Pay peanuts, get...well a rather crappy survey

Excellent post by Pat Sturgis on why compromising on survey quality is a very bad idea. 

Terrible old rogue that he was, I have an affection for Kipling's poetry. The Gods of the Copy Book Headings seems relevant in the light of the trendy nonsense purveyed by some under the label of social research methodology.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began.
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wobbling back to the Fire;

And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!