With the survey accepting responses, I’ve been monitoring the number of submissions that have been received. I don’t know what I was expecting really, but I certainly thought I would have more responses at this point.
This seems to be a strong indicator that the snowball approach to getting survey takers may not be working so well, and that makes sense based on some recent feedback I received from my dissertation committee. A few members were skeptical that it would work the way I thought it would, and they appear to be right. That’s why they are professionals. They know things.
So, based on their suggestions, I’m exploring additional recruitment strategies to work alongside my snowball approach. Such additions include leveraging rural organizations.
For example, I’m currently in discussions with the Kansas Farm Bureau to send my survey to their members. I’m writing a brief statement that they can include in their email newsletter that goes out every Tuesday and Friday. At the moment, the target is to get the survey out to Farm Bureau members by Dec. 15.
Also, I’m exploring ways to survey the Kansas State University community since so many students attend the institution and are not necessarily from Manhattan, Kansas.
It was also suggested that I reach out to churches to ask church leaders to encourage congregations to complete the survey. I could also develop flyers that could be displayed in agricultural cooperatives, grocery stores, libraries, and other community staples throughout the state.
Such strategies could be effective too, so I will be exploring the logistics of those as well.
In short, this is a learning process, and, even if it gets frustrating from time to time, I’m enjoying the activity and excited to be doing this research work. I just have to keep plugging away and make it all come together.