University-Based Tracking Resources:
An Objective Measurement Option

University-based resources, including Extension, offer byway organizations an option for objectively developing and analyzing a survey instrument to measure the economic (and other) impacts of a byway.

Who:

To learn which professor or department might be available to work with your byway organization on developing a survey, start by contacting the campus research office or public relations department of the university or business school. That department can direct you to the appropriate contact. If you already have an RFP (request for proposal), your campus contact can direct the RFP to the appropriate people.

What:

Having some idea of the type of statistics or information you would like to gather would be helpful in beginning a discussion with the university representative. You can then brainstorm the various types of tracking and measurement instruments that might work best for your needs.

Examples of measurement instruments include, but are not limited to, a direct income survey of business owners, a conversion study based on inquiries for promotional materials to learn who actually visited your byway and how much money they spent in the byway area; in-person intercept interviews conducted by trained personnel; and a direct mail survey that might involve four mailings (survey, reminder postcard, survey again, and final reminder postcard) to reach a critical mass of responses for statistical accuracy.

When:

If you have funding to pay for development and analysis, your project is likely to receive a faster track than if you are requesting volunteer or student-assisted resources. If you will be asking for a student project, plan to pitch your idea to the university well ahead of the targeted semester timeline.

Where:

Working with a college located near your byway should allow you to work with personnel who are familiar with your byway, however, depending upon the type of survey instrument and analysis needed, you may need to access the expertise of an educational institution outside your region.

Why University-Based Tracking?

• Provides an objective means of collecting and analyzing economic impact and other data for the byway

• The statistical accuracy of University-based analysis of data lends credibility to the data

• Can create an ongoing byway-community (educational institution) partnership

Resources:

Contact your local university or business school

Acknowledgement:

Diane Kuehn, Assistant Professor and Coastal Tourism Specialist, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, assisted with the development of this information.