Sample survey design

Butler Rural Electric Coop. (BREC) wants to evaluate 
interest among members in installinstalling geothermal
loops.

Help BREC design the survey ...

Decisions?

member demographics ... age, income, education, male/female, 
      knowledge of technology

WHY?  factors influencing acceptance of technology

residence characteristics ... age of home ... apartments vs.
   single-family homes ... site suitability 

follow-up contact from BREC?

What was the question?
  *  predictors of response/acceptance?

WHO do you want to survey?

PILOT STUDY - quality of instrument

SIZING the study ... sample size question ...

POPULATION of interest ... BREC members ... owner-occupied?

LISTING of the elements of this population of interest -
   "SAMPLING FRAME"

DISTRIBUTING the survey - e.g. with the bill

METHOD of survey - mail vs. internet vs. phone vs. face-to-face
(cost - balance with response rate? ... bias ...

SAMPLE (representative ...)

INCENTIVES for response ... 
\
need to INTRODUCE the problem ... what is geothermal ... 
    installation cost ... pay-back period ... up-front costs?
    ... current use
/
LENGTH of survey ... PILOT test survey instrument ...