Data Collection in the Field, Nonresponse Error, and Questionnaire Screening

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Data Collection in the Field, Nonresponse Error,
and Questionnaire Screening
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Nonsampling Error in Marketing Research

• Nonsampling error includes
• All types of nonresponse error
• Data gathering errors
• Data handling errors
• Data analysis errors
• Interpretation errors

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection

• Field worker error errors committed by the
  persons who administer the questionnaires
• Respondent error errors committed on the part of
  the respondent
• Errors may be either intentional or
  unintentional.

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Data Collection Errors
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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Field-Worker Errors

• Intentional field worker error errors committed
  when a data collection person willfully violates
  the data collection requirements set forth by the
  researcher
• Interviewer cheating occurs when the interviewer
  intentionally misrepresents respondents
• Leading respondents occurs when the interviewer
  influences respondents answers through wording,
  voice inflection, or body language

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Field-Worker Errors

• Unintentional field worker error errors
  committed when an interviewer believes he or she
  is performing correctly
• Interviewer personal characteristics occurs
  because of the interviewers personal
  characteristics such as accent, sex, and demeanor

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Field-Worker Errors

• Interviewer misunderstanding occurs when the
  interviewer believes he or she knows how to
  administer a survey but instead does it
  incorrectly
• Fatigue-related mistakes occur when interviewer
  becomes tired

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Respondent Errors

• Intentional respondent error errors committed
  when there are respondents that willfully
  misrepresent themselves in surveys
• Falsehoods occur when respondents fail to tell
  the truth in surveys
• Nonresponse occurs when the prospective
  respondent fails to take part in a survey or to
  answer specific questions on the survey

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Respondent Errors

• Unintentional respondent error errors committed
  when a respondent gives a response that is not
  valid but that he or she believes is the truth
• Respondent misunderstanding occurs when a
  respondent gives an answer without comprehending
  the question and/or the accompanying instructions
• Guessing occurs when a respondent gives an answer
  when he or she is uncertain of its accuracy

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Possible Errors in Field Data Collection
Respondent Errors

• Attention loss occurs when a respondents
  interest in the survey wanes
• Distractions (such as interruptions) may occur
  while questionnaire administration takes place
• Fatigue occurs when a respondent becomes tired of
  participating in a survey

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How to Control Data Collection Errors
Fieldworkers
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How to Control Data Collection Errors Respondents
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How to Control Data Collection Errors Respondents
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Data Collection Errors with Online Surveys

• Multiple submissions by the same respondent
• Bogus respondents and/or responses
• Misrepresentation of the population

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Nonresponse Error

• Nonresponse failure on the part of a prospective
  respondent to take part in a survey or to answer
  specific questions on the survey
• Refusals to participate in survey
• Break-offs during the interview
• Refusals to answer certain questions (item
  omissions)
• Completed interview must be defined

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Nonresponse Error

• Response rate enumerates the percentage of the
  total sample with which the interviews were
  completed

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Nonresponse Error

• CASRO response rate formula

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Reducing Nonresponse Error

• Mail surveys
• Advance notification
• Monetary incentives
• Follow-up mailings
• Telephone surveys
• Callback attempts

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Preliminary Questionnaire Screening

• Unsystematic and systematic checks of completed
  questionnaires
• What to look for in questionnaire inspection
• Incomplete questionnaires
• Nonresponses to specific questions (item
  omissions)
• Yea- or nay-saying patterns
• Middle-of-the-road patterns

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Unreliable Responses

• Unreliable responses are found when conducting
  questionnaire screening, and an inconsistent or
  unreliable respondent may need to be eliminated
  from the sample.

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Minimizing Non-Sampling Error

• Cannot eliminate and cannot measure (except for
  non-response error)
• Implement CONTROLS to minimize error
• Close supervision of data collectors
• Training

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Minimizing Non-Sampling Error

• Care in constructing questionnaire and
  instructionspretest!
• Provide incentives to respondents
• VALIDATIONindustry standard is 10