Survey Research - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 44
About This Presentation
Title:

Survey Research

Description:

Survey Research - University of Lethbridge ... Survey Research – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:274
Avg rating:5.0/5.0
Slides: 45
Provided by: Drs1167
Category:
Tags: research | survey

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Survey Research


1
Survey Research
2
Survey data
  • Survey data are obtained when individuals respond
    to questions asked by interviewers or when the
    individual responds to questions that he has read
  • Quantitative and qualitative information
  • Census or sample?

3
Survey Sampling
  • Sample Survey
  • Sample of the population (e.g., sample of
    Alberta CEOs)
  • Census Survey
  • Complete population (e.g., all CEOs in
    Lethbridge)

4
Functions
  • Descriptive
  • Causal (limited function)
  • Exploratory (limited function)

5
Information Provided by Surveys
  • respondents knowledge of facts
  • how many times a month do you buy cookies?
  • respondents attitudes
  • chocolate chip is my favorite variety of
    cookie.
  • May describe processes undertaken by respondent
  • Stages in the purchase decision, for example
  • usually self-report data

6
  • The type of information gathered depends on a
    surveys objectives.
  • Surveys typically have multiple objectives

7
Classifications
  • Method of Communication
  • Telephone
  • Mail
  • Personal interview
  • Degree of Structure
  • Unstructured
  • structured
  • Degree of Disguise

Limitations Structure and disguise are not
clear categories most surveys are hybrids
8
  • Temporal classifications
  • Cross sectional studies
  • Longitudinal studies
  • Trend Studies
  • Samples general population at each point
    complete turnover in who is actually sampled
  • Cohort studies (tracking studies)
  • Samples from one group over time e.g., sample of
    a graduating class
  • Panel studies
  • sample cohort, same specific respondents each
    sample

9
Method of Communication
  • Media
  • Personal Interviews
  • Telephone Interviews
  • Self administered Questionnaires

10
Media
  • Human interactive
  • Electronic interactive researcher and respondent
    interact using digital technology
  • Non-interactive media

11
Personal interview
  • Direct communication between business and
    consumers in which interviewers ask respondents
    questions in face to face situations
  • Key advantages
  • Opportunities for feedback
  • Probing for complex answers
  • Length of interview

12
Personal interview
  • Direct communication between business and
    consumers in which interviewers ask respondents
    questions in face to face situations

13
Key advantages Personal interview
  • Opportunities for feedback
  • Probing for complex answers
  • Length of interview
  • Completion rates
  • Ability to use props
  • High participation/low refusal rate (especially
    if using call back)

14
Key disadvantages
  • Anonymity of respondent
  • Interviewer bias
  • Interviewer cheating
  • cost

15
Types of personal interviews
  • Door to door interviews
  • Low refusal rates
  • Provide a more representative sample
  • Provide a less representative sample
    (under-representation of certain groups)

16
Types of personal interviews
  • Mall intercept
  • Lower cost
  • Provide a larger sample
  • Useful if targeting particular population
  • Increased use of visual aids
  • Higher refusal rate
  • Provide a less representative sample

17
Telephone interviews
  • Considered to be the primary method of survey
    research
  • Why
  • representative samples
  • Technology
  • Perception of anonymity

18
Key advantages Telephone interview
  • Central location - increased quality of
    supervision
  • Computer assisted telephone interviewing - data
    entry
  • Speed
  • Cost

19
  • Anonymity- absence of face to face contact
  • Less interviewer cheating
  • Less researcher bias
  • Cooperation???
  • Representative samples (RDD)
  • Call backs easier

20
Key disadvantages
  • Cooperation
  • Lack of visual media
  • Limited duration

21
Mail and self-administered questionnaires
  • A very popular method of data collection

22
Types of Mail Surveys
  • Ad Hoc Mail Surveys
  • Questionnaires for a particular project sent to
    selected names and addresses with no prior
    contact by the researcher.
  • Mail Panels
  • Precontacted and screened participants who are
    periodically sent questionnaires.
  • A mail panel is a type of longitudinal study. A
    longitudinal study in one in which the same
    respondents are resampled over time.

