In late October, all subscribers of The Good Oil, the free, monthly e-magazine of the Good Samaritan Sisters, were invited to participate in an online survey which asked readers to consider the pros and cons of The Good Oil and how the publication could be improved.
The survey was open from October 25 to November 18.
We are very grateful to those subscribers (11%) who completed The Good Oil’s second reader survey (our first was in 2013). Your feedback will help us to continue publishing content that is relevant to your needs and interests.
We’re still analysing what you had to say and looking at ways to incorporate the recommendations that you made. Keep watching this space!
In the meantime, we will continue to work hard to keep you informed of the life and mission of the Good Samaritan Sisters through news, features, analysis and opinion articles. And we’ll endeavour to remain faithful to our mission: “to nourish the spirit, stimulate thinking and encourage reflection and dialogue about issues of the day from a Christian, Catholic, Good Samaritan perspective”.
If you missed the survey and would like to offer feedback about The Good Oil, please email us.
To give you an insight into the survey results, we’re publishing the percentage statistics for closed-ended questions posed in the survey.
Thanks again for taking the time to provide us with feedback.
Closed-ended questions from The Good Oil Reader Survey.
What is your gender?
• Female (82.32%)
• Male (17.68%)
What is your age category?
• Under 15 (0%)
• 15-24 (0.29%)
• 25-34 (1.16%)
• 35-44 (3.77%)
• 45-54 (7.83%)
• 55-64 (23.77%)
• 65-74 (38.84%
• 75+ (24.35%)
Which of the following options best describes you?
• Good Samaritan Sister (20.93%)
• Oblate or Associate of the Good Samaritan Sisters (9.01%)
• Partner in Good Samaritan ministry – employee, board member, volunteer (4.36%)
• Relative of a Good Samaritan Sister (5.52%)
• Friend or colleague of the Good Samaritan Sisters (14.83%)
• Current staff member of a Good Samaritan College (5.52%)
• Former staff member of a Good Samaritan College (3.20%)
• Current student of a Good Samaritan College (0%)
• Former student of a Good Samaritan College (10.47%)
• Current staff member of a school founded in the Good Samaritan tradition (0.58%)
• Member of another religious congregation (10.17%)
• No particular relationship to the Good Samaritan Sisters – I’m an interested reader (15.41%)
How often do you read The Good Oil?
• I read it every month (87.72%)
• I read it every few months (5.56%)
• I read it occasionally (6.73%)
How many articles do you usually read in each edition of The Good Oil?
• I read all the articles (28.65%)
• I read most of the articles (35.96%)
• I read a few articles (15.79%)
• I skim the publication and may read an article or two (18.42%)
• I occasionally read articles (1.17%)
How long have you been reading The Good Oil?
• Under a year (6.45%)
• 1-2 years (12.61%)
• 2-3 years (24.63%)
• 3-5 years (20.82%)
• 5 years or more (35.48%)
Thinking about the length and the number of articles in The Good Oil:
• I’d like the length and number of articles to remain as they are (79.33%)
• I’d like more articles in each edition (8.51%)
• I’d like fewer articles in each edition (6.08%)
• I’d like the articles to be shorter (8.21%)
• I’d like other changes to the length and number of articles (2.43%)
What sections of The Good Oil interest you most?
• News from the Good Samaritan network (53.33%)
• Feature articles (66.97%)
• Profiles on people (59.70%)
• Opinion articles (50%)
• “Musings of a Leader” column (60.30%)
• “Faith in the Ordinary” column (47.27%)
• “Being Just Neighbours” column (34.85%)
• What’s On (19.39%)
What is your overall assessment of The Good Oil?
• Excellent (39.94%)
• Very good (49.55%)
• Good (9.01%)
• Fair (1.50%)
• Poor (0%)
How often would you like The Good Oil to be published?
• Monthly, as it is currently (91.77%)
• Twice a month, with fewer articles in each edition (5.79%)
• Weekly, with fewer articles in each edition (1.52%)
• Other (0.91%)
Which device do you normally use when reading The Good Oil?
• Computer (70.94%)
• iPad (22.50%)
• Tablet (1.88%)
• Smart phone (4.06%)
• Other (0.63%)
How do you mostly access content published in The Good Oil?
• I’m a subscriber and receive The Good Oil by email (89.34%)
• I go directly to the Good Samaritan Sisters’ website (6.58%)
• Articles are emailed to me by someone else (3.13%)
• Via social media e.g. Facebook, Twitter (0%)
• Via other websites e.g. CathNews, Catholic Religious Australia (0.31%)
• I read articles from The Good Oil that have been republished in parish or school newsletters (0.63%)
Do you have any problems accessing articles and other content published in The Good Oil?
• No (97.82%)
• Yes (2.18%)
