I’ve begun analyzing the first preliminary batch of results from the SLCC Survey. I have a feeling this is going to take me awhile to get through. After a couple of hours I have only gotten through the eight questions none of which were essay style. I started analyzing results on the first essay style question on the keynote speech when I came upon some dilemnas as to how to present the final data. The organizers will have access to all raw data for detailed analysis, but what I am grappeling with is how to present the results to the community. Here are some questions I am pondering right now:
- Should I truncate some of the generic information in the essay style responses? Many responses are similar given the wide array of essay style answers. Should all “Great presentation”, “This sucked”, “Not Applicable” etc. be kept in their original format or should they be truncated down to general responses? Should responses be paraphrased at all to make them more general or should they remain as specific as possible? I don’t want to misrepresent any of the data collected, but I don’t want to publish a novel either.
- This is probably the most difficult call to make – some of the responses reference people by name and say less than pleasant things directly about them. I don’t know where to draw the line. “I didn’t like this panel/speaker’s presentation” reads much differently than devolving into naming names and personal attacks, which I am not surprised to say there are several of throughout the survey. How do I present this information because I do not want to be held responsible for saying libelous things in order to protect the truthfulness of the results. I also don’t want the SLCC organization to receive more flack removing things that others may perceive as things “we don’t like”. If you have seen some of the SLCC related drama in the forums this past year I am sure that you can imagine the types of things some people said. I am trying to be fair in all of this. I also do not want to be put in the position of the person(s) who have negative things said about them demanding they be removed or demanding to know who said them.
- I had not planned on including anyones names with the published results, but certain statements are recognizable as having come from a particular person. How to I protect their anonimity? or should I even be worrying about it?
The survey is still open and will remain open for sometime. If you have not yet filled out the survey you can do so anytime http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=368902507169 Future surveys may follow on specific topics as well as follow-up questions to the previous survey.
