“Survey results tell you what people think without telling you who said it, which is the difference between a chart and a list of people worth interviewing. This post covers opinion-level and participant-level data on OpinionX, and three occasions where knowing who wrote what changes what you do next.”

Back in May 2021 we ran an OpinionX survey with our users to figure out the biggest barriers people had when trying to use our product.

The very first new opinion added by a participant was, "I need to create a new survey every time I want to add a new sample statement."

We realised that this user hadn't noticed an important feature, and we wanted to jump in and show them how to use OpinionX better. But we didn't know who wrote this opinion!

Over the following two months, we heard similar stories from survey creators who wanted to know who had authored each opinion and who agreed or disagreed with it. That was enough of a pattern to act on, so we shipped features that let people dig into the individual data behind their results.

Opinion-level data

On your results, open the Actions triple dot on any opinion you want to learn more about. In the dropdown, click "View Details" to open the details window.

There you can see the opinion author, when you're collecting email addresses, along with the version history if you've edited the opinion and the voting overview.

Clicking "Explore Consensus Votes" goes a level deeper, breaking down the agreement voting data to show you a list of participants that picked each option.

Participant-level data

The second feature came from a pattern in what people told us. Loads of OpinionX users we talked to like to contact their survey participants for follow-up interviews and dig deeper into their results. If that's something you do, this one will be great for you.

Opinion Details has a counterpart in the Participant Details window, which shows an individual-level stack ranking, what that person agrees and disagrees on, and a list of the opinions they submitted to your survey.

When should you use participant-level data?

You might be wondering when to reach for these. There are three occasions where they add a ton of value.

1. Contacting users with personalised support

One of the most common ways people use OpinionX is to prioritise their product roadmaps, where survey creators add a list of problems for their users to stack rank. That's a double win: fresh feedback from your users, plus data to prioritise the biggest problems they face.

Some of the statements added to your roadmap survey will highlight specific users and unique problems they're facing. Seeing who wrote each opinion lets you do quick personalised follow-ups, solve their problem, and build an actual relationship with your users.

2. Building user personas

Understanding your different user personas is key for marketing and product management, especially as an early-stage startup.

By viewing individual-level voting data, you can start to see the patterns that help you form more advanced personas built on the biggest unmet problems and needs. That's the raw material for needs-based segmentation.

3. Arranging customer interviews

Now that you know who authored each statement, or who agrees with a specific problem, you can email those people to organise follow-up interviews for more context.

Authors of statements with high agreement are a great entry point into the mindset of your users, because they've demonstrated an ability to articulate a broadly representative view of your users' experience with your product.

Organising user interviews is one of the most time-consuming parts of user research. Your OpinionX data cuts that time down by handing you the articulate representatives from your user base and the biggest problems those users face. It's also the second half of the Discovery Sandwich: quantitative first to find the priorities, qualitative second to understand them.

Frequently asked questions

What is participant-level data in a survey?

The individual view behind an aggregate result. Instead of seeing that an option scored 74, you see each person's own ranking, what they agreed and disagreed with, and any statements they submitted themselves.

Why does it matter who wrote a statement?

Because a well-articulated problem statement usually comes from someone who has thought about the problem properly. Those authors are the people worth interviewing, and without author data you're left with a good insight and no idea who to ask about it.

How do you pick who to interview after a survey?

The individual view makes this straightforward. Start with the people who wrote the statements that scored highest, and the people who ranked a specific problem far above the group average. Both groups have demonstrated they can put the experience into words, which is exactly what you need in an interview.

Can you contact survey participants on OpinionX?

Yes, if you collect email addresses. Surveys are anonymous by default, so add an identifier question if you plan to follow up.

Got feedback for the OpinionX team? Get in contact and share your thoughts. As the name suggests, we love hearing our users' opinions :)

How to find users that represent your broader userbase