Proposed New Participant Survey Questions: Fill & Download for Free

I've spent some time thinking about this for the past month because this seems like a logical conclusion to the question "How do we get Quora past the startup focus?" but I'm actually not convinced bringing in notable people or "experts" first is the best way to achieve the objective of expanding Quora to more people and making more topics active.First, I have to introduce a concept I keep coming back to when trying to answer this question. I'm going to call it the facilitator role since I don't think the word I want actually exists. To me, in this answer a facilitator is someone in the medium range of knowledge/interest in a topic. Some examples include: Philip Mikal is an "expert" on Credit Cards, and I am a facilitator. There are answers I don't have to write because I know he will, I add anecdotal color and positive reinforcement (upvote, thank, questions, etc.) and am a person who knows enough of the jargon/lexicon to play a facilitation and positive reinforcement role. Zack Rosen is a notable person/"expert" in Drupal (CMS), and I know enough to upvote his answers not because they sound right or because he's an expert, but because I know they are actually right, which provides a different kind of positive message and encouragement to write answers. In Payments, I'm an "expert" and ‎Ziv Navoth (זיו נבות)‎ played a facilitator role. I could go on with examples of how I see this playing out throughout the site.ConsiderationsA community of "notable people" ends up missing a lot of voices. I really don't think it's that Quora has notable people on it that makes it so great, I think it's that it has people who are curious, contemplative, mature, and communicate well. It just so happens that a lot of the people who are like that are notable people.At some point along the way outreach efforts from a sheer numbers point of view will probably end up bringing in someone who the community ends up regretting bringing in. Just gotta put that out there.Some topics don't lend themselves to Quora. One of my Quora experiments was asking What are people's favorite yarns? Why?. It completely failed to do what I set out to do - which was make an inactive topic (Knitting) active. I think it was unsuccessful for a lot of reasons (and did have other successful outcomes) but part of it is that Ravelry.com is just such a phenomenally better place to address yarn and knitting for reasons related to visuals, existing community, data structure better aligned to the topic, etc.Quora as an activism/outreach tool is an interesting topic to consider (people should ask some questions about this - especially since the launch of Quora Posts). I think this kind of effort would probably be better served by other tools, but if people wanted to do it within Quora I think it would require a structured ontology frame from the beginning. I think it would need to include these types of things:Quora Outreacha) Quora Outreach Strategy (needs questions like: What topics do we want experts in? What are all the potential strategies for bringing in Quora users? What things can/should we do to make Quora more welcoming to new users? What are the goals of Quora Outreach? [increased number of users, increased number of active users, increased number of active topics?])i) Quora Outreach Research (i.e. What makes people leave Quora? What makes people come back to Quora after an absence?)ii) Quora Outreach to X Strategies (i.e. What are the most successful ways to bring in and keep an astronaut to Quora? [Because bringing in a scientist is different from bringing in a fashion designer, for example.] What should be our strategy to bring in (name) and who will execute the strategy? [This has the potential to be a really creepy thing to read if we bring that person in, so to be used with care.])b) Quora Outreach History (place for success stories, lessons learned, etc. It's good to write out this way but information also needs to get integrated into answers above through edits over time.)Bringing people to Quora is one thing, but how do we keep them? We have to make them feel welcome. I've experimented with this, and neither of them (of 2 so far) have stayed. Granted, they are not "notable" people, but they would add great content, pose interesting questions, add new perspectives, and behave in the mature intellectual way Quora encourages. The first (my aunt) said when I followed up with her: "it's not for me, it's for the smart people like you." Which ridiculously implies she is not smart, but the thing to note is that she didn't feel welcome/"good enough". She probably didn't find Survey Question fast enough and didn't find content on her interests which include pottery, weaving, arts education, and NASCAR and not enough questions in areas of her professional knowledge (website project management for HR communications for Forture 500 companies). The second person I tried to bring into Quora, has a) professional issues (ethics, liability, training) to overcome and b) doesn't have time to invest. The issue of how do we keep them requires more than thoughtful consideration - it requires actual research.Related to above: We bring people in, we make them feel welcome, and the site isn't sticky enough for them to stick around. We all know how sticky it is for us, but if we just bring in people at the top of their field, without people to interact with them (ask questions, upvote, downvote, comment, thank, and more) then they kind of end up talking to themselves. "Notable" people don't need Quora to make their reputation, they already have one by definition - so what is the value add of Quora for them? By bringing in what I am calling facilitators first we have a) people more likely to be connected to the notable people, b) people who can ask questions and give some answers in the meantime, c) more perspectives, and some other things.Geographic distribution.Proposed Plan of ActionEncourage participation in more topics by users who are already here. Either re-engage Inactive users, expand the number of topics users are active in, or both are low-hanging fruit items and shouldn't be overlooked.Make Quora a little more welcomingSub-categorize the topic Survey Questions. It's a really important part of making new users feel welcome, in my opinion. However, right now it's pretty big and needs to have "______ Survey Questions" child topics created and used.Change the wording of "Add Your Headline: Web Designer, Programmer, Student..." on the profile page. I find it unwelcoming, not because of the tech focus, but because those descriptors stereotypically skew younger. Both of the people I tried to bring in were over 50, which made me more aware of it. Instead of changing the professions or randomizing the professions shown, I would just leave it at "Add Your Headline."Interview people who had a Quora account, didn't really participate, and then came back. Zack Rosen, for example.Implement proposed (or similar) ontology to track the project. Or at least the questions I asked as part of the proposal.I'm very interested in other people's thoughts on all this.

