Once you have conducted your survey, you would have gathered a lot of data. It is of great importance that you analyse all the information in an organised manner so as to gather the most useful insights from it.
- Collect and organize the data
- Make the data manageable
- Mine the data
- Sort and cluster the data
- Manipulate and re-frame the data as necessary
- Identify insights
- Discuss
- Articulate
- Incubate, and
- Socialize your insights
In order to analyze the data, use simple tools like Excel sheets, create pivot tables to visualize the data better. Use the methods that come easily to you - whether SQL queries or Excel does not matter.
Set up a system to organize the data that you collect - whether they be notes, sketches, digital notes, photographs, or audio/video recordings.
Identify the insights by discussing each pattern, and point of synthesis and talk of why you think each is important. Recall exact quotations from participants, their facial expressions, body language. Articulate in one statement the insight that emerged out of each pattern or point of synthesis.
Incubate the insights. Leave them for 24 hours. Go do some other work. Return to and rearticulate the insights with the team. Think of a different way of expressing or articulating them, but if you got them right the first time, then don’t change them.
Socialize these insights, show them to other people who were not involved in the research process or the synthesis. Give them some context, show them the insights, and note their reactions. This will tell you if the insights actually resonate with other people.
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Be careful of what inferences you draw from the data when you analyze and synthesize it. You might realize later on that these inferences are wrong, but it’s important to note this down.
The following steps are involved in analyzing the data collected through surveys:
