Finally, a decent WOTC survey

[Greg K]

I just took a WOTC survey that actually had open-ended questions. The incluson of open-ends in a WOTC survey was a first for me. For those that don't know what open-ended questions are, they are questions which allow you to provide a more indepth response or explanation and are used to clarify a response and/or provide greater insight than can be obtained by a simple yes/no, numerical rating or multiple choice.

Now,I don't know how many times that I have taken a WOTC survey and wanted to explain a rating that I had given and could not do so, because the survey lacked open-ends. For instance, in one previous survey, I was asked to rate a product as a whole or by specific chapters on a 1-10 (or was it 1-5)scale. There may have been some really excellent material in the chapter or book, but the rating was brought down significantly by the majority of other content. The lack of open-ended questions didn't allow me to explain my choice and acknowledge the content that I thought was exceptonal. Instead, all that was obtained was a number that could be interpreted a number of different ways.

Anyway, I found the inclusion of open-ends something interesting (perhaps, because I have been doing occasional market research and see numerous surveys) and wanted to acknowledge WOTC for finally doing a survey that I felt had some quality.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Is this survey available online?

 

[Greg K]

Is this survey available online?

It was for DND online. I downloaded the lastest Dragon and it just popped up. Some of the questions had to do with how easy it was to find things on the site (with an open end if you don't think it is easy), questons about the content and layout of Dragon and Dungeon, one's primary source for DND information with EnWorld being a choice(if not DND online, there is an open end to explain why not), and how likely are you to subscribe to DND online once it goes to fee based (again with an open end if not likely).

 

[drothgery]

It's very difficult to analyze the data for open-ended questions, which is why they're rare.

 

[Tervin]

It was for DND online. I downloaded the lastest Dragon and it just popped up. Some of the questions had to do with how easy it was to find things on the site (with an open end if you don't think it is easy), questons about the content and layout of Dragon and Dungeon, one's primary source for DND information with EnWorld being a choice(if not DND online, there is an open end to explain why not), and how likely are you to subscribe to DND online once it goes to fee based (again with an open end if not likely).

I have also taken that survey, and have the same feeling - for once it felt worthwhile to answer the questions to the best of my ability. This seems to be a new trend at WotC, as I recently answered a similar survey on why I don't play MtG Online anymore.

(By the way... my answers about their website were not what I would consider positive. In any shape or form. Felt good to be able to be specific when I picked it apart. )

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The lack of open-ended questions didn't allow me to explain my choice and acknowledge the content that I thought was exceptonal. Instead, all that was obtained was a number that could be interpreted a number of different ways.

I got bad news for you friend... all those open-ended questions get categorized into numbers so they can be statistically analyzed. Your comments get reviewed by someone and classified. Then they (usually) don't get reviewed again.

I've worked with surveys in the past and, IME, everyone wants to have their say but in the end their say can usually be classified into a generic, numeric answer. More often than not, people avoided making a tough numeric decision, or refused to select an option, by instead making a comment. Surveys are all about which answer "best" describes what you think or feel. It doesn't have to be the perfect answer, and that's where most people get hung up.

 

[Joshua Randall]

WotC has been running surveys that included open-ended questions for several years, although there does seem to have been a lull recently, up until the one the OP describes.

 

[Greg K]

I've worked with surveys in the past and, IME, everyone wants to have their say but in the end their say can usually be classified into a generic, numeric answer. More often than not, people avoided making a tough numeric decision, or refused to select an option, by instead making a comment. Surveys are all about which answer "best" describes what you think or feel. It doesn't have to be the perfect answer, and that's where most people get hung up.

Yes, they do get reviewed and classified. However, open ends are designed to get as much specific detailed information as possible (which is best done by an interviewer using probing questions). Depending upon the client, they even may request that certain open-ends be sent to them for review as is the case with two current studies I have worked on over the past two months.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Might have to go download the newest issue now and do this survey. I'd like to complain about it not printing out all of the maps in the Dungeon mag adventures from last issue. You know how frustrating it is to want to run an adventure but have only part of each of the maps for each encounter?