Do surveys (mis)lead? A note for practitioners

ABSTRACT

Surveys are a widely used research method in development programmes to measure and assess the needs, priorities, and severity of problems. Using surveys as a tool to gauge developmental needs, we assessed the effect of monetary contribution, degree of participation, and seasonality on beneficiaries’ demands. It was found that a lack of procedural engagement with the target audience leads to unrealistic demands, which in turn negatively impact the development programme. This practical note offers guidelines to practitioners and researchers that they may adopt before undertaking large-scale surveys.

KEYWORD:

• Methods

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sushant is a Regional Coordinator at Tetra Tech ARD, India.

Sunpreet Kaur is Director at Nuvo Environmental and Rural Development Solutions (India) Private Limited, New Delhi, India.

Sushil Saigal is a Senior Advisor at InsPIRE Network for Environment, New Delhi, India.