The first step of data collection is to determine your target group. The sample needs to be controlled and representative of the population you wish to survey - which was defined by researching your target group’s demographics. By understanding these, you eliminate the noise, focusing on the specific characteristics that matter most to you, such as the ratio of females to males or your population’s age breakdown. Once your target group is determined, the next steps include:
- Pre-Stratification - breaking the population out into different layers and controlling the respondents to properly represent the target group’s demographics.
- Data Verification - cleaning out people who may have clouded the data by answering questions rapidly or inaccurately.
- Post-Stratification - plugging data into statistical software to guarantee accuracy within the methodology.
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