Expert survey is a technique used to solve researching problems which require survey of highly experienced professionals, experts in certain field.
Very often the information, which client needs to take a management decision, can be provided only by the people who are professionals in the subject – the EXPERTS. Without a doubt, client is free to find the experts and ask them by himself. However self-made survey can hardly provide the optimal balance of price, quality and time. Turning to professionals in conducting expert surveys is much more viable solution. Moreover, expert survey may be conducted not only in the form of mere interview or dialogue, but also in the form of focus group, brainstorming, Delphi technique, which demand special skills.
Expert survey aim is achieving vital information, projected in knowledge, opinions and estimations of competent respondents, which have profound knowledge about subject or object of the research.
Expert is an active survey participant. Expert’s competence must not admit of doubt. That is why only those people, who appear worthy of competent person in certain field, are selected for expert surveys.
Traditionally CEOs, company owners, high-rank officers, professionals in certain industry act as experts in such surveys. An expert survey is conducted by experienced professional interviewer according to pre-defined plan of discussion of subject under research. Discussion is recorded with a voice recorder, and later all the records of expert survey are written out and analyzed. Sample size depends on subject and tasks of study. Traditionally it totals 15 to 30 experts.
