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What Is An Anonymous Survey?
What is an Anonymous Survey?
"Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth". - Oscar Wilde
Anonymous comes from Greek word meaning "without a name". Survey comes from the Anglo-French word 'surveier' meaning "viewing in detail".
Putting "Anonymous Survey" together simply means "viewing things in detail without any name." An anonymous survey is a survey that avoids the collection of personal information from the respondents. Any information that can help to classify the respondent is not obtained in an anonymous survey.
How to create an anonymous survey?
In order to create an anonymous survey, do not to collect any personally identifiable information and digitally identifiable information in the survey questions.
Personally identifiable information(PII) includes name, date of birth, address, social security number, license number, passport number, email address and other data points that can easily link you to the individual survey respondents shouldn't be collected.
Digitally identifiable information(DII) includes IP addresses, browser type, machine type, geo location and any other analytics gathered through trackers. Any of this details helping you to de-anonymize the data shouldn't be collected. Collecting this meta information without consent is unethical and could lead to lawsuit against the data collector or the researcher. BlockSurvey is an anonymous survey tool which doesn't facilitate or provide digitally identifiable information to the survey creator / data collector as a platform.
Why should a survey be anonymous?
There are a number of reasons for creating an anonymous survey. Some examples include running a confidential employee feedback surveys can help employees feel comfortable while giving feedback. Because there is no fear of reprisals for telling the truth or fear of embarrassment. This applies for other areas of as well. Conducting any sensitive research in the educational or medical research space where privacy is critical and of importance should be anonymous. Any sensitive topics in research like mental health, illness, sexuality, politics, religion should go anonymous always.
What are the benefits of anonymous survey?
1. Improved response rates
2. Honest data which is actionable
3. Privacy. Respondents feel respected. No fear or embarrassment.
4. Creates a level playing field
5. Shows the culture of openness and trust.
Anonymous survey is often used to collect feedback or conduct unbiased research by that the answers received can not be related to someone at the end of the survey or study. Anonymity protects the person from the message. It gives protection by decoupling what has been said and who said it. By building a wall of ignorance between the two, it just enables the data collector to focus on the problem and not the person.
Now that you know what and why of an anonymous survey, feel free to get started create your own survey with BlockSurvey. Leverage the best practices mentioned above and create one. Contact us to learn if you want to implement an anonymous survey in your organization for collecting feedback or for doing research. We are here to help!
What Is An Anonymous Survey? FAQ
What is an anonymous survey?
An anonymous survey is a type of survey in which the respondents are not asked to provide any identifying information such as their name, email address, or any other personal information that could be used to identify them.
What are the benefits of using an anonymous survey?
Anonymity is important in surveys because it allows respondents to answer truthfully and honestly without fear of any consequences or retaliation. It also helps to protect their privacy and personal information.
How can I ensure my survey responses are kept anonymous?
To ensure that your survey is truly anonymous, you should not ask for any identifying information such as name, address, phone number, or email address. You should also use a third-party survey tool that does not track IP addresses or other identifying information. BlockSurvey is the only decentralized tool, with almost data security to the data collector and responder.
How can I encourage more people to participate in my anonymous survey?
To encourage more people to participate in your anonymous survey, you should make it easy to access and complete, keep it short and focused, and offer an incentive such as a prize or reward. You can also promote your survey through social media, email, or other channels to increase visibility.
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Vimala Balamurugan
Vimala heads the Content and SEO Team at BlockSurvey. She is the curator of all the content that BlockSurvey puts out into the public domain. Blogging, music, and exploring new places around is how she spends most of her leisure time.