Split Sample Technique

What is split sample?

Split sample is an optional technique employed by the MISO Survey to help reduce the demands made on respondents. Sometimes institutions want to ask more questions of a population than the average respondent will tolerate. The split sample technique helps to resolve this apparent conflict by permitting an institution to distribute survey items across subgroups within a population sample. In the process, the institution is able to ask all the questions and items they believe relevant to their assessment needs while not taxing individual respondents with surveys of excessive length. 

How does split sample work?

When an institution chooses to use the split sample technique, the MISO Survey randomly assigns all members of a population sample into three equally sized groups labeled Group A, B, and C. Items and questions selected to be “split” will be asked of two of the three groups, and will be distributed accordingly when your survey instruments are built. This ensures that 2/3 of the original sample size will receive the item. Doing this across many items and distributing the “split” items across the groups reduces the number of survey items any one group receives thus shortening the survey for all respondents individually, while also providing the institution with data across a greater breadth of items and questions. Please note that all three groups will receive the required demographic questions in the survey. 

Is there a cost for split sample?

Yes. For an additional fee per survey population, your institution may adopt split sample technique.