Participants Needed for Annual Survey

As The Institute of Applied Research at Cal State San Bernardino prepares to launch its 17th Annual Inland Empire Survey, it is asking residents to think about their quality of life and to consider the information they can provide to improve any problems they see within their community. The annual telephone survey asks questions of 1,000 residents of San Bernardino County and 1,000 residents of Riverside County on a variety of topics that include lifestyle, transportation, business and conservation. “The survey gives residents in the Inland region a ‘voice’ on a variety of quality-of-life issues, such as how and where they spend their money, on their modes of transportation and county services,” said Barbara Sirotnik, director of the institute. Sirotnik said the results of the annual survey can help participating businesses, local agencies and other organizations in their decision-making processes. “Residents’ insights can help our sponsoring businesses, local agencies and public organizations make informed decisions on their products, the services they offer and what directions they should take,” Sirotnik said. “The institute can help craft survey questions to get the most accurate and specific information for sponsors’ specific needs.” Sponsors in previous surveys have included: • Charter Cable, which has used the survey to determine residents’ awareness of Charter’s services and reasons for selecting cable TV over satellite; • The Community Foundation, which has surveyed people about their motivations for donating to non-profit organizations; • The city of Victorville, which polled its residents regarding their use of the Internet as a means of keeping abreast of city events; and the • Mojave Water District, which used the survey to learn about citizens’ water use habits and willingness to conserve. Pricing for including questions on the survey is determined by the number of questions asked, Sirotnik said. For more information on the Institute of Applied Research at Cal State San Bernardino, contact co-director Barbara Sirotnik at 909-537-5729 or by e-mail at bsirotni@csusb.edu.