Survey Research

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Survey Research

• A/S 305 Social Research Methods
• Sarah Goodrum, Ph.D.

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Survey Research

• Introduction to Surveys
• Ways to Administer a Survey
• Survey Interviewers
• Issues in Survey Research
• Test Survey

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Survey Research

• collection of information through responses to
  questions posed to a sample of individuals
• the questionnaire is a central feature of survey
  research

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Introduction to Surveys

• Goal of Survey
• Descriptive
• Explanatory
• Exploratory
• Unit of Analysis
• - usually the individual
• To generalize to a larger population
• - MUST use probability sampling
• Types of Surveys
• Omnibus Survey
• One Topic Survey

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Ways to Administer a Survey

• Self-administered Questionnaire
• To a group
• advantages done all at once, can clarify for
  respondent
• problems seldom feasible and could be coercive
• Mail Survey
• advantages cost and time efficient
• problem response rates
• Electronic
• advantages new, efficient, good response rates
• problem not everyone has electronic access

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Ways to Administer a Survey

• One-on-One Interview
• In-person (face-to-face) Interview
• advantages best survey design, can probe for
  answers, can clarify for respondent, 80-85
  response rate
• problems same interview experience, engaging
  demeanor/non-reactive disposition balance,
  control of the interview
• Telephone Interview
• advantages cost efficient, standardized
  procedures
• problems caller id, people w/o phones, call
  backs, hang-ups

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Survey Interviewers

• Appearance
• professional, not intimidating (business casual)
• Familiarity with Questionnaire
• make interview flow smoothly
• give respondent confidence that you know what you
  are doing
• dont waste respondents time fumbling through
  questions
• Follow Question Wording
• want each respondent to have the same interview
  experience
• Record Responses Exactly
• note if there was something odd about respondent
  and/or his/her answers

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Issues in Survey Research

• Response Rate
• proportion of questionnaires sent/given out to
  those returned completed
• usually a problem with mail out surveys
• good response rate?
• 50 adequate, 60 good, 70 very good
• good idea to learn something about non-respondents

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e.g., Comparing Respondents to Non-Respondents
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Issues in Survey Research

• Follow-up Procedures
• nearly all serious surveys use 2-3 additional
  mailings/phone calls to increase response rate

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e.g., Follow-up Letter

• Dear name
• This is a follow-up letter to request your
  participation in a study. As you may recall, the
  study is about people who have lost a loved one
  to murder. I need 6 more people to volunteer to
  participate in the study, and I am hoping you
  will be one of those people. I would very much
  like your experiences to be a part of this
  research.
• . . .
• To sign-up to participate, please call me at
  [phone]. . . To thank you for
  participating in the study, I will make a
  donation of 20 to the charity of your choice in
  memory of your loved one.
• Warmest Regards,
• Sarah Goodrum
• Doctoral Student

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Test Survey

• Get feedback from professionals
• Interview experts (i.e., what are the issues
  here?)
• Do a trial run
• Cognitive interviews
• Interpretive questions