Organization and conduct of an expert survey. What is an expert survey. Compilation of quality material from the survey results

According to modern researchers, applied sociology is turning into a system of expert knowledge.

Expert survey - collection of primary data based on the use of experience, knowledge and intuition of specialists in a particular field of activity. Most often, this method is used in applied sociology as a means of increasing the reliability of solving scientific and managerial problems.

Anyone from any field other than our own can act as an expert. Distinctive feature of this method is that it assumes competent participation of experts in the analysis and solution of research problems. For example, to assess the expected demand for certain types of products, experts can be sellers or commodity experts of stores, managers of small businesses, dealers or brokers. In an army unit, experts can be commanders, officers of educational structures, senior citizens (they, as a rule, are aware of a wide range of issues of service and everyday life).

From other forms sociological survey the expert method has several very important features.

• The number of respondents is always less than in questionnaires and even interviews.
• The qualities of the respondents - their horizons, the level of qualifications, knowledge of a special field, are several orders of magnitude higher than those of ordinary respondents.
• Type and amount of information - an expert survey is conducted to obtain knowledge that a sociologist-researcher does not and never will have; in contrast to ordinary knowledge, which is known to the sociologist from his own experience, the knowledge obtained from experts refers to specially scientific knowledge.

• Typicality of data - in a mass poll, a sociologist is interested in the typicality, repetition, and commonality of the information obtained about value orientations and motives of people's behavior, and in an expert survey, the researcher values ​​the uniqueness of the expert's technical or humanitarian knowledge, its depth, and uniqueness.
• The program function - the primary information obtained in a questionnaire or interview, is used by a sociologist to test scientific hypotheses, and in an expert survey - in order to understand a completely new area for himself.

Paradoxical, but true. The Russians vote for the authorities, which, as shown by a poll by the Levada Center, do not like them in the main thing - at the disposal of the people's money collected in the form of taxes. The survey was conducted on June 21-26, 2012 among almost 1600 people in 130 settlements in 45 regions of the country.

Such forms of collecting primary sociological information as questionnaires, interviews, postal polls, telephone interviews are intended primarily for mass polls. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that they are aimed at identifying information that reflects the knowledge, opinions, value orientations and attitudes of the respondents, their attitude to events, phenomena of reality. And what this information is based on the individual interest of the respondents and can be very subjective, does not at all contradict the scientific nature of its receipt. On the contrary, the purpose of a mass survey is to obtain reliable information about the subject and object of research using the appropriate tools. For example, to identify groups of readers according to the degree of their interest in various sections of the newspaper, or to differentiate students according to their level of activity in the classroom, etc. Thus, in the course of a mass survey, representatives of the same object act as a source of sociological information that evaluates certain aspects of an object of research.

The main purpose is to identify the most significant, important aspects of the problem under study, to increase the reliability, reliability, validity of information, conclusions and practical recommendations using the knowledge and experience of experts.

Scope - can be used in the study of all areas of activity; in diagnostics, in assessing the states of a social object, rationing, design, forecasting, in decision-making. Varieties of expert survey are quite effectively used at different stages of sociological research: in defining goals and objectives, in identifying problem situations, in the search for hypotheses, in the course of interpreting concepts, in substantiating the reliability of the instruments and initial information, in substantiating the conclusions, in developing recommendations.

The main regulatory requirements are a clear justification for the need to apply the appropriate expert survey methodology; thorough selection of experts (assessment of their competence is mandatory); consideration of factors influencing the expert's judgments; creation of conditions for the most productive use of experts in the course of the study; preservation of information received from experts without distortion at all stages of the study.

Limitations in the application of conclusions for different methods of expert interviews. So, when using some techniques expert assessments it is useful to remember that their expert opinions tend to mediate opinions and therefore may not be suitable for evaluating non-standard phenomena such as innovative works of art. It should also not be forgotten that the data of the expert survey are subjective, and therefore it is desirable to compare them with objective information about the object obtained by other methods (although often the use of an expert survey is caused precisely by the difficulty of obtaining information in another way).

