Dr Sonila Dardha

Short BIO

Dr. Sonila Dardha is a survey methodologist and statistician with over 10 years of experience in social, political, and UX research. She holds a Ph.D. in Survey Research Methodology from City, University of London, and works as a Quantitative UX Researcher at Meta in London. Dr. Dardha combines her expertise in cross-cultural surveys with her teaching experience in research methods, offering a strong mix of technical skills and practical knowledge. Her research focuses on interviewer effects and non-response error, driven by a passion for translating complex data into insights and product decisions that improve experiences for end users.

Talk (Expert):

The Anatomy of Survey Errors: A Survival Guide

Surveys are a ubiquitous tool in UX research, but their complexity can lead to misleading results if not executed properly. This session delves into the common pitfalls of survey practice through the lens of Total Survey Error, guiding attendees through the entire execution pipeline of a typical survey project. By exploring the technicalities of running a methodologically sound survey, this session will cover essential topics such as scoping surveys correctly, crafting valid and reliable instruments, sampling representatively, and processing data to account for biases. Through real-world examples of user research, we will highlight typical systematic and random errors in survey measurement or representation, and provide actionable strategies for remedying them. By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with general knowledge necessary to design surveys that yield accurate and reliable insights, ultimately informing product decisions that better serve users.

Outline

1. The goals of a survey

2. Scoping a survey project

3. Questionnaire design and the anatomy of measurement errors

4. Sampling and the anatomy of representation errors

Key takeaways

By the end of this session, attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the survey project lifecycle, from start to finish. They will be equipped with foundational skills to

1. identify systematic and random errors that can compromise survey results, and

2. apply practical strategies to address common design pitfalls.

This session will help user researchers to improve data quality and execute surveys that deliver accurate and reliable insights.