Privacy and Security
How Secure Are Surveys?
When participating in surveys, respondents are often quite concerned with protecting their identities. They can be reluctant to share vital information, such as name, address, phone number, geographical location, and income. Some fear that their information may be given or sold to companies who will then pester them with sales calls. Others fear the ever-growing problem of identity theft. While these concerns are justifiable, respondents should rest assured that legitimate survey organizations go to great lengths to guarantee confidentiality. They will never share personal information with outside organizations, and they will always work to guard respondents’ identities from those who would exploit them.
Personal Information and Confidentiality
Survey organizations may require personal information for a number of valid reasons.
First, it may be necessary for an organization to follow up on responses or collect further data. Also, survey organizations sometimes conduct their own quality control surveys to establish the effectiveness of individual interviewers. Most importantly, survey organizations use personal information to establish target populations, avoid sample bias, and create viable statistics from responses.
A professional survey organization always follows a strict code of conduct, using personal information or responses only for their stated purpose. It is in their best interest to do so, because their reputations are built around trustworthiness.
Security Methods
Survey Organizations employ numerous methods to protect respondents’ personal information. The following list outlines some of the most effective techniques:
1. Survey organization employees are highly trained, with special emphasis on ensuring confidentiality. They are required to sign oaths to protect respondents' privacy.
2. Confidential information is kept physically and electronically separate from survey results.
3. Only authorized individuals are allowed access to confidential information.
4. Access to confidential information is strictly limited by the use of special codes and passwords.
5. Potentially identifying information, such as age, geographic location, and income is often categorized into broader, more generalized groups. For example, rather than asking a respondent's exact age, a list of age ranges is offered from which the respondent may choose.
6. Personal information sent over the Internet is encoded as it passes from the respondent's desktop to the survey organization's server, thereby eliminating the possibility of interception and misuse.
7. Information that is no longer needed is deleted or destroyed.
8. Most survey organizations align their codes of conduct with those of professional associations, such as the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the American Statistical Association.
Security and Survey Types
While respondents should feel assured that their information is secure regardless of the survey method, their confidence in responding to particular questions may rest on the survey's form.
For example, in a telephone or personal interview survey, a respondent may be less forthcoming when questioned about potentially embarrassing personal issues, such as sex or mental health. The same respondent may feel perfectly comfortable providing that information in a web survey, because the lack of human interaction gives the impression of anonymity.
However, many people feel trepidation when providing vital information online, fearing that it will somehow be intercepted and/or misused. They may find it difficult to provide this information to an anonymous person in an unknown location.
Mail surveys may cause similar consternation, since the survey has to be physically delivered from the respondent to the survey organization. To some, the potential for information leakage seems greatest with this method.
When considering the survey method you wish to employ, it's important to factor potential respondent attitudes toward the method's security into your decision.
Setting Respondents at Ease
Respondents may resist providing personal information to survey organizations until they feel confident about the way it will be used. For that reason, survey organizations usually introduce themselves up front, informing respondents of both their confidentiality guidelines and their intention to use personal information solely for statistical purposes. Providing this information sets potential respondents at ease, helping ensure not only a solid response rate, but also honest, accurate responses.