Research is an important inquiry utilized by students in conjunction with describing, explaining, and discussing a phenomenon, idea, or concept in the social and natural sciences. Researchers are free to choose between two main approaches to investigate an issue – quantitative or qualitative.DefinitionQuantitative research is a type of empirical investigation where an analysis of a subject is developed by means of certain statistical and mathematical techniques. It was developed many centuries ago to meet the need for quantitative data and creating new knowledge. A quantitative research methodology is based on the idea of the empiricist paradigm, the principle of which is to discover the essence through evidence obtained in experiments. Simply email juicetrip at protonmil dot com to purchase research chemicals online.not out of context.reliable and legit source. Collected data remains independent of a researcher, meaning that it can objectively measure a reality. Researchers usually use surveys or questionnaires to gather statistical information from groups of people, and then use this data to form generalizations with the help of computational techniques to explain the chosen phenomenon.Goals of Quantitative ResearchThe main goal of a quantitative research design is to identify variables and determine their relationship within one particular population. From this, it is expected to quantify data through generalizing results. Students should also use this type of research in case they have to measure a number of views and opinions within the frames of one perspective. During the last several decades, students have found it effective to use a quantitative approach in conjunction with qualitative methods to thoroughly explore findings and discover a unique understanding of a topic.Characteristics of Quantitative ResearchQuantitative research can be of two main types – experimental and descriptive:An experimental design focuses on causality, including dependent variables that have to be measured by means of independent variables several times during an intervention;A descriptive design aims at identifying relationships between dependent and independent variables, including a single measurement during a study;Quantitative research is characterized by a specifically chosen research instrument:Surveys may include dichotomous questions (with short YES-NO answers), multiple choice questions, or rating scales;Questionnaires consist of checklists and simple questions;Polls can be developed orally, in a written form, or online;Interviews are properly structured and organized in person, via telephones, or online.Quantitative research includes different sample sizes and can be repeated as per the needs of the researcher;Quantitative research questions must be developed beforehand and approved;All participants are randomly selected for quantitative research;Data has to be organized numerically, and arranged in tables, charts, or figures;Quantitative data analysis plays an important role in research and includes thorough explanations, description of statistical procedures, the use of inferential statistics, and the reduction of causality.Structure of a Quantitative Research StudyOne of the major outcomes of a quantitative research study is creating a final solution or proposing a course of action regarding available variables, background, and participants. As soon as a researcher makes a decision to use a descriptive or experimental design, research questions have to be formulated, and the relationship between variables must be identified. A research project that is based on the results of quantitative research may be organized according to the following outline:Introduction (the present tense is used to promote a general understanding of a topic and an urgent problem for discussion)BackgroundResearch problemSignificance of researchGoals of a quantitative research studyLiterature review (the analysis of available literature that is usually published within the last five years helps to synthesize data, already defined themes, and findings)Theoretical/conceptual framework (a hypothesis is developed, a theory is chosen, and all terms are explained)MethodologyResearch design (qualitative)Population and sampling (participants’ quantity, period, and location)Data collection methods (examples of questions have to be attached in appendices)Data analysis (statistical software are advisable)Results (objective findings are mentioned in a concise manner, and tables, graphs, or charts are recommended as part of the statistical analysis)Discussion (final evaluations, description, implications, and limitations are given)Conclusion (summary and recommendations are developed to prove the need of future research and introduce a possible frame)Students are able to change the individual headings or the overall structure in case it is demanded within the instructions. However, this outline framework remains a frequent option for many academic projects where quantitative research has to be used. It is recommended to discuss a final format with an instructor and clarify all points before start working on a project. Sometimes, a simple clarification can help to avoid serious complications and multiple revisions later on.You can familiarize yourself with the examples of quantitative research essays here.Pros and Cons of Quantitative ResearchAs with any type of academic project, quantitative research has its own strengths and limitations. Students have to be aware of these details to make their final choice and be prepared for any possible challenges and tasks. Social and natural sciences have a number of issues to be analyzed, and quantitative research is an option that can facilitate a discussion or challenge a researcher who is not properly aware or prepared appropriately.There are a number of benefits to quantitative research:A large number of variables can be used within one research project;Accuracy and generalization of results are possible;Ease of planning of a project with clearly defined dependent and independent variables;Data collection is fast and up to the point;Data analysis can be quickly developed using special statistical software;Statistics can be used to create definite plans for future projects;Anonymity and confidentiality attracts the attention of participants;Personal bias is eliminated.There are also several limitations that have to be recognized at the initial stage of a research process:A lack of contextual data;No ability to explore answers;A possibility of structural biases in the study;No detailed narrative explanations;No attention to participants’ feelings, awareness, or attitudes towards a problem;The necessity to calculate and base findings on numerical facts only;Unexpected costs that are connected with experiments.SummaryIn general, the development of quantitative research has both positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, it does not take much time to create a survey and get people involved in a project. On the other hand, it is hard to be sure of the credibility, appropriateness and accuracy of participants’ answers. Also, some students are challenged by the necessity to use specific statistical software. Therefore, they find it normal and less time-consuming to address an expert and ask for additional help. This guide is a good starting point for students or any researcher who may be challenged or stuck while developing a new quantitative research study.

