Survey Centre
The Institute of Applied Health Sciences (IAHS) Survey Centre, located within and run by the Epidemiology group, was designed to take advantage of, and build upon, the expertise, experience and facilities already within the IAHS, and to provide a central point for the coordination and conduct of all aspects of survey methodology.
Based upon – in the past few years alone – the management of surveys comprising >50,000 potential participants and >100,000 mailed questionnaires, we provide specialised hardware and centralised expertise in study conduct. We aim to streamline survey conduct, provide economies of scale, increase survey efficiency, and decrease survey cost (and time), for all researchers using the facility.
What we offer
Consultation on survey methodology
We are able to help plan your survey and will provide advice on best practice, for example, in terms of method of approach; survey conduct and timelines; questionnaire design; strategies to optimise response rates; and quality control. Potential users of the Survey Centre should contact us as early as possible in the planning phase so that this information can be incorporated – and costed appropriately – into grant applications.
Survey-specific hardware
We have dedicated facilities for the conduct of studies – and these are bookable for individual studies. Facilities include four workspaces, computer(s) with network and internet access, and a high throughput printer; and also an automated envelope inserter capable of packing approximately 600 questionnaires per hour.
Database services
We have strong links, and provide a coordinated service, with College of Life Science and Medicine Data Management Team who can provide database design in Microsoft Access or SQL Server and / or web applications. In addition, subject to Director of Public Health approval, we can provide access to the NHS Grampian Community Health Index (CHI) or the Patient Administration System (PAS) allowing for population-based random sampling, patient matching for case-control studies. Record linkage is also available, either through the CHI system to Scottish Morbidity Records (in collaboration with the Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland), or to other locally held research databases (e.g. the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Database).
What we do not offer
The Survey Centre does not offer any facilities, or staff, for data entry directly. However, depending on workload, this may be available – via the Survey Centre – from the Data Management Team, and we would be happy to coordinate this. Alternatively, there are a number of companies that provide this service and we can advise on these – based on our own experience – and, again, would be happy to coordinate this on behalf of any researchers.
We currently do not offer any formal statistical advice as part of the Survey Centre “package”. Researchers are advised to consult the Medical Statistics Team before planning any survey, to ensure sufficient attention has been paid to various statistical issues – sample size, power, etc.
It is unlikely that we will be able to assist persons who contact us late in the cycle of preparation and who have a short timescale for study conduct.
Costs
Clearly the costs of any survey depend on many factors including: questionnaire length and design, complexity, database requirements, and sample size. All potential users of the Survey Centre are asked to contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
Contact details
All enquiries about Survey Centre use may be made to survey.centre@abdn.ac.uk
Research
We are keen to advance research into survey methodology. Therefore, we are keen, wherever possible, to incorporate into large-scale surveys sub-studies to test methodology. These might take the form of methodological trials of strategies to enhance survey response, or novel methods (in healthcare research) of participant identification – such as the use of commercial databases and / or mail-to-household approaches. Any additional costs of these sub-studies would be borne by the Survey Centre, although the study primary investigators would be offered the opportunity to be involved in the write-up (and therefore authorship) of any output.