| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
Africa: List Survey
Date distributed (ymd): 970701
APIC Document
[Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List] Second Annual Reader Survey July 1, 1997
This is the second survey of readers of the Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List. Our first survey, a year ago, was successful in gaining responses from more than 400 readers. It provided extremely valuable information on you, our readers, and suggestions for improvement in our service. The report of last year's survey is available on the Africa Policy Web Site at http://www.africapolicy.org/survey/report96.html
We hope for an even better response this year. There are now almost 1600 addresses directly on the list, while an estimated five times more people receive documents from the list indirectly through redistribution on other lists and your own resharing of selected documents.
Your opinions are critical to continuing to improve our service to you. We have tried to make the survey long enough to provide substantive data, but not so long as to be a burden. We hope you will take time out of your busy schedule to fill out the 26 items below. According to our test runs, it should take an average of less than ten minutes to complete.
The multiple-choice questions are the same as last year, but please send in your survey even if you did one last year. Your opinions may have changed, or you may want to reiterate a suggestion that we have still not been able to implement. The last question gives space for additional comments.
As an extra incentive, we will send to everyone who submits a completed questionnaire a new free, attractive 11" by 17" poster with a map and charts of "Changing Africa." This is a new poster, with selected stereotype-challenging indicators of change in Africa's five regions. (Allow three to four weeks for us to process the forms and get the posters in the mail to you.)
So please take the time to: (1) use the appropriate software for your mail, news reader or browser to download or copy this file into a return message so that you can edit it, (2) put your answers within the brackets for each question, (3) put an x in each check-box [ ] that applies, and (4) e-mail the file back to esurvey@africapolicy.org as an ascii (plain text) message - not an attachment. The [ ], { } and < > symbols are included to simplify our processing of the forms; please don't delete them, and don't delete the questions. Your answers may, however, extend over more than one line.
If it is inconvenient for you to return the form by e-mail, you may send it to us by fax (202-546-1545) or by post (110 Maryland Ave. NE, #509, Washington, DC 20002 USA).
P.S. All individual data on this form will be treated as confidential. Only the analysis of totals will be made public. The names and postal addresses may be used (infrequently) for mailings of announcements or other information from APIC or WOA. If you do not want your address used in this way, please check yes in response to the "exclusion" question at the end of the survey.
Thank you very much.
1. <poster>
Please send me my free "Changing Africa" poster.
[ ] yes
2. <first_name>
[ ]
3. <last_name>
[ ]
4. <organization>
[ ]
5. <postal_address>
[ ]
6. <city>
[ ]
7. <state>
[ ]
8. <postal_code>
[ ]
9. <country>
[ ]
10. <email_address>
[ ]
11. <how_long>
How long have you been receiving or retrieving documents from
the Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List?
[ ] Less than two months
[ ] Two months to a year
[ ] More than one year
12. <how_received>
How do you receive or retrieve documents from the Africa
Policy Electronic Distribution List?
[ ] by e-mail directly from APIC and WOA
[ ] by e-mail indirectly through another mailing list
(please indicate the name of the list)
{list_name}
[ ]
[ ] on a bulletin board, conference, or newsgroup
(please indicate the name of the conference)
{conf_name}
[ ]
[ ] on a Web site
(please indicate the site name or URL)
{web_site}
[ ]
[ ] other (please explain)
{other_source}
[ ]
13. <access>
Do you have access to a Web browser, such as Netscape or
Mosaic?
[ ] yes
14. <reading_pattern>
Of every 10 documents distributed, on average, roughly how
many (on a scale from 0 to 10) would you say you dealt with in
the following ways? (Note: the numbers may add up to more
than ten.)
<Number discarded or deleted without reading [ ] >
<Number skimmed quickly [ ] >
<Number read more carefully [ ] >
<Number archived for later reference [ ] >
<Number redistributed to others [ ] >
{People_sent_to}
If you do redistribute a document, roughly how many
additional people do you normally send it to?
<Average number receiving a document from me [ ]>
<Number used later for teaching or public education [ ]>
15. <frequency>
For your needs, is the frequency of documents distributed
[ ] Too frequent
[ ] About right
[ ] Not frequent enough
16. <length>
For your needs, are most of the documents distributed
[ ] Too long and detailed
[ ] About right
[ ] Not detailed enough
17. <quality>
How would you rate the quality of the information and analysis
distributed?
[ ] Very good
[ ] Good
[ ] Average
[ ] Poor
[ ] Very poor
18. <action_pattern1>
When documents call for specific actions, such as writing to
policy-makers, how often have you contacted policy-makers by
phone, fax or e-mail concerning the issue?
[ ] Never
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Sometimes
[ ] Often
[ ] Always
19. <action_pattern2>
When documents call for specific actions, such as writing to
policy-makers, how often have you passed on the documents to
others who you think might want to contact policy-makers
concerning the issue?
[ ] Never
[ ] Almost never
[ ] Sometimes
[ ] Often
[ ] Always
As you know, our objectives are to reach the broadest possible
audience in order to enable more informed public influence on
policy decisions. The following questions should enable us to
report to you on who we are now reaching, and improve our
strategies for reaching wider constituencies. Individual data
will be treated as confidential.
20. <age>
[ ] Under 20
[ ] 20 to 35
[ ] 36 to 50
[ ] Over 50
21. <sex>
[ ] Male
[ ] Female
22. <education>
What is your level of education?
[ ] advanced degree
[ ] college degree
[ ] secondary school
[ ] other
23. <institution>
What is your primary institutional affiliation? (Check one.)
[ ] educational institution
[ ] commercial institution
[ ] governmental institution
[ ] religious institution
[ ] non-governmental organization (non-religious)
[ ] media institution
[ ] other
24. <africa_connection>
What are your significant personal connections with African
concerns? (Check all that apply.)
[ ] Born in (or parents born in) an African country
[ ] Worked in an African country for year or more
[ ] Visited an African country for shorter time
[ ] African Diaspora
[ ] Business interests
[ ] Academic interests
[ ] Other professional interests
[ ] Activist concerns for human rights, development,
environment, social justice and related issues
25. <additional>
Please add any additional comments, criticisms, or
suggestions.
[ ]
26. <exclusion>
Please exclude my name and postal address from any future
mailings by APIC or WOA.
[ ] yes
***end***end***end***end***end***end***end***end***end***
Thank you for completing the form. Remember to e-mail it to
esurvey@africapolicy.org as an ascii (plain text) message--for
most people the reply function in your software should do this
automatically. If it is inconvenient for you to return the
form by e-mail, you may send it to us by fax (202-546-1545) or
by post at the address below.
Africa Policy Information Center
110 Maryland Ave. NE #509
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: (202) 546-7961; Fax: (202) 546-1545
E-mail: apic@igc.apc.org
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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