Our Project Managers know the importance of delivering high quality service while balancing scope, schedule, and costs. We also help to:

• Fully understand your project’s goals and objectives
• Collaborate on project design
• Determine sampling techniques
• Develop and adhere to a timeline and budget

We know which techniques work and the best survey design practices to:

• Develop effective questionnaires
• Confirm respondent interpretation and comprehension
• Improve response rates

Our Project Managers will help you identify the most appropriate data collection method(s) and mode(s) for your project to ensure we are collecting reliable and relevant information. We have experience in many areas, including:

• Qualitative and quantitative methods
• Mixed methods and multi-mode approaches
• Longitudinal research
• Oversight and management of the data collection process

We analyze the data to give you actionable results and make it clear and easy to understand. Take advantage of our range of reporting options to meet your needs:

• Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis
• Dynamic dashboards
• Narrative or analytical reports
• Qualitative analysis

A highly customizable and low-cost option. As the business owners of the UMN Qualtrics Enterprise License, our team of experienced Project Managers will ensure that your survey runs smoothly and utilizes survey design best practices.

USAS has decades of experience utilizing the Tailored Design Method (TDM), a comprehensive methodology developed by Don A. Dillman for conducting social-science surveys.   This method is recognized  worldwide as the premier method for conducting mail surveys.  TDS maximizes survey response and reduces non-response error.  It can be used as an independent data collection method to achieve high response or as an add-on method to online/web surveys to maintain cost effectiveness and maximize response.  USAS also has a powerful scanner for use with other survey types such as scannable paper.

USAS can manage separate phases or all phases of a mail project including the purchase or handling of sample, questionnaire design and formatting, mail and logging/tracking, data entry, and delivery.  USAS also handles design materials, sequence of incentives and contacts, advance letter, questionnaire, and reminder postcard(s) for high response rates.

Focus groups allow for deeper qualitative discussion of a range of questions with a small group of people.  They can be used as stand-alone data collection instruments, as instruments to determine survey questionnaire design beforehand, or used to facilitate deeper discussion after survey data has been analyzed.  Experienced USAS staff conduct these groups on a host of topics across the research spectrum and for university administrative purposes as well as with external clients.

USAS also conducts telephone surveys independently or as an add-on to an online survey designed to increase response rates.  USAS Project Managers typically monitor data collection with our long-time trusted partner, ISG, of Bloomington, Minnesota.  ISG’s call center conducts computer-assisted telephone interviews and their interviewers are highly trained..  USAS typically designs the questionnaire and manages the overall project.  Our highly trained Project Managers collaborate with the client and ISG to develop an interviewing data collection protocol that maximizes response and minimizes errors and costs.

Our paper-based surveys offer many flexible options, from general scannable forms for basic needs to customized forms for specific projects, which can be in either scannable or non-scannable formats. We can create everything from single page forms to multi-page booklets to be used for in-person or mail data collection.

The benefits of combining an online web survey with either telephone and/or mail are many with the primary benefit being an increased response rate.  This avenue is often cost advantageous as well as, although it’s more expensive than online/web, it is typically less expensive than a solely mail or telephone approach.  USAS also customizes survey designs to consider information in the sampling frame.