Description

Survey research is in trouble—and Caroline Jarrett explains why. Returning to the podcast to preview the upcoming UXR Tools Summit, she and Lou Rosenfeld explore what’s really happening in the survey world and what researchers should be asking vendors right now.

They discuss collapsing response rates driven by constant, low-value feedback requests and the growing sense that many surveys are performative rather than useful. Caroline argues for fewer, smaller, more targeted surveys that respect people’s time and actually lead to change. The conversation also tackles AI in research tools, from synthetic users to automated analysis, and why human judgment still matters.

Caroline shares the key questions she plans to ask survey-tool vendors—especially around accessibility and panel management—and why researchers need better integration across tools and methods. She closes with a literacy-focused resource from the British Council tied to her passion for designing for people with low literacy.

• Why survey response rates keep dropping—and how bad “always-on” feedback requests damage the whole method
• How to make surveys feel less performative: smaller, targeted surveys and “question of the week” approaches
• Why the best surveys are often the ones you never see (because they’re sent to the right small sample)
• Caroline’s take on AI in research tools, including the risks of synthetic users and AI-only analysis of open ends
• The top questions Caroline wants survey-tool vendors to answer, especially about accessibility for researchers and respondents; and panel management and integration
• Why tool integration across methods (surveys + repositories + testing + recruitment + experimentation) matters—and what researchers should push vendors on

Quick Reference Guide:

0:13 – Meet Caroline and learn her role in the Advancing Research Conference

5:13 - Recent trends that have impacted how research should design and run surveys

8:15 - When surveys feel routine and performative

10:18 - Areas of improvement in uptake and responses 

13:58 - How AI is making a difference in designing surveys and analyzing data

18:55 - How vendors view the utilization of AI

23:58 - Why you need the Rosenverse

26:12 - Caroline’s questions for survey tool vendors

31:11 - Integration and triangulation

36:20 - Caroline’s gift for listeners

Resources and Links from Today's Episode:

Forms That Work - by Caroline Jarrett and Jerry Gaffney https://www.amazon.com/Forms-that-Work-Interactive-Technologies/dp/1558607102

Surveys That Work - by Caroline Jarrett https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/surveys-that-work/

Advancing Research and the UXR Tools Summit - March 10-12, 2026 https://rosenfeldmedia.com/advancing-research/

British Council’s LearnEnglish’s restaurant menu page https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/a1-reading/restaurant-menu

“This problem of being over-invited under usefulness of the survey experience is threatening the whole of survey research, and that trend has now started to affect national statistical agencies.”

“A really well-designed survey will go to the smallest sample that is appropriate for the effect that you're trying to achieve.”

“Do smaller surveys more often. Keep it small. Keep it frequent.” 

“If you’re selling to people, you’re going to have to actually engage with people.”