What We Do
Consulting
SoundRocket was created to support our founder’s survey methodology consulting practice—as a graduate of the University of Michigan with a Master’s degree in Applied Social Research (Survey Methodology), and with several years experience with conducting web-based surveys, Mr. Crawford’s skills in web-based survey design and implementation were valued.
We continue to serve in this capacity with our experts in survey implementation. Our most significant collaborations often begin with a small consulting role on a study. Let SoundRocket serve as your own in-house research methodologist!
Custom Social Science Research
Research today is at the core of almost every policy, business, and academic scientific decision. Under our umbrella of custom social science research, we explore any topic that would best serve your research needs. We have applied our expertise to a range of topics for collaborators in academic departments, non-profit think tanks, government agencies, and innovative science-loving commercial enterprises.
SoundRocket recognise the value in high quality science. We provide the design and oversight of custom study implementation, so you can focus on your science. Our collaborative approach ensures that your research process with SoundRocket will be tailored to fit your needs.
SoundRocket is your top tier research collaborator. Take advantage of our expertise in study design, questionnaire design, sample design, sampling, survey development & testing, survey methodology, qualitative research methods (cognitive interview, focus groups, etc.), data collection (all modes and methods), and data reporting for your next research endeavor.
Study Management
In an era dominated by web survey platforms that offer basic commodities, it is sometimes difficult to understand the value in partnering with survey research providers. We understand that—and in fact, we often recommend our collaborators take the do-it-yourself (DIY) approach first if you are in doubt. We are not the solution for the small independent researchers who have a motivated grad student who wants to do it all.
While survey platforms are found everywhere, and most schools train their social science students in the use of at least one, managing the complexities of an overall study protocol is often forgotten—until it is needed.
Often overlooked tasks such as mass emailing study participants, scheduling alerts and reminders to send to those who need them, following up with future scheduled data collection tasks, integrating multi-mode (mailed surveys, telephone surveys, etc.) data collection and multi-mode prompting, and even integrating surveys into clinical studies where participants must visit a lab for bio-specimen collection or to engage in a physical evaluation are all examples of complex study designs that we consider routine.
Study management, where the research participant is treated as an equal stakeholder in the research process, is where SoundRocket excels.
Higher Education Studies
When we began as a company, we found ourselves involved in many studies of higher education student populations; student access to email and web technologies made our services an excellent fit for studies with this population. We have built upon those early successful projects, developing a growing list of large, multi-institutional research studies led by scientific research teams and higher education administration, and have organically grown our services in support of campus climate studies through a series of long-term partnerships.
SoundRocket’s team has experience surveying student (community college, undergraduate, and graduate), staff, and faculty populations. We offer standard and custom campus climate surveys on a variety of topics including sexual misconduct, diversity, equity, and inclusion, substance use and more.
Our instruments have been developed by campus climate researchers and professionals in higher education, and optimized by survey science experts. And as a third-party organization, we can better protect data privacy, ensuring that only aggregated and de-identified data is shared. Our most rigorous study designs have gotten response rates as high as 60%. See Applying Responsive Survey Design to Small-Scale Surveys: Campus Surveys of Sexual Misconduct.
User Studies for Regulatory Purposes
Regulatory studies often require quality survey data collection. When label or user comprehension studies are needed, SoundRocket is your knowledgeable source. Having been involved since the beginning, we are leaders in Genetic Health Risk user comprehension study requirements; SoundRocket can serve a critical role as your genetic test FDA expert, saving your team months or years in guesswork. SoundRocket is a specialist in studies relating to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory pathways for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) personal genetic testing, including (but not limited to): Carrier Screening Tests (21 CFR 866.5940), Genetic Health Risk (GHR) Tests (21 CFR 866.5950), Pharmacogenetics Tests (21 CFR 862.3364), Cancer Predisposition Tests (CFR 21 866.6090)
Early Career Scientist Support
We support very early career scientists! If you are a recent Ph.D. graduate, current graduate student, or even an ambitious undergraduate student who is in need of expert survey methodology support for a social science study—let us know!
We have found a variety of mechanisms to support such early career scientists work in the social sciences. We would love to meet you and collaborate on the future of social sciences with you.
