Surveys akuzona free, futhi lokhu ngilo real.
Kuze kube manje, ngiphinde ngiphinde ngiphakamise (Weisberg 2005; Groves et al. 2009) wezinhlelo zokuhlola, okuyinto eyisihloko sokuphathwa (Weisberg 2005; Groves et al. 2009) . Nakuba loluhlaka luphelele, ngokuvamile lubangele abacwaningi ukuba banganakwa into ebalulekile: izindleko. Nakuba izindleko-ezingahle zilinganiswe ngesikhatsi noma ngemali-azikhulumi ngokungaqondile ngokucwaninga ngabacwaningi bezemfundo, kuyinto engqinamba engadingeki inganakwa. Eqinisweni, izindleko zibalulekile kulo lonke uhlelo lokucwaninga kocwaningo (Groves 2004) : yingakho abacwaningi bexoxa ngesampula yabantu kunabantu bonke. Ukuzinikela komuntu oyedwa ekunciphiseni iphutha ngenkathi ukungazinaki ngokuphelele izindleko akusiyo ngaso sonke isikhathi isithakazelo sethu.
Ukunciphisa ukuphoqeleka ngephutha lokunciphisa kuboniswe iphrojekthi ephawulekayo yaseScott Keeter kanye nosebenza nabo (2000) emiphumeleni yokusebenza kwenkambu ebiza kakhulu ekunciphiseni ukungazihloniphi kwimibuzo yocingo. U-Keeter nozakwabo baphumelela izifundo ezimbili ngesikhathi esisodwa, enye isebenzisa izinqubo zokuqashelwa "standard" futhi enye isebenzisa izinqubo "eziqinile" zokuqasha. Umehluko phakathi kwalezi zifundo ezimbili kwaba inani lomzamo oye wahlangana nabaphendulayo futhi wabakhuthaza ukuba bahlanganyele. Isibonelo, ekucwaningweni "ngokuqashelwa" ngokuqashelwa, abacwaningi babiza imindeni esampuliwe njalo futhi isikhathi eside futhi benza izingcingo ezingaphezulu uma abahlanganyeli benqabe ukuhlanganyela. Le mizamo eyengeziwe eyenziwe eqinisweni yenza izinga elingaphansi lokungahloniphi, kodwa zanezela izindleko ezinkulu. Ucwaningo olwenziwe ngezinqubo "ezinzima" lwalubiza kabili futhi izikhathi eziyisishiyagalombili zihamba kancane. Futhi ekugcineni, izifundo zombili zikhiqize izilinganiso ezifanayo ngokufanayo. Le phrojekthi, kanye nokuphendula okulandelayo okutholakele okufanayo (Keeter et al. 2006) , kufanele kukuholele ukuthi: singcono yini ngokuhlola okucatshangelwe noma ukuhlola okucacile? Kuthiwani ukuhlolwa okucwaningayo okungu-10 noma ucwaningo olulodwa olucacile? Kuthiwani ukuhlolwa okucatshangelwayo okungu-100 noma ukuhlola okucacile? Ngesinye isikhathi, izinzuzo ezibiza izindleko kumele zibe ngaphezu kokukhathazeka okungacacile, okungafani neze ngekhwalithi.
Njengoba ngizobonisa kulokhu okunye kwesahluko, amathuba amaningi adalwe yisikhathi sedijithali akukwenzi ngokwenza izilinganiso ezisobala ukuthi zinephutha eliphansi. Esikhundleni salokho, lamathuba akhona ngokulinganisa amanani ahlukahlukene nangokwenza izilinganiso ngokushesha futhi ezishibhile, ngisho namaphutha aphezulu angase aphezulu. Abacwaningi abaphikelela ekunciphiseni okukodwa ngokunciphisa iphutha ngenxa yezinye izilinganiso zekhwalithi bazolahlekelwa ngamathuba athakazelisayo. Njengoba sinikezwe lesi sizinda mayelana nenhlaka yokuhlola iphutha lokuhlola, sizobe sesibuyela ezindaweni ezintathu eziyinhloko yenkathi yesithathu yophenyo lokucwaninga: izindlela ezintsha zokumelela (isigaba 3.4), izindlela ezintsha zokulinganisa (isigaba 3.5), namasu amasha okuhlanganisa ukuhlola ngemithombo emikhulu yedatha (isigaba 3.6).