An example of an expert survey within the framework of a research project of the Russian State Science Foundation for the regional competition "Russian North: history, modernity, prospects" G. V. Zhigunova conducted a sociological study aimed at identifying the attitude of various groups of the population of the Murmansk region towards children with disabilities ...

The respondents were specialists social institutions Murmansk region. The selection is spontaneous, N= 210. In most cases, this is the teaching staff of secondary educational institutions(68.5%), in addition, specialists in social work, medical workers, speech therapists, defectologists, psychologists, etc. Of these, persons with higher education- 69.5%, with secondary specialized - 21%, with incomplete higher education - 5.7%.

Experts (47.6%) stated that society is not morally and psychologically ready to accept disabled children into its environment; 17.1% think that society is not ready at all; 27.6% believe that society is rather ready, and only 1% - completely ready. The majority of experts believe that children with any disabilities should study in specialized institutions, and not in a regular school or at home. According to experts, today children with disabilities need day care centers, as well as a delivery service, accessibility medical care, purchase opportunity household appliances for children with disabilities, nurses with special education, the implementation of patronage.

The expert survey application program includes the main structural elements of the sociological research program. The main tasks are to identify the objectives of the survey, to build selection criteria, rules for organizing the participation of experts and criteria for evaluating the information they provide. Unlike the mass survey, the expert survey program is not so detailed and is predominantly conceptual in nature. It first of all unambiguously formulates the phenomenon to be assessed, envisages in the form of hypotheses possible options its outcome.

The main toolkit for expert surveys is a questionnaire or an interview form, developed according to a special program. In accordance with this, the survey procedure can consist either in a questionnaire or in interviewing experts.

Undoubtedly, in order to make informed decisions, it is necessary to rely on the experience, knowledge and intuition of specialists. After the Second World War, within the framework of the theory of management (management), an independent discipline began to develop - expert assessments. Expert assessments - these are the judgments of experts, suggesting a procedure for comparing objects, their properties according to the selected criteria. Expert judgment method- a type of expert survey, involving the use of expert assessments. The main content of the method lies in the rational organization of the analysis of problems carried out by experts with the subsequent assessment of the judgments highlighted by the researcher and the processing of the data obtained.

Background judgments fix the factors that affect the state of the object under study. In the survey procedure, the expert distinguishes among them the most important, essential for the object, gives them an assessment.

The use of the expert survey method is associated with the observance of certain rules. When organizing it, most of all attention is usually paid to three methodological problems - the selection of experts, the procedure for their work, and the processing of expressed opinions.

Let us list the errors and difficulties encountered when using an expert survey.

• 1. Vague definition of the purpose of the examination. Their inconsistency with the capabilities of experts, the technique used for the examination. The survey of experts is carried out without a specially developed program.
• 2. Ineffective use of experts. Expertise is designed to obtain information that could have been collected by other, less sophisticated methods.
• 3. Insufficiently careful selection of experts. The assessment of the competence of candidates for experts is one-sided (or absent altogether), which leads to the appearance of random people in the group of experts.
• 4. The experts involved in the survey do not show interest in the expertise. Some experts are interested in distorting information.
• 5. The examination toolkit has not been tested in advance. The questions are not formulated accurately enough, their main meaning is not clear. The number of non-answers to the questions posed is significant.
• 6. Experts have difficulty in applying the examination technique.
• 7. Difficulties arose in interpreting the data due to the significant scatter of answers, their heterogeneity, the difficulty of comparing data in heterogeneous groups of experts.
• 8. During the examination, many quantitative assessments were obtained, but no attention was paid to their argumentation. Difficulties arose in explaining the data obtained. The average values ​​of the answers turn out to be far from correct.
• 9. The desire to speed up the survey has led to a superficial analysis of the problems by experts.

10. Excessive optimism in assessing the results of the survey. These expert examinations are not confirmed by other objective data.

