I was glad to take the survey and I hope it reveals some useful results. I did have some concerns, however. Given the lack of a comment box in the survey itself, I will list them here:
- Who does the survey population consist of? Is this study focusing on experienced world travellers? Are the perceptions being analyzed those of North Americans, Europeans, or a representative sample of the entire world's population? If age, economic status, gender, and nationality are considered relevant factors, why not race or ethnicity? While taking part in the survey, I felt like sampling errors may beome a problem for you when you look at your final data.
- When I encounter spelling and grammatical errors during the completion of a survey, it leads me to question the integrity of the survey and the sincerity or dedication of the surveyor. This then leads me to a bit of a mental disconnect: being less invested in the survey, I may then give answers with less thought behind them. I would suggest more careful proff-reading and editing in the future.
- This particular survey contained questions and prompts that I found confusing or vague. Improper sentences and undefined terms can make it difficult to decipher the meaning behind a question, which makes it even more difficult (or impossible) to give a considered, thoughtful answer. This is likely to lead to many problematic nonsampling errors.
- Examples of 'sticky spots':
q.21 - There are likely to be some concerns with the data from this question, as the format of the question may 'lead' most survey-takers into similar responses that are not actually representative of their perceptions of Africa. (For example, "unpredictable," is listed, but not, "predictable." "Wild," is listed, but not, "tame." "Warm," is also present, but not, "cold.")
q.23,24,25 - The "risks" in these matrices were ineffectively titled or defined. Where 'physical risks' or 'health risks' are relatively easy to think about, it is much more difficult to rate the importance of 'socio-cultural differences risks' or 'value for money risks'. It wasn't at all clear what you were asking with several of these.
q.28 - "Are local population, standard of living and economic situation a concern or consideration for you when you travel?" What exactly is it about the local population? Is whose standard of living or economic situation a concern? This question either confuses one concern into a list of three, or it bundles three issues into one oddly-constructed 'consideration'.
q.33 - Is there, "added value," in what way, or for whom?
Again, I hope your survey yields interesting results. I also hope that my comments have been helpful.
Yours,
Nic Nakis
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