CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A QUESTIONNAIRE

When embarking on designing and implementing an artist demographic data questionnaire, it is important that there is institutional agreement and recognition that the questionnaire is a living document and that identities are not fixed. It will never be complete or final, as questionnaires must be responsive to changing terminology and newly considered facets of identity. Similarly, artists should be allowed to amend responses or redo the survey as needed, as well as feel respected and included rather than othered by the questions the survey asks and the possibilities for response—for instance, not seeing their identity reflected in the response options, feeling like an identity facet they consider minor is made overly prominent, or that their identity is being tokenized.

When designing a questionnaire, it is important to consider the colonial legacies that have informed understandings of identity and demographic markers. As mentioned earlier, for example, the U.S. Census form is considered out of date and reflective of historical biases.

Questionnaires should use language and vocabulary that is current, understandable, and that respects artists and their identities. It is also important that the questions are adaptable to situations of cultural and linguistic difference. While it is helpful for there to be alignment between database structure and survey structure, be aware of replicating any

When embarking on designing and implementing an artist demographic data questionnaire, it is important that there is institutional agreement and recognition that the questionnaire is a living document and that identities are not fixed. It will never be complete or final, as questionnaires must be responsive to changing terminology and newly considered facets of identity.

Resources

Developing Surveys

“Better Practices in Surveying Demographic Information,” Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology.

“Creating Inclusive Surveys,” Penn Libraries.

“Guide to Demographic Survey Questions,” National Center for Women and Information Technology.

“How to ask inclusive demographic questions in your market research,” Voxpopme.

“Inclusive Demographic Data Collection.” Office of Regulatory Affairs and Research Compliance (ORARC), Harvard University.

“Recommended Demographic Survey Items,” Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology.

Resources

General

American Alliance of Museums biases in the former, especially if using a preexisting program. For instance, “first name” and “last name” formulations or simplified “nationality” fields may be too limiting and expose bias toward conventions from Europe and the United States. Changes to existing databases or the adoption of new technology may be required and should be accounted for in the process. (See Tools.)

The implementation phase should also be guided by an agreed-upon set of values and ethics outlined by the project team, incorporating feedback from the organization’s leadership and voices from across departments within the organization as well as artists and stakeholders. Uphold the inherent value of and respect for artists’ time, labor, and energy, as well as for their privacy and choice around participating in the data project. When collecting and interpreting the responses, always prioritize an artist’s self-designation of identity factors and related terminologies, and never modify, change, or fill in a response regardless of historical, personal, or publicly documented knowledge. If new information comes to light later on, updates may need to be considered in consultation with the respondent (see Feedback and Updates).

Additionally, it is important to recognize that living artists may intentionally hold back or alter personal demographic or identity information for various reasons. Plan for, allow, and respect a nonresponse to the survey in general or to any specific questions. While those working with an artist (e.g., a writer, scholar, dealer, curator, and/ or journalist) may wish to share the information they have on hand to help in securing full data responses, unless the artist has directly empowered the individual to provide that information, and done so in writing, it should not be used. If conflicting data is secured, such as differing responses to age,

Resources

Related Surveys

American Community Survey, United States Census Bureau.

The Art of Equal Pay that impacts an exhibition, label, or other documentation, the artist should be consulted to clarify the accuracy of the information and to provide the final decision on what should be utilized, with any stored information updated accordingly. Changing artist information must never be made without a living artist’s input. If institutions decide to partner on a project, and agree on questions, mission, vision, usage, execution, and maintenance, then this shared data needs to always be sustained accurately between the organizations.

Current Population Survey, United States Census Bureau.

General Social Survey, National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.

National Archive of Data on Arts and Culture, University of Michigan.

Study of Jazz Artists 2001, National Archive of Data on Arts and Culture, University of Michigan.

Further Research

Building on the analysis conducted in the initial stages of the project (see Assessment and Grounding Research), the project team should conduct more in-depth research on preexisting models and resources. Upon doing this, review, update, and finalize the planning and policy documents (see Planning and Policy Documents). Communicate any updates to stakeholders.

• Conduct a thorough review of current demographic data projects across sectors, especially non-art organizations, with a particular focus on well-established demographic data surveys, such as the General Social Survey (GSS), American Community Survey (ACS), and Current Population Survey (CPS). This practice can help pinpoint data that is already vetted to a high standard, but there is still a need to ensure resources are applicable, relevant, and inclusive. Review for relevance to your project’s goals and organization’s mission as well as for suitability in prioritizing the voice of the respondent.

• Consult with other institutions that have undertaken or are in the process of undertaking artist demographic data projects and remember that many are considering this type of project—you are not alone. (See Case Studies.)

• Network and speak with colleagues locally and more broadly; seek discussions on general policies and resources on demographic data around artists. Reach out to or review resources from external industry and social groups relevant to your constituents and project. For example, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation sought guidance from Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project for a demographic survey of artists in the Bay Area in order to design survey questions with categories that accurately reflected the self-perceptions of diverse community members.

• Review data service or authority files, such as Getty Vocabularies, id.loc.gov, Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), Indigenous Peoples Subject Headings Crosswalk, or Wikidata, with controlled vocabularies for demographic data, which provide consistent terminology that organizes data for use and analysis. Note that some of these are updated infrequently and their limitations should be considered and

Resources

Vocabularies adjusted for as institutional needs and shifting terminologies demand. These references are starting points, and it is the responsibility of each organization to ensure they are building a contemporary and inclusive vocabulary.

Homosaurus: An international LGBTQ+ linked data vocabulary, Digital Transgender Archive. Indigenous Peoples Subject Headings Crosswalk, Peabody Essex Museum.

Union List of Artist Names Online and vocabularies, Getty Research Institute.

Virtual International Authority File (VIAF).

Wikidata.

• Collection, acquisition, and exhibition guidelines at your organization should be reviewed for information and policies, if that was not done exhaustively in earlier stages, with the understanding that they may need to change in response to or in anticipation of this project.

• Consult field best practices and ethics on these topics from industry organizations such as the AAMC’s Professional Practices guide and resources from the American Alliance of Museums.

• Conduct a deeper audit of the demographic information that the institution is already collecting for any constituents, including artists. Ensure you have reviewed every possible surveying mechanism the organization may have used or participated in.

After this more in-depth research, a review of the decisions made earlier should be undertaken, particularly in terms of technology choices. Ensure you are still on the right path and communicate that update outward.