Lecture 9 Oct. 5, 2005

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Lecture 9Oct. 5, 2005

• Survey

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2 Types of Surveys (p. 179)

• Descriptive surveys describe or document current
  conditions or attitudes. Ex) Department of Labor
  conducts surveys on the rate of unemployment
• Analytical surveys attempt to describe and
  explain why situations exist. Ex) How lifestyles
  affect viewing habits
• - Results allow researchers to examine the
  interrelationships among variables and to develop
  explanatory inferences.

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Advantages of Survey Research (pp. 179-180)

• Surveys can be used to investigate problems in
  realistic settings.
• The cost of surveys is reasonable.
• A large amount of data can be collected with
  relative ease from a variety of people.
• Data helpful to survey research already exist.
  ex) archive data

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Disadvantages of Survey Research (p. 180)

• Independent variables cannot be manipulated the
  way they are in laboratory experiments.
• Inappropriate wording or placement of questions
  in a questionnaire can bias results.
• Wrong respondents may be included in surveys.
• Survey research is becoming difficult to conduct.
  US is the most surveyed country in the world.

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Pretest (p. 194)

• Best way to discover whether a research
  instrument (questionnaire) is adequately designed
  
• Questionnaires should be pretested with the type
  of respondent who will participate in the actual
  study

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Methods of Gathering Data (pp. 194-204)

• 1. Mail surveys
• Send self-administered questionnaires to a sample
  of respondents
• Stamped reply envelopes are enclosed
• Difficult to conduct because most respondents
  simply throw the questionnaire in the trash can
  (response rate is very low under 40)
• Send follow-up mailings

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Advantages Disadvantages of Mail Surveys (pp.
195-196)

• Cover a wide geographic area for a reasonable
  cost
• Allow for selective sampling using specialized
  mailing lists
• Provide anonymity
• Eliminate personal bias
• Low cost

• Must be self-explanatory
• Slowest form of data collection
• Researchers never know who answers the questions
• Replies often received only from people who are
  interested in the survey
• - bias
• Low return rate

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• 2. Telephone Surveys
• Use trained interviewers who ask questions orally
  and record the responses
• More expensive than mail surveys but less
  expensive than face-to-face interviews -
• Popular in mass media research
• Interviewers should function as a neutral medium
  - interviewers presence and manner of speaking
  should not influence respondents answers in any
  way - Train the interviewers

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Advantages Disadvantages of Telephone Surveys
(p. 199)

• Cost is reasonable
• Interviewers can clarify misunderstandings
• Response rates are generally high
• Much faster than mail surveys

• Respondents are suspicious about telephone
  surveys due to sales pitch
• Impossible to include questions that involve
  visual demonstrations
• A sample obtained from a telephone directory may
  be significantly different from the population

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• 3. Personal Interviews
• Structured interview standardized questions are
  asked in a predetermined order
• Unstructured interview broad questions are asked
  that allow interviewers freedom to determine what
  further questions to ask to obtain the required
  information

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Advantages Disadvantages of Personal
Interviews (pp. 201-202)

• Most flexible means of obtaining information
• Some information can be observed by the
  interviewer
• The interviewer can develop a rapport with
  respondents and may be able to elicit replies to
  sensitive questions
• Identity of respondent is known

• Time and cost
• Interviewer bias
• Must recruit and train a filed staff of
  interviewers

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• 4. Internet Surveys
• Collect questionnaire data via the Internet
• A respondent is recruited and sent, via email, a
  questionnaire to complete. When finished, the
  respondent transmits the questionnaire back to
  the research company
• Or, respondents visit a website to complete a
  questionnaire

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Advantages Disadvantages of Internet Surveys
(pp. 203-204)

• Generally inexpensive and easy to conduct
• Respondents can be shown any type of visual aid
• Data can be collected very quickly

• Cannot ensure that the person recruited for the
  study is actually the person who completes the
  questionnaire
• No control over data-gathering procedures

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Response Rate (pp. 205-206)

• It is impossible to obtain a 100 response rate.
• The higher the response rate, the better.
• Minimum rate
• Mail surveys 1 4
• Telephone surveys 10-75
• Internet surveys 1-30
• Personal interviews 40
• Best incentive is money