The questions should be clear and simple, and free from misleading wording that could influence the results. The survey questions should be internally consistent -- in other words, responses that indicate wildly different views in the responses of the same individual raise questions about internal validity. There should be controls to prevent respondents from presenting themselves in an overly positive light. The survey should not draw overly broad conclusions, based upon what respondents were asked. 5a. The city should take public responsibility for its actions, stating that although it was trying to act in the best interests of the city, it crossed the line when it hired a private investigator to infiltrate the boating organization. Avoiding litigation would be wise, given that the city's actions would likely make it look unsympathetic in front of a jury. Entering into mediation and/or binding arbitration with the organization to settle for damages...

Instead of financial restitution, the boating organization could receive concessions regarding its policy demands.
5b. Even if there is no violation of the law, the city still needs to uphold the public's confidence in its ability to protect citizen's rights and make good decisions. Only by taking responsibility for its actions can the city restore the public trust, after it has violated the privacy of a citizen action group.

References

Basic vs. applied research. (2009). Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Retrieved January 12, 2009 at http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/research-main.html

ROI. (2009). Investopedia. Retrieved January 12, 2009 at http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnoninvestment.asp

Trochim, William. (2006). Variables. Social Research Methods.

Retrieved January 12, 2009 at http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/variable.php