antiracist framework
A structure or way of thinking that supports antiracism through actions and expressions of ideas. By racism, we refer to the historically rooted hierarchies of power — infused in our institutions, policies, and culture — that benefit white people and systematically hurt people of color. You can read more about co:census’ antiracist framework
here.
character limit
We limit survey questions to 280 characters, the max length of a tweet.
chatbot
A computer program designed to simulate human conversation through voice commands, texts, or both. At co:census, we use SMS chatbots to create our survey experience. Respondents text answers to questions posed by the chatbot in order to submit responses.
codesign
To design together, especially with the people and communities who will be impacted by the designed product.
completion rate
The number of people who answered every survey question divided by the number of people who started the survey, but did not finish answering every survey question.
Data by the People, for the People
At co:census, we recognize that data is not just an abstract collection of numbers and statistics, but the voices and lived experiences of the people in our communities. We uphold the principle of Data by the people, For the people, by emphasizing codesign in both data collection and analysis and prioritizing unstructured, qualitative data. You can learn more about this principle
here.
equity
Equity is giving more to those who need it. This is not the same as equality. Although both strive for fairness, equality does so by treating everyone the same regardless of need, whereas equity treats individuals differently depending on need. A good example of equity is giving disadvantaged students more resources so they can reach their full potential.
Equity Insights Report
An Equity Insights Report is a single page report that provides an overview of key trends and insights found in your survey data. Equity Insights Reports are ideal for policy memos, public study presentations, and case studies. This report requires a minimum of 500 survey responses. A sample of an Equity Insights Report can be viewed here. Note: The Equity Insights Report is currently in beta.
heat map
A data visualization where the magnitude of a phenomenon is shown through variation or intensity of color. At co:census, we use heat maps to visualize where respondents live and how they respond based on location.
in-language responses
Refers to the number of responses received per language.
inclusive surveys
Inclusive surveys reduce data bias, acknowledge the cultural diversity of respondents, build more accurate datasets, and access people otherwise missed. co:census codesigns your surveys with you to meet these marks. You can learn more about our commitment to inclusive surveys
here.
insight
A clear, deep understanding of a complicated problem or situation.
number of responses
Total number of completed survey responses. You can view this number in the raw data under Survey Data.
short code
A special 5 or 6 digit telephone number that’s shorter than a full phone number. When you send more than a few hundred messages a day from a full phone number, your messages run the risk of being labeled as spam. As a result, we use short code for high-volume SMS chatbots.
skip logic
Skip logic allows you to send respondents to a different point in the survey depending on how they answer the question. For example, if a respondent answers no when asked if they would like to continue the survey, they may be skipped to the end of the survey.
When launching a survey, you can indicate skip logic using alphanumerals. Consider the following example:
1. Do you have a dog?
A. If yes: What kind of dog do you have?
B. If no: skip to question #2
Here, the question is “Do you have a dog?” If the respondent answers yes, they are asked “What kind of dog do you have?”, as indicated by the alphanumeral A. If they answer no, they are skipped to question #2, as indicated by the alphanumeral B.
SMS
Stands for Short Message Service. It refers to the text messaging service on mobile phones.
survey design
A survey is not just an arbitrary set of questions; we use them to understand the perspectives of people in our communities. By survey design, we refer to the process of making surveys more accessible and inclusive for individuals of all identities. We do this by supporting multiple language translations, asking simple, clear questions, and validating the diversity of communities whenever possible.