When conducting an expert survey, the main source of information is the experts who are selected on the basis of their competence in the research issue. This method includes various techniques and procedures, but the goal remains unchanged - to obtain reliable data on the phenomenon under study in sufficient volume. During a survey, an expert can provide information about the phenomenon under study, give it an assessment or forecast.

The most popular way of expert survey is interview. When conducting an interview, the researcher asks the expert a block of questions about the research problem according to a previously developed guide (plan) of the interview. The conversation can last up to 2 hours, the entire conversation is recorded on a dictaphone, and the researcher, in turn, records important information for further analysis.

Conducting an expert interview according to a previously developed guide requires high preparation from the interviewer, good knowledge of the subject of the conversation, concentration, and the ability to lead a discussion.

Example

from an interview with an expert in 2010

What is your assessment of the situation in the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia?

My assessment is subjective. But there is also an objective one, it is based on international assessments.

From the point of view, there is nothing good in Russia. There is an international financial corporation, part of the World Bank. Annually publishes ratings of countries according to the conditions of doing business, 9 indicators were analyzed: conditions for starting and liquidating a business, obtaining a loan, tax burden, etc. Leaders: Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UK and America. Russia is ranked 123 out of 183 countries. Lagging behind Belarus 68, Kazakhstan 69. In 2009 we dropped 6 places.

The weakest point: registration and construction permit, further connection to power grids, conciliation procedures. They are very expensive, they need papers, signatures. This is a very lengthy and expensive process, but the main thing is a complicated bureaucratic procedure. It has become easier under the terms of starting a business. The process itself takes 30 days and requires 9 procedures. And we cannot leave here. Any tax authority is concerned about the liquidation of a business, it is not accidental, i.e. someone makes bureaucratic barriers. To liquidate business year, fines, penalties, checks for all checks. Therefore, it is easier to merge, takeover and it takes 3-4 months. If you get involved in politics, checks will begin immediately.

Judicial support and execution of contracts. Cases are reviewed on average 281 years.

Minority shareholders... The shares were bought and sold for a penny, or the shares were bought by the companies, but there is no responsibility.

Taxation... In order to go into business, you need to work freely, there is no stranglehold. But taxes put pressure on me, it has already been said: give me a patent. For the research business 20 thousand rubles a year, for example, paid a patent and sleep well and work for a year. The patent is over, the license is over, buy again, no, they don't want to. Every time they change the programs to unfasten. Re-registration law entrepreneurial activity, why? Because a company on this case was immediately opened and the notaries had the jackpot. And these obstacles are small things, they all hinder development. We need to create a patent. No orders, no volume of work - I went out of business. Didn't submit the report, fine, didn't pay the fine, penalties will go.

In 2000, the number is real operating enterprises has not increased.

The crisis has passed and many city-forming enterprises have reduced their staff, sometimes up to 50%. What alternative could there be for unemployed people?

We need to provide assistance in the development of small businesses. We need to create infrastructures for their development. If we want small business to develop in a city-forming area, conditions must be created. Of course, these are premises, lease issues, you need to create preferential terms... And all the same, officials turn back what they want. We decided to rent an office, rent premises, as the official will supply. You can pay 5 or 50 thousand rubles. How much we can unfasten him.

Medvedev says we need all small businesses that have a social focus provide orders... It is also necessary to provide firms with these orders. But in order for this to be necessary to adopt a number of laws that do not work. Law on leasing, on franchising - do not apply, on outsourcing, all the legislative framework It does not work. There are plenty of municipal premises.

Microcredit. The law is being prepared on microcrediting, but the state does not want to do it. You need 100 thousand, come to the municipality and get this money, for the implementation of some social program, at a certain percentage, that's why companies arose.

Looking to create 100 small businesses? Accept the program and give them the funding you want to create in this city and give them orders.

And these are the people who were fired. The first stage is to conduct training, tell them everything, familiarize them with the programs, teach them how to draw up documents, and provide them with municipal orders. Step-by-step approaches.

How to deal with familiarity? Where poor-quality services are provided in advance, for unsubscribing.

