Allow Us to Gather the Data

The SCSU Survey is a full service survey research organization. Survey staff will conduct mail, online and mixed-method studies and provide clients with a comprehensive analyzation of the results in a prepared report.

The SCSU Survey regularly partners with a variety of public sector clients to conduct surveys. We offer surveys in three manners: 

• A “stand alone” survey in which there is only one client. These surveys can be accommodated throughout the calendar year based on the needs of the client. 
• The St. Cloud State University Annual Fall Omnibus Survey of Minnesota Adults contains several clients combined to be administered all at once. The cost is generally lower because all participants share many of the fixed expenses of conducting the survey. This option is ideal for clients who have a limited number of questions they would like asked.
• The St. Cloud State University Annual Spring Omnibus Survey of enrolled adult students contains mainly clients connected to the university, such as administrative offices, centers or departments.

Navigating the Process

The SCSU Survey staff works with clients to design an appropriate questionnaire. The questions may be close-ended, where respondents must select from a pre-determined set of answers, or open-ended, in which the respondent’s answer is entered verbatim by the interviewer. 

Included in the cost of question preparation is advice on:

• question wording
• formatting, and order
• a pretest of the question(s)
• subsequent revisions

Demographics
SCSU Survey works with clients to determine appropriate demographic variables such as gender, age, and income that will also be gathered. In addition to SPSS generated frequencies for the survey results of questions, any specific demographics will be provided to the client and each substantive question will be cross-tabulated for each demographic characteristic.

Techniques and Methodology
Interviews are conducted from the SCSU Survey’s Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing system in accordance with the most advanced survey techniques. Questionnaires are pretested to ensure reliability and validity. Interviewers receive intensive training and all phone work is monitored and closely supervised by SCSU Survey staff.

Calls are made during the daytime, evenings, and weekends to maximize the likelihood of finding the selected respondent at home.

Although telephone interview is the primary interview method, SCSU Survey also conducts mail, email and other surveys dependent on client needs.

The SCSU Survey staff belongs to the American Association of Public Opinion Research and the Midwest Association of Public Opinion Research and adheres to the code of conduct of these associations.

Getting Your Results
When the survey is complete, the client will receive:

• a data file that will allow them to do their own analysis
• a SPSS set-up file that reads the data file
• a codebook documenting the coding of each question
• the demographic questions
• a complete methodological report detailing both technical and quality-control procedures for the entire survey

Client Expectations

All clients are required to complete an Interagency Agreement (for state agencies) or a Memorandum of Agreement Form (for nonprofit agencies) before their questions are included in the St. Cloud State University Annual Fall Omnibus Survey of Minnesota Adults or before a comprehensive survey is commenced for that client. 

The St. Cloud State University Annual Fall Omnibus Survey of Minnesota Adults is conducted in late October or early November of each year. Results and reports are typically provided in December. The deadline for submitting questions for inclusion in St. Cloud State University Annual Fall Omnibus Survey of Minnesota Adults is Labor Day of each year. The total number of questions that can be included is limited, so clients are advised to contact SCSU Survey early. 

Comprehensive individual client surveys can be conducted throughout the calendar year, and clients can contact SCSU Survey about these surveys at any time during the year.