Data Collection Procedures

This section describes data collection procedures that should be followed in administering the Comment Card to visitors. Keep in mind that you may be administering separate surveys for the day-use and camping visitors.

Materials and Supplies You Need in the Field

• Comment cards- enough to obtain eight (usually) completed comment cards for the scheduled survey period.
• Pencils - so visitors can complete the comment card.
• Copy of survey calendar- to verify when / where to survey and to record the number of survey completions and refusals.
• Copy of these guidelines.

When and Where to Survey
Depending on the survey plan you elected through the Survey Schedule Generator, you may generate a single survey schedule covering all visitors to your project, or you may generate separate survey schedules for day-use and camping visitors. Each sampling schedule identifies the locations (recreation areas) and times (days) where the comment card should be administered.

How Many Completed Comment Cards
Most projects should administer 8 completed comment cards during each scheduled survey period. However, projects that elect the low sample option Survey Plan Option 5) should administer 6 completed comment cards during each scheduled survey period.

It is possible that more than one survey period will be scheduled for a given day. This may occur in any of three different ways:

• Two or more recreation areas may be designated for sampling on the same day.
• A recreation area may appear on the survey schedule two or more times on the same day.
• A single recreation area or two or more recreation areas may occur on day-use and camping survey schedules on the same day.

The full complement of 8 (or 6) completed comment cards should be administered for each scheduled survey period. Examples: 1) If camping visitors are scheduled for sampling at two areas on the same day, then 8 completed comment cards should be administered to campers at each of the areas on that day; 2) If two day-use surveys are scheduled for the same area on a given day, then a total of 16 (8 cards x 2 surveys) completed comment cards should be administered on that area on the scheduled day; 3) If day-use and camping surveys are scheduled for the same area on a given day, then 8 completed comment cards should be administered to day-use visitors and 8 additional comment cards should be administered to camping visitors at that area on the scheduled day.

Preparing the Comment Card for Use
Four items on the front side of the comment card should be completed by the survey clerk prior to administering the card to the visitor. These include:

1. Project name
2. Recreation area name
3. Type of Survey
4. Today's Date

Type of Survey should indicate whether the comment card is associated with a scheduled survey of day-use visitors, a scheduled survey of campers, or a scheduled survey of all project visitors. The choice should be consistent with the survey plan option you elected during the survey planning exercise as follows:

Survey Plan Option	Appropriate "Survey Type" To Indicate on Comment Card
1	Indicate Day-use for survey of day-users. Indicate Camping for surveys of campers.
2	Indicate Day-use on all comment cards.
3	Indicate Camping on all comment cards.
4	Indicate All Visitors on all comment cards.
5

Process for Selecting Visitors to Survey

• Camping Survey: On the designated sampling day, check with the gate attendant to identify campers that are scheduled to leave the following day. Select and visit 8 campsites and then select one member to complete the survey. You may need to visit additional campsites if you encounter any refusals.

• Day-Use Survey: Obtain eight completed surveys distributed over as much of the day as is practical. The survey should be administered one member of recreation parties that are preparing to leave the recreation area. Attempt to distribute the sample over different day-use visitor groups in proportion to their use of the area.

• Composite survey of Day-use and Camping Visitors:
  • When administering comment cards at a camping-only area, following the rules above for the Camping Survey.
  • When administering comment cards at a day-use only area, follow the rules above for the Day-Use Survey.
  • When administering comments cards at a multiple-use area that has both day-use and camping visitors, plan to allocate 8 comment cards in proportion to the number of day-use and camping visits expected on the area using the rules above for the Day-Use Survey and Camping Survey, as appropriate. If the proportion of day-use vs. camping visitors is unknown, then allocate the comment cards 50:50 to day-use and camping visitors.

Which Member of the Visitor Party to Survey
Visitors are generally organized into parties that recreate as a group. Those that leave in the same vehicle are considered to be members of the same recreation party. You should select only one member of a visitor party to participate in the survey. This should usually be one of the adult members. You should not administer the survey to individuals under 16 years old.

Responses to satisfaction questions are known to vary by visitor age, gender, and activity, and other factors. Since the survey process does not control the selection of visitors at the recreation area, the survey clerk should attempt the match the distribution of visitors characteristics obtained in sample with that of the recreation area as closely as possible.

Adjustments for Unforeseen Circumstances:

• Short-term closure of recreation areas: If the recreation area is closed on the scheduled sampling date because of high water or other short-term events, reschedule the survey for the same day of the week as soon as the area re-opens.

• Rain days: The need to reschedule a survey due to adverse weather conditions would typically apply only to day-use visitors. If adverse weather conditions keep visitors from using the recreation area on the designated sampling day, then reschedule the survey for that recreation area as follows:
  • If the survey was originally scheduled for a weekday, then reschedule it for the next available weekday.
  • If the survey was originally scheduled for a holiday or weekend day, then reschedule it for the next available holiday or weekend day.

• Inability to fill daily quota: If there are too few visitors available on the scheduled sampling day to obtain eight completed surveys, then fill out the remainder of the quota on the next available day as described above under "Rain Days."

• Other unforeseen circumstances: Contact ERDC for help. See the section "Have Questions or Need Help" for contact information.

Interacting with Visitors

• Do this. After receiving visitor consent, hand the visitor a comment card and pencil. Ask the visitor to complete the card immediately and return it directly to you. Encourage candid responses. If appropriate, remind them that we cannot make improvements unless they provide honest and candid feedback. Give them space to mark their comments without feeling any undue pressure from you. Avoid the temptation to read their responses as they mark them. Avoid reading responses to comment cards in the presence of any visitors.

• Not this. Do not leave the comment card with the visitor with instructions to drop it off later at a designated location. The response rate for this method of administering the comment card can be very low.

Data To Record Each Survey Period
The printed copy of the survey schedule has columns labeled "Actual Survey Date" "Completes" and "Refusals". In these columns you should record the date the survey actually took place, the number of surveys completed (usually eight) and the number of refusals encountered during the sampling period. The survey clerk should record appropriate values at the end of each survey period. This is the only data that the survey clerk must record. This data was not requested during data entry last year. It will be requested during data entry this year.