23
Key advantages Self-administered
  • Geographical flexibility
  • Cost
  • Respondent convenience - accuracy and reflection
  • Anonymity
  • Standardized questions - increase validity

24
Key disadvantages Self-administered
  • Time
  • Length (6 pages)
  • Interviewers absence
  • Response rates

25
Tactics Employed to Increase Response Rate
Advance postcard or telephone call alerting
respondent of survey Follow-up postcard or
phone call (coding/keying) Monetary incentives
(nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar) Premiums
(pencil, pen, keychain, etc.) Postage stamps
rather than metered envelopes Self-addressed,
stamped return envelope Assurances regarding
length
26
Promise of contributions to favorite charity
Entry into drawing for prize Emotional
appeals Affiliation with universities or
research institutions Multiple mailings of the
questionnaire Bids for sympathy Reminder
that respondent participated in previous study
Interesting questions well laid out Ask the
right people A cover letter
27
Cover Letter
  • introduces who you are
  • purpose and importance of study
  • relevance of survey to respondent
  • especially if they receive several surveys a
    week, need to be convinced survey results matter
    to them

28
  • why and how they were selected
  • why their input is crucial
  • e.g., As a respected member of the Trustees, you
    have a unique perspective on....)
  • big name sponsor, if any
  • e.g., University of Lethbridge, Heart Foundation,
    etc.

29
  • give due date
  • make reasonable but specific
  • contact number if they have any questions
  • include email these days too
  • end by thanking them for completing survey
  • explain direct incentive, if any (optional)

30
Not just the mail...
  • At point of service
  • Fax surveys (respond by fax deliver by fax)
  • Email surveys
  • Computerized questionnaires (computer
    interactive)
  • Internet surveys

31
Factors Determining Choice of Particular Survey
Method
  • Sampling Precision Required
  • Budget Available
  • The Need to Expose the Respondent to Various
    Stimuli
  • Quality of Data Required
  • Length of the Questionnaire

32
  • Necessity of Having Respondent Perform Certain
    Specialized Tasks
  • Incident Rate
  • Percentage of people or households in the general
    population that fit the qualifications to be
    sampled.
  • Degree of Structure of the Questionnaire

33
Error
34
Types of Error in Survey Research
  • Random Sampling Error (Random error)
  • Error that results from chance variation
  • Impact can be decreased by increasing sample size
    and through statistical estimation (confidence
    interval) or rule of thumb
  • Systematic Error (non sampling error)
  • Error that results for the research design or
    execution.

35
(No Transcript)
36
Types of Systematic Error
  • 1. Administrative Error
  • Error that results from improper execution.
  • Data Processing Error
  • Quality of data depends on quality of data entry.
  • Use of verification procedures can minimize

37
  • Sample Selection Error
  • Systematic error resulting from improper sampling
    techniques either in design or execution.
  • Interviewer Error
  • Data recorded incorrectly (error or selective
    perception).
  • Interviewer Cheating
  • Mitigate by random checks

38
  • 2. Respondent Error
  • Humans interviewing humans...
  • Non-response error
  • Statistical difference between a survey that
    includes only those who responded and a survey
    that also includes those who failed to respond.
  • Non-respondent person not contacted or who
    refuses to participate
  • Self selection bias extreme positions represented

39
  • Response bias
  • Errors that result from tendency to answer in a
    certain direction.
  • Conscious or unconscious misrepresentation
  • Types
  • 1. Deliberate falsification (why?)

40
  • Why would people deliberately falsify data
  • Appear to be what they are not
  • Dont trust confidentiality
  • Protect
  • To end the interviewer quicker
  • Average man effects

41
  • Types of response bias continued
  • 1. Deliberate falsification
  • 2. Unconscious misrepresentation

42
  • Reasons for unconscious misrepresentation
  • Question format
  • Question content
  • Misunderstanding of question leading to biased
    answer
  • Lack of time to consider answer fully
  • Communication or semantic confusion
  • other

43
  • Types of response bias
  • Acquiescence bias individuals have a tendency to
    agree or disagree with all questions or to
    indicate a positive/negative connotation
  • Extremity bias results for response styles
    varying from person to person some people tend
    to use extremes when responding to questions

44
  • Types of response bias continued...
  • Interviewer bias Bias in the responses of the
    subject due to the influence of the interviewer
  • Auspices bias respondents being influenced by
    the organization conducting the study
  • Social desirability bias caused by respondents
    desire, either consciously or unconsciously to
    gain prestige or to appear in a different social
    role
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com