The Riverside Grill's New Menu

The Riverside Grill is contemplating developing a new menu, and a survey has been created to gather information about the food preferences and behaviors of patrons (Wildemuth 257). The stated research goal of the survey is to access patron preferences for the development of the new menu. Factors considered include type of food and beverage patrons like and the time of the day that patrons like to eat it. A clear sense of the survey’s purpose and clear questions were needed to ensure that the data gathered will answer the research goal (Palys 167). This report will examine the organization, first draft, pilot testing, revision, and data analysis of the survey.

Survey Organization

To ensure effectiveness, four factors were explored during survey development: organization, aesthetics, wording, and previous literature.

Prior to creating the survey, a literature search was done (Wildemuth 257). Similar surveys were reviewed to become familiar with the kinds of questions that could be asked.

Identifying the aesthetic look of the survey was critical. As Palys explains, an attractive survey encourages respondents to complete it (185). Consequently, this survey includes white space, prominent headings, and easy to read text. It looks attractive and professional.

Question wording and order were key considerations. Schwarz and Palys explain these can introduce subtle bias and can substantially affect responses (Schwarz 100).

This survey, as Wildemuth recommends, is arranged into three sections, the introduction, the heart of the survey, and the conclusion (258). Effort has been made to ensure this organization is logical, effortless to follow, and reflective of real conversation (Palys 185)....

... middle of paper ...

...nd median. Questions 2, 4, and 5, measuring interval level data, will allow us to discover mean, median, and mode.

This will allow the Riverside Grill to determine the most common responses to each survey question and meet the research goal of the survey (Palys 337). This will allow them to identify patron preferences for the new menu and identify what items should or should not be added to the new menu.

Works Cited

Palys, T, and C. Atchison. Research Decisions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. 4th ed. Scarborough, Ont: Thomson Nelson, 2008. Print

Schwartz, N. “Self-Reports: How the Questions Shape the Answers.” American Psychologist 54 (1999): 93-105. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.

Wildemuth, Barbara M. Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information

and Library Science. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2009. Print.