Like Erica and Nan, I am applying for the writer relations position. As a career communicator (people actually pay me to devise communications plans) I would need more data before I could propose a sensible writer-relations program, one that wouldn't harm the Zen-like flow that is Quora today. (As Garrick says, I'm mostly happy with Quora's current workings; that's why I spend so much time here.)So, although I typically use bullet lists to clarify my answers, for this one I'm going to riff.On the face of it, forming a writer relations program is an internal PR strategy aimed at keeping users happy and engaged. In the case of Quora, however, there's a wrinkle: Quora's users are also the site's content generating engine. We writers are more than users; we are creators of the stuff that enables the company to fulfill its mission, which is an outward facing one:"Quora's mission is to share and grow the world's knowledge."Because writers are so integral to the site, the elements of a writer relations program ought to align with, practically mirror really, the site's imperatives. For example, enabling writers to have greater control of the content they generate would significantly improve content discovery and content quality, something Marie Stein touched upon so cogently. Yes indeed, Quora needs mechanisms for ensuring answer quality. Enabling writers to groom and curate their answers would make writers happy and improve content quality.Interestingly, assigning value to answers is a sticky wicket. We've all seen an answer at the top of a thread that we believe is inferior to an answer below. Upvotes, views, and credits would seem to inform writers how valuable their answers are. But they don't necessarily. (On the other hand, the number of followers is a pretty good indicator of a writer's value to the site.)To my mind, a good gauge of content value is external interest, page views from visitors outside Quora. I'd argue that clicks and views from Business Insider and Forbes are a more useful yardstick than upvotes -- if we keep that company mission in mind. Furthermore, Quora's relationships with Business Insider and Forbes are prime examples of rewarding writers for producing top-quality content.Take it a step further: what if someone's writing were so compelling that it spurred conversions from external visitors? Such writers would be of terrific value to the site. And if a writer on Quora develops such a following that she's actually forming her own user base, then I'd argue Quora should pay her for converting those external users. Even micro-payments would feel like golden fleece!But what about those new users? A writer relations program may well include a more useful introduction to the service -- as a way to retain those newly converted users. Myself, I'm not convinced an extensive introductory curriculum would provide enough value for the effort. Internet habitués typically skip these sorts of preliminaries. And I'm definitely not in favor of mandatory participation in tutorials. I intuit new users would be put off by rigid user-level requirements such as we see at places like StackOverflow.Instead, I think a writer relations program should develop simple, optional guidelines for new users to connect with mentors on Quora. New users could specify topics they're interested in, and Top Writers (for example) could "adopt" a newbie. This would be a great opportunity for current writers to improve site quality -- again, back to the mission: sharing and growing knowledge. And it certainly make sense to reward writer-mentors -- financially or otherwise -- for successfully "converting" a new user into an established site contributor.Obviously, face-to-face introductions are a good way to recruit new writers. A writer relations program should include guidelines for pop-up campaigns to spread the word about Quora. For instance, drawing on Quora's strength in the startup space, let's prepare teams to introduce Quora to the startup crowd in Provo, Corvallis, and Sioux Falls -- all top cities for startups. Similarly, we could campaign at culinary conferences, STEM high schools, public health events, writers' conferences, and universities. How Quora selects venues to target will depend on data: what sort of prospective users are most likely to convert? Key to on-site campaigning will be measuring the actual numbers of conversions that result.In the end, it will be vital to examine key data points before designing Quora's writer relations program. What sorts of questions draw the most followers? How do followers of survey questions differ (say) from followers of topics like Physics or Startups? Quora could learn a lot by examining ways that universities use data for profiling, targeting, and marketing to prospective students. We aim to grow the world's knowledge, after all.cc: Marc Bodnick