Survey By Interviewer: Omnibus

[Description] [Pros] [Cons] [Common Uses] [Resources]

Description

Omnibus surveys are large, random-digit dial surveys conducted with about 1,000 American adults on a regular basis. A variety of organizations and companies pay the omnibus research company to have their questions added to the survey. Respondents are contacted, usually at home, by a trained interviewer. The interviewer asks general demographic questions about the respondent and the household, then ask the questions that were added for pay.

Omnibus surveys are generally fielded several times a week, and results are ready within a few days. Results are printed out by demographic variable; additional analysis may be done for an additional fee. To get a large enough sample of a specific audience (such as African Americans or older adults), you may have to purchase several rounds (called “waves) of an omnibus survey.

Pros

• Generalizable results (if sufficiently large, probability sample with high response rate)
• Appropriate for those of lower literacy
• Less expensive than conducting your own telephone survey
• Quick results

Cons

• Potential respondents who do not have a phone cannot participate
• Cannot ask a lot of questions (5 to 12 is usually affordable)
• Cannot ask complex questions with skip patterns or too many multiple choice answers
• Cannot probe answers

Common Uses

• Obtain baseline data
• Acquire self-reported information on behaviors, behavioral intentions, attitudes
• Test knowledge or recall

Resources

Example of an omnibus survey about teen pregnancy, from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: http://www.welfareacademy.org/conf/past/brown3.shtml *

Several firms provide national and state-level omnibus survey services:

• International Communications Research: http://www.icrsurvey.com
• Public Opinion Strategies: http://www.pos.org/ca/omnibus.cfm *