This paper seeks to show the importance of appropriately using and creating surveys, a task often desirable and required (Mathews 1992:31; Shipp 1990:12). However, let the reader be at ease; no statistical jargon in used; a future paper will discuss statistical terms and issues. Four errors will be examined that occur when creating, using, and interpreting surveys.

Error 1: Take Data at Face Value.

On November 16, 1995, it was reported on the local news that one-fifth of the world had no food (Canal 4, 1995). As no reports of massive starvation have occurred as of this writing, I can only conclude that the news was wrong. What was meant (I assume) is that a large portion of the world's population has very little food.

A leading pollster in Montevideo recently revealed how sloppily data was collected on poverty levels in Paraguay. He was hired to conduct surveys for the World Bank and other organizations in Asuncion. As time ran out for his project, his supervisor instructed him to join him on the roof of a tall building. From that vantage point they counted the number of tin roofs that they could see (Entrevista 1995:1-3). The survey assumed that tin roofs equaled poverty, when it is quite likely the opposite is true; those living inside at least enjoyed some protection from the elements.

Of course, who conducts the survey can influence the outcome. A survey by the Catholic church found 76 percent of Uruguay to be Catholic, while a survey by a government entity found it to be only 36 percent (Rama 1964:12-13).

Error 2: If it is in Print, it is Scientific.

Two checks to see if a survey is scientific: 1) does it measure what it says it does? and 2) can it consistently measure what it says it does? So there are some questions we would ask before we conduct a survey or rely on survey results. does the survey find out what we want to know, or is it the best thing we happen to have at hand? Will this survey work in a different culture, just by translating it? We will explore these issues in the last section of this paper.

Error 3: Data Collected Scientifically are Accurate.

Error 4: Once True, Always True.

To put is another way, if you ask the respondent the same question two weeks from now, will the answer be the same, or does the response depend on time? Perhaps church surveys are like a snapshot, never to be repeated or duplicated (and thus no basis on which to establish policy).

1. Check official data with informal methods.

2. Examine data carefully.

3. Be careful in preparing your own surveys.

a) Scenario one: borrowing an existing survey in English.

b) Scenario two: creating your own instrument from scratch.

Despite these warnings, it is possible to create, conduct, and analyze a survey. It is not an easy task, nor is it an easy solution to any problem. Each survey best answers the questions it was created to answer, and it requires time to think up the questions, and time to get the answers. But once conducted, a good survey can be a rich source of information to target a people group to evangelize or to decide what to teach in Sunday school--but not both!