Level 3 Methodology A SURVEYS

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Level 3Methodology ASURVEYS

• Professor Rhona Flin
• (Dr Margaret Crichton)

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Examples of current public opinion surveys
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Social Science Research

• Applied Psychology
• Workforce attitudes eg safety climate surveys
• Incidence of depression in undergraduate students
• Experience of crime in the elderly
• Use of decision support systems in intensive care
• Primary teachers experience of web-teaching

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Overview

• What is a survey?
• Sampling
• Survey designs
• Data collection methods
• Questionnaire design
• Asking questions
• Conducting a survey

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What is a Survey?

• A method of gathering information from a number
  of individuals, a sample, in order to learn
  something about the larger population from which
  the sample is drawn.
• (May 1993, Social Research p65)

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Sampling

• random sample
• equal chance of selection
• stratified random sample
• strata predetermined variables
• cluster sample
• e.g. geographical location
• opportunity sample
• taking advantage of opportunity
• snowball sample
• participants recruit new sample

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Survey designs

• Cross-sectional
• one sample, one time
• Time series
• repeated survey, different samples
• Longitudinal
• repeated survey, same sample

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Data collection methods

• postal questionnaire
• emailed/ web-based questionnaire
• telephone interview
• face to face interview
• (See handout for comparison)

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Asking questions

• 1. Content - facts beliefs attitudes
• self report
  behaviours
• Wording - terminology, leading loaded
  questions
• Structure - complexity,
• length,
• open vs closed questions,
• rating scales
• (coding and scoring)
• 4. Sequence - funnelling, transitional
• statements, filters

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Question Format

• a) Open Questions
•  
• How do you feel about investors from foreign
  countries purchasing shares in British companies?
•  
• What goes through your mind whenever you see
  someone driving down the street in a
  Mercedes-Benz car?

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Question format

• b) Closed Questions
•  
• i)    Dichotomous Do you buy Persil washing
  powder?
• ? Yes ? No
•  

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Question format

• c)    Multiple Choice
•  
• How far do you commute from your home to where
  you work?
•  
• ? 0-5 miles round trip.
• ? 6-10 miles round trip
• ? 11-20 miles round trip
• ? Over 20 miles round trip.

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Question Format

• d) Multiple response
• Of the following activities, please indicate the
  one(s) in which you have participated in the past
  month.
• ? Have attended the cinema.
• ? Have gone to the pub.
• ? Have invited friends over for an evening of
  cards.
• ? Have attended a play or concert.
• ? Have played tennis.
• ? Have watched the grass growing in the front
  lawn.

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Rating Scales

• Potential Source of Bias, Unbalanced Range
•  
• How would you rate the reliability of your
  Snowchucker snowblower?
• ? Superior ? Very good ? Good ? Poor
•  
• How would your rate the reliability of your
  Snowchucker snowblower?
• ? Extremely poor ? Very poor ? Poor ?
  Good

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Ewell Careys Take-Out Chicken is
Priced far too high
Very reasonably priced
x
The worst-tasting chicken in town
The best-tasting chicken in town
x
Compared to Colonel Sanders, Ewell Careys
Take-Out Chicken
Has an inferior taste
Tastes about the same
Has a superior taste
x
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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Overall, how do you like your new Snowchucker?
Very dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Very satisfied
1
2
3
4
What do you think of the food at Chung Hos
Burrito?
Terrible
Terrific
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
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Please rank the following restaurants according
to the quality of their food. Place a 1 beside
the restaurant you believe has the highest
quality food, a 2 next to the second best
establishment, then continue until youve placed
a 5 next to the one with the lowest-quality
food __________ Ewell Careys Take-Out
Chicken __________ Colonel Sanders Kentucky
Fried Chicken __________ Wofgang Schmidts
Genuine Italian Pizza __________ Harolds
Hoagie Heaven __________ Chung Hos Burrito
Palace
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Conducting a Survey

• 1. Mode of data collection -personal
  interview, mail, email, phone
• 2. Specific areas to be covered
• 3. Existing questions/scales
• 4. Writing questions - language, open v
  closed, rating scales
• 5. Draft - sequence, transition,
• balance open v closed, positive v. negative
• 6. Circulate draft - revise from comments
• 7. Pretest with small sample (eg 10)
• 8. Analyse pretest - revise
• 9. Administer
• 10. Code analyse data
• 11. Prepare Survey Report - summarising results,
  drawing conclusions

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References

• Further details and the reference list are
  provided on the lecture handout.