Until 94 law on auctions is changed. This is legal theft.

There are many methods. Fight only by the auction principle. The winner is the one who placed the lowest. This is done, but it is not profitable. ...

Consultation

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An expert survey can be a type of expert assessment method. Such a survey is used to solve problems of forecasting for a long time, clarifying the situation and every moment in the activities of the organization. This study complements desk research. This kind of event is used to get help to help develop the market and make strategic decisions, using this kind of research.

Sociology is able to use an expert survey in such cases:

1- Research of closed data. 2- It is necessary to investigate the situation quickly, which changes instantly. 3- It is necessary to form a primary understanding of a little-known area.

The difference between an expert survey and a mass survey

A peer survey is a hard-to-find case used by senior management. It represents the exploration and evaluation of data. This survey makes it possible to obtain reliable information about the subject and object that is associated with the study. The practice often uses mass polling. The survey does not require the participation of a huge number of specialists possessed by the respondent. About 25 experts take part in the survey, each of whom expresses his position. The basis of the “mass survey” method can be the demographic, geographic and personal characteristics of the respondents. Most clearly, an expert survey differs from a mass survey in forecasting. For example, specialist survey programs are conceptual in nature. In the process of forming the sample of this survey, he pays attention to the professionalism of specialists, competence in studying the method by which the research is carried out. An expert is a representative of knowledge in any field who conducts research on a specific issue using his competence. It helps to study the quality of customer service and predict what the company will have in the future. Expert research has a peculiarity: it involves the competent participation of specialists in considering the problems that are being researched.

Types of expert survey

According to the nature of the interaction between experts: 1- Correspondence is an effective method produced in writing. It consists in the fact that specialists are handed out specially prepared questionnaires in which they express their personal opinion. An open survey is directly related to the expert survey and takes up a large part of it. This survey has a problem with the low return rate of the questionnaires. 2- In-person - a reliable type in which a specialist receives information during personal communication with experts. Usually it is an informal expert interview, direct contact with a specialist. The positive side This method is that the topic of the interview changes depending on the answers received from the expert, and this is very essential for the expected results.

Depending on the number of experts, there are two types of expert interviews:

1- Group research - group discussion. This view allows direct collisions of different views. 2- Individual survey - the only specialist. This method gives a complete formulation of questions and allows you to get all the information that a competent researcher has and make a decision. Following the procedure for agreeing assessments: 1- Disposable. 2- Multi-round - multiple appeal to experts in order to formulate the results of the previous round and get the necessary information.

A group of permanent experts who are interviewed by prior arrangement and on a specific topic is an expert panel.

Organization and conduct of an expert survey

There are several stages that such research uses: 1- Staging main task, clarification of how the research will be conducted. 2- Determination of the criteria for the selection of specialists and their selection. 3- Application of the aerobatic interview. 4- Organization of access to specialists. 5- Gathering information. 6- Preparation and direction of reporting, expert opinion. 7- Recommendations for solving problems, if any.

Selection of experts

The number of experts required depends on the breadth of the topic being researched. Usually 20 people are enough for the task at hand.

When selecting experts, a selection is made and a survey of experts is carried out.

Competence is assessed according to the following criteria: 1- Seniority, occupation, education. 2- Mutual assessment of experts. 3- Carrying out preparation and inclination to communicate.

Ways to increase the willingness of experts to cooperate:

1- A letter with information about the organization and the survey conducted. 2- Obligation to provide the experts with a summary of the research findings. 3- Publication of research results in public or specialized media. 4- Compensation of experts' time in material form. The survey can be used to analyze all areas of activity. The method of this survey has some limitations in its application. In the process of using some methods of expert assessments, it is necessary to know that the results of their expertise tend to average opinions. It should not be forgotten that this survey is subjective. The disadvantage of this survey of experts is the dependence of expert assessments on argumentation. To make a specific decision, an expert specialist must use experience and knowledge.

