that my friend started out of her living room in 2011. Little Essentials
This is Connie and Joe. They are amazing in-person interviewers who can get anyone to talk to them, whether it’s someone coming out of a store or a doctor attending a
“Why should I bother paying for a survey when I can learn so much about my audience from social media?” It’s a fair question, and one I get asked a
I recently gained 35 pounds without realizing it. Scratch that. I realized that my clothes didn’t fit and I felt like I was dressed up in someone else’s body. But
I got to San Diego at the beginning of January for a 2-month stay. I was expecting sunshine and warm days at the beach. Instead, I was welcomed by El
I spent last week in North Carolina, working with the client who has taken over my life this summer. This time, I trained ten local women in face-to-face interviewing. They are
Anyone who has spent ten minutes with me in the past few months knows that I’ve been consumed by my latest client: a Native American tribe in North Carolina. Like
A client of mine is a social service agency. One of their smallest programs (serving about 40 clients at any given time) offers case management for individuals involved with the
I only drink decaf coffee. I know, this is terrible and tragic and I’m obviously not living life to the fullest. But bear with me. When I order decaf, in
After a fun summer of teaching Questionnaire Design at the University of Michigan, I’m on an education high and excited to get the word out about doing great research. I’ll be
As a survey methodologist who spends a lot of time working in the “real world,” my philosophy is always: Respondents first. Respondents’ comfort and satisfaction with the survey experience should
Like many people, I was saddened by the passing of author Maya Angelou last week. After her death, I learned that she had once been a market research interviewer. In A
Summer is my favorite season, and I’m always happy when Memorial Day kicks it off. To start my summer off even better, this year my Red Cross client got some great media
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: everybody needs research. I love the diversity of companies and topics I get to work on. Lately I’ve done research for professional associations
I’m on my way back from Portland, where I spent two days at a fantastic conference of independent workers: freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other intrepid souls like myself. Like most conferences, there were
I love this scene from Annie Hall, where Annie and Alvin are telling their respective therapists how often they have sex. Alvin: Hardly ever. Maybe three times a week. Annie: Constantly. I’d say three
Welcome to the 5th and final segment of the response process model: reporting. Encode –> Comprehend –> Retrieve –> Map –> Report Imagine a respondent has gone through the first four steps: they know
Welcome to part 4 of the response process model: mapping. Encode –> Comprehend –> Retrieve –> Map –> Report A respondent could understand your question (and remember the answer), but not be able to place their response in
This is the third post in my series of real life examples of the response process model in action. Encode –>Comprehend –> Retrieve –> Map –> Report If respondents know what happened and understand what is being
This week I’m continuing my series depicting Tourangeau, Rips, and Rasinski’s response process model in action. Encode -> Comprehend -> Retrieve -> Map -> Report Last week I wrote about encoding: people can’t answer a question about
I’m trying to keep this blog as practical and non-academic as possible, but one thing I learned at school that I still apply in every questionnaire I write was the Response Process
I’m always surprised (and frankly, a little alarmed) when clients don’t want to pre-test a questionnaire. This strikes me as a little bit like launching an ad campaign without testing the content.
“There is always a story in the data—you just have to find it.” This simple advice from an old boss got me through last week, when I got a desperate
When I teach Survey Design Boot Camp, I like to remind students that open ended questions are like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. I
I meet a lot of people who tell me their company or organization can’t afford research. I almost always tell them, “Actually, you can’t afford NOT to do research! What kind
I’m still looking for the perfect description of what I do. “Research” conjures images of white coats and Bunsen burners, and “survey” often leads people down the path of topography.
