Research Archive

All studies were designed, written, analyzed, and reported by Jerold Pearson, pictured here...

Before working at Stanford.	And now, after a hard day's work.

   For your delectation, you may read:

A Few Notes on Survey Response -- What are some of the factors that affect response rates to surveys?

Salutations and Response Rates to Online Surveys -- Do personalized salutations get a higher response than generic salutations do?  If so, is one kind of personalized salutation better than another?  This research tested four salutations to an online survey (conducted among Stanford alumni) in September 2002.

@Stanford and Institutional Advancement -- a "meta-report" consolidating the findings from a series of studies that provide strong evidence that e-mail newsletters can have a big impact on various dimensions of institutional advancement -- including communications, feelings, and alumni giving.  A "must read."

An Overview of the first four years of research with Stanford alumni -- explaining what we learned, how all the research fits together, and how it's been used.  This paper also includes a discussion of methodological issues unique to research with alumni.

The critics agree:

"What a maverick.  You betcha, doggone it!" -- Caribou Barbie Palin

"Neat stuff!  Now let's crush this miserable worm before he steals our market share." -- Bill Gates

"Die luft der freiheit weht!" -- Gerhard Casper, president emeritus of Stanford

"Waste of time.  No lies, no Jesus, no use.  Nine eleven!  Nine eleven!  Nine eleven!" -- Dubya, Fearmonger in Chief

"Do we actually pay this little gerbil?" -- Howard Wolf, President, Stanford Alumni Association

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   Here is the complete list of major studies conducted by this office.  They involved surveys and/or focus groups and/or user testing. If you have any questions about them, feel free to contact me.

Initial Study of Undergraduate Alumni Giving - 1994
School of Education Alumni - 1994
Department of Athletics - 1994
Alumni of Color survey- 1995
The Stanford Channel: Baseline survey - 1995
School of Engineering Graduate Alumni - 1995
School of Humanities & Sciences Graduate Alumni - 1995
School of Law Alumni - 1995
Comparative Survey of Princeton, Yale, Penn, and Stanford Alumni - 1995
The Stanford Fund: First Annual Report - 1995
School of Medicine Alumni - 1996
Football Tickets Marketing Strategy - 1996
Alumni in Asia - 1996
The College Selection Process: The Parents' Perspective - 1996
The Stanford Channel: First Year Viewership survey - 1996
The Stanford Fund: Second Annual Report survey - 1997
Stanford Magazine - 1997
The Committee For Art Membership Strategy - 1997
School of Engineering: Graduate Alumni Communications survey - 1997
Planned Giving Advertising - 1997
Online Services for Alumni - 1997
The Undergraduate Experience survey (current students) - 1998
Continuing Studies Program: Young Adult Marketing - 1998
Lucile Packard Children's Hospital survey - 1998
The Stanford Fund: Third Annual Report survey - 1998
Stanford Alumni Association-Stanford University Merger - 1998
Alumni Events survey - 1998
Alumni Attitudes, Awareness, and Engagement: Baseline survey - 1998
The Stanford Fund Lapsed Donors - 1998
School of Law Campaign Issues - 1998
Reunion Homecoming Attendees survey - 1998
Alumni Communications: Baseline survey - 1998
Stanford Alumni Association Membership Benefits - 1999
Stanford Introductory Studies: Sophomore Programs survey (current students) - 1999
Department of Athletics Consolidated Annual Fund - 1999
Office of Development Web Site Testing - 1999
The Stanford Fund: Fourth Annual Report survey - 1999
Online Library Resources for Alumni - 1999
Stanford Alumni Association: Graduate Alumni Membership - 1999
Stanford Alumni Association Customer Service survey - 1999
@Stanford Subscriber Analysis - 1999
Alumni Communications survey - 1999
@Stanford Readership survey - 2000
Graduate School of Business Lapsed Donors - 2000
Stanford Alumni Association Web Site Redesign - 2000
School of Education Younger Alumni - 2000
Office of Alumni Volunteer Relations - 2000
Campaign for Undergraduate Education Web Site Testing - 2000
The Stanford Channel: Five Years Out survey - 2000
School of Medicine non-MD Alumni - 2000
@Stanford and Alumni Giving - 2000
Alumni Feelings, Awareness, and Engagement survey - 2000
Stanford Alumni Association Redesigned Web Site Testing - 2000
Alumni of Color survey - 2001
Stanford Alumni Association Student Programs - 2001
@Stanford and Institutional Advancement, a meta-report - 2001
Stanford Magazine readership survey - 2001
Campaign for Undergraduate Education: Awareness Survey - 2001
Volunteer Clearinghouse User Testing - 2001
Information Technology: Wireless Connectivity in Teaching and Learning - 2001
Alumni Communications survey - 2001
Alumni Affiliations and Affinities - 2001
Cardinal Class Core: Program Evaluation and Positioning - 2002
Career Services for Alumni - 2002
School of Engineering Graduate Alumni Relations survey - 2002
Faculty Housing survey - 2002
Stanford Logos and Branding - 2002
Online Alumni Community - 2002
The Freshman Year at Stanford survey - 2002
Alumni Feelings and Engagement survey - 2002
Volunteer Recognition survey - 2003
Stanford Parents survey - 2003
Stanford Travel/Study survey - 2003
Cantor Arts Center Member Communications survey - 2003
inCircle (Online Alumni Community) focus groups - 2003
Major Donor Stewardship survey - 2003
Young Alumni survey - 2003
Stanford Alumni Association Redesigned Web Site Testing - 2004
Regional and Class Communications - 2004
Stanford Magazine readership survey - 2004
Minority Alumni Conference Attendees survey - 2004
Recent Graduates and Alumni Programming - 2004
Graduate Alumni Feelings and Engagement survey - 2005
Alumni of Color survey - 2005
Medical Development focus groups - 2005
Alumni Segmentation survey - 2005
Alumni Center Services survey - 2005
Stanford Alumni Association Membership focus groups - 2005
Travel/Study focus groups - 2005
School of Engineering Alumni Relations survey - 2006
Volunteer Satisfaction survey - 2006
Undergraduate Alumni Feelings and Engagement survey - 2006
Class Notes survey - 2006
Online Donor Recognition focus groups - 2006
Stanford Alumni Association E-mail Service focus groups - 2007
Overseas Alumni Feelings and Engagement survey - 2007
Stanford Alumni Association Credit Cards focus groups - 2007
Stanford Magazine readership survey - 2007
The Stanford Challenge Awareness survey - 2007
Stanford Magazine September/October Issue survey - 2007
The Stanford Fund Loyal Donors survey - 2007
Stanford Magazine November/December Issue survey - 2007
Stanford NCAA Promotional Video Survey - 2008
Stanford Magazine January/February Issue survey - 2008
Leading Matters San Diego focus groups - 2008
School of Earth Sciences alumni focus groups - 2008
Stanford Magazine March/April Issue survey - 2008
Stanford Magazine May/June Issue survey - 2008
Alumni Resources and Services/SAA Strategy Refresh survey - 2008
Stanford Magazine July/August Issue survey - 2008
Alumni Communications focus groups - 2008
Ivy League Magazine Network readership survey - 2008
Jumpers survey - 2009
Stanford Alumni Association Wordmark survey - 2009
Class Notes survey - 2009
Generation X Alumni Work/Life Issues survey - 2009