Assessment of the quality of expert information:

1- The information presented by the expert leader should allow it to be considered as an assessment, and not as a fact. 2- Information should be verified using other data collection methods. 3- Assessment of the benefits that the specialist will receive by presenting the results of his work. Expert survey can mean research marketing method, which is used to solve research nuances. They need an expert survey and highly qualified specialists.

An expert survey is a type of survey in which the respondents are experts - highly qualified specialists in a particular field of activity.

The method implies the competent participation of specialists in the analysis and solution of the problem under consideration.

In practice sociological research used:

to predict the development of a particular phenomenon

to assess the degree of reliability of a mass survey

to collect preliminary information about the research problem (probe)

in situations where a mass survey of ordinary respondents is not possible or not effective.

The reliability of assessments and decisions made on the basis of experts' judgments is quite high and largely depends on the organization and direction of the procedure for collecting, analyzing and processing the opinions received.

The procedure itself assumes:

analysis of the investigated situation

selection of the expert group

choice of a method for measuring expert assessments

procedure for direct assessment of the work of experts

analysis of the received data

The number of members of the expert group is significantly less in comparison with the number of respondents interviewed in the mass survey. The selection of experts, the formation of expert groups is a rather difficult task, the result of which to the greatest extent determines the effectiveness of the method and the correctness of the solutions obtained.

The selection of specialists for participation in the expert survey begins with the identification of scientific, technical and administrative problems directly related to the solution of the task.

A list of persons competent in the required fields is drawn up, which serves as a basis for the selection of experts.

For the selection of specialists in working group use some simple statistical methods and techniques, as well as a combination of them.

So, the selection of experts can be:

experimental (using testing, checking the effectiveness of their previous expert activities)

documentary (based on socio-demographic data)

with the help of self-assessment (assessment of the degree of competence of the problem being studied, which is given by the potential expert himself).

The work of a sociologist organizing an expert survey also includes preparing experts for work, in particular, providing them with the most objective data on a problem. Care should be taken to ensure that the participants are sufficiently informed about the sources of the problem under study and ways of solving similar problems in the past.

The work of a sociologist includes:

compilation of special questionnaires for experts (in comparison with mass surveys, the specificity of questionnaires is that trap questions are not used, because an expert is an informed person, and in addition, open-type questions prevail)

development of a method and procedure for interviewing experts

survey

analysis of the data obtained.

The choice of options for working with experts (face-to-face or part-time) is determined by the specifics of the problem and the situation. Face-to-face options for working with experts allow you to collect better information, although there are organizational difficulties and mutual influence of experts. Correspondence forms of work with experts make it possible to neglect the geographical framework when interviewing experts, excludes their mutual influence, but makes the work of expert groups not operational.

Face-to-face survey

Free interview of experts. It has an intelligence purpose and is often used when it is necessary to more accurately present a problem, clarify some of the nuances, more clearly interpret the concepts used and outline the main directions of research. The number of interviewed experts is small here (10-15), but the main thing is that the selected experts should be representatives of different professional and scientific points of view. This interview is conducted by an experienced sociologist.

Correspondence survey

Mail questionnaire of experts

The Delphic Technique is a multiple postal questionnaire survey of the same group of experts using scaled ratings. The purpose of this type of expert survey is to compare a carefully adjusted program of sequential individual surveys aimed at reducing the group influence that arises when experts work together. The essence of the method is in interactive loops that provide feedback: after the first survey of experts and processing of its results, the results are communicated to the members of the expert group. The disadvantage of this type of survey of experts is the dependence of assessments given by experts on the wording of questions and argumentation; influence of public opinion on experts.

For forecasting, planning and solving other complex problems in marketing, an expert survey is used. It is especially in demand in a situation where various scenarios are likely and allows you to receive unique information from experts in the chosen field, professionally assess the content, characteristics and prospects of certain objects and phenomena.

The sequence of the expert survey

In addition to performing the immediate tasks of the study, in the course of the survey, relationships are built with reputable specialists in the field of the enterprise, the reputation of the business is formed in their eyes. Experts are external the target audience companies, and positive cooperation with them can play an important positive role for you in the future.

The sequence of the expert survey consists of the following stages:

1. Formulation of the goals and objectives of the study.

The starting point for defining goals and objectives is a description of the problem under study, its current state available gaps.

2. Tool development

Depending on the nature and content of the required information and methods of its interpretation, the expert survey is divided into the following types:

• personal and correspondence;
• individual and group;
• open and closed.

The questionnaire includes sections concerning information about the expert himself, the motives of his participation in the survey and the problem being investigated directly. Before starting the research, questions are tested on a small group of experts in order to exclude the possibility of misinterpretation and other errors.

3. Search and invite experts

In order for the information obtained as a result of the survey to be trustworthy, it is necessary to involve experts competent in the problem under study. The search is greatly facilitated by personal contacts, including acquaintances at thematic conferences and other events. But often they are not enough, and the search is carried out as follows:

• search on specialized resources on the Internet, in social networks;
• recommendations of colleagues and other experts ("snowball" method).

The selection criteria for specialists include:

• the level of professionalism (education, field of activity and interests, position and experience of participation in research);
• level of objectivity (lack of personal interest);
• the ability to work in a team when it comes to conducting a group survey.

4. Conducting research

Conducting research implies the choice of specific methods that will help to obtain the necessary information.

Method type	Method name
Individual	Standardized expert survey	The questions of the questionnaire are mostly of a closed nature, unambiguous answers are required, the interpretation of the information is simplified.
	Unstandardized expert survey	It takes place in the form of a personal interview, requires more qualifications from the researcher, the sequence of questions is determined in the course of the study. The information collected is deep and detailed.
	Individual notepad method	Assumes correspondence interaction with an expert, during which he receives a notebook with a description of the problem under study and expresses his opinion on it. The processing of the results is more complex than the previous methods.
Group	Nominal group method	Each expert is first interviewed individually, then the results are discussed (anonymously) together with other experts.
	Brainstorm	During the study, experts freely express ideas about the problem and its possible solution... The moderator guides the discussion. Often, the result of a study is a decision tree, which graphically displays ideas, options, forecasts, proposed by experts, etc.
	Method "635"	A kind of brainstorming variation, which assumes the following development of events: 6 experts for 5 minutes express 3 hypotheses related to the problem, after which there is a discussion, assessment and summing up.
	Delphi method	The survey is conducted in absentia anonymous form in several stages, thereby eliminating the mutual influence of expert opinions. Distribution of the questionnaire to the participants; Collecting answers, summarizing results, determining decisions, forecasts; Familiarization of participants with the results, collection of opinions; Analysis of the information received; Summing up, working out the final decision.

5. Processing and interpretation of the information received

To systematize and process information, the following methods are used:

• ranking (accurate measurement of indicators is not required, the researcher is only interested in the significance of factors influencing the problem);
• paired comparisons (objects are evaluated in pairs, which is convenient when their number is large / the differences between them are minimal);
• consecutive comparisons (the significance of the factors is compared with each other / factor and a group of other factors, etc.).

The experts' assessments are in agreement, on the basis of which the final decision expertise and a plan for further work. Approval can take place on the basis of the following rules:

a) majority rule - the opinion of the majority of experts is taken into account;

c) the rule of average assessment - there is a "common denominator", an average opinion.

As a result of evaluating the results, it may be necessary to organize additional rounds of the survey.

Using expert survey in marketing

Despite a number of difficulties in conducting an expert survey: the complexity of organizing and agreeing on the available data, possible subjectivity, considerable cost - this research method allows you to collect unique information that cannot be obtained in any other way.

The choice of research methodology is determined by the level of competence of the initiating specialist, the characteristics of the formed group of experts, and, of course, the nature of the existing problem and the information required to solve it. In marketing, various variations of these methods and their combinations are used: "critical attack", business game, "collective notebook" and others. The information collected in the course of the survey is not yet a guide to action and only after an appropriate analysis can be considered as a possible solution.