Term
| Advantages and disadvantages of survey research |
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Definition
Advantages - Less artificial experiments
- Generalizability - external validity
- Easy to collect a large amount of data: large number of variables to measures and large number of respondents
- Flexible to examine many different research questions: e.g., National Election Study
- Not constrained by geographic boundaries
Disadvantages - Limited causal claim
- e.g., news exposure in a survey vs. an experiment
- Data contamination by inappropriate question wording or question order
- Less control over data-gathering process
- Respondents are often unable to recall info about themselves or unable to explain their true feeling, perceptions, and beliefs
- Respondents may purposely give incorrect (socially desirable) answers - prestige bias
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Term
| Misconceptions about Survey Research |
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Definition
Misconceptions about Survey Research - Single time-point >>> Longitudinal, Panel Designs
- Must be face-to-face >>> Can use telephone, mail
- Interviewers read questions >>> Self-administered
- Individuals as unit of observation >>> Family
- Non-experimental >>> Can embed experiments
- Descriptive >>> Can test hypotheses
**Overall, surveys are a very flexible research technique |
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Term
Eight tips for questionnaire construction for Survey Research
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Definition
1. Make questions clear using simple and straight-forward language
2. Keep questions concise and short 3.Keep research purpose in mind
- make sure items can answer research questions
4. Don’t ask double-barreled questions
- e.g., how well do you think the current government is handling foreign policy and the war on terrorism?
5. Avoid biased words or terms
-e.g., In your free time, would you rather read a book or just watch television?
6. Avoid leading questions
- e.g., Like most Americans, do you read a newspaper every day?
7. Don’t use questions that ask for highly detailed info
-e.g., In the past 30 days, how many hours have you spent watching television with your family?
8. Avoid potentially embarrassing questions
-e.g., What is your annual income? Vs. Which of these categories includes your total annual income?
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Term
Question order for Survey Research
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Definition
- Begin with simple and easy questions
- “warm-up” questions to motivate respondents
- Demographic data, personal questions, and other sensitive items are placed at the end
- Organized in a logical sequence: from the general to the specific
- Poor question order may bias respondents’ answers
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Term
Pretesting for Survey Research
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Definition
• Using Focus-group or small sample survey • Purpose: - Check clarity in question wording - Check if question order creates any biasing effects - Check measurement scale: Are categories exhaustive and mutually exclusive? - Realistic time estimate: - less than 20-30 min for Phone surveys and less than 60 min for Face-to-Face and Mail surveys - Preliminary empirical analysis |
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Term
Response rate for Survey Research
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Definition
• Number of completed interviews / (Number in sample - not reachable - not eligible) • The higher the response rate, the better • Low response rate can introduce systematic biases • Monetary incentives are most effective in increasing response rate |
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Term
Four modes of survey research Identify the four and know the advantages/disadvantages to each |
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Definition
- Mail survey
- Advantages
- cover a wide geographic area
- provide anonymity and a sense of privacy: respondents are more likely to answer sensitive questions candidly
- provide an interview situation where respondents answer questions at their own pace: no time pressure
- no interviewer bias because there is no personal contact
- low cost
- Disadvantages
- questionnaire must be self-explanatory
- are the slowest form of data collection
- no control of survey admistration; for example, we don't know who actuallyl answers the questions
- low return rate
- Phone surveys
- Advantages
- interviewers can clarify misunderstandings that might arise during interviews
- faster than other modes of surveys
- more control than mail surveys
- response rate is relatively high
- modest cost: less expensive than personal interviews but more expensive than mail surveys
- Disadvantages
- interviewer bias: interviewers' presence and manner of speaking can influence respondents' answers
- unlisted phone numbers
- impossibleto include questions involving visual elements
- Personal (face-to-face) interviews
- Advantages
- the most flexible means of collection data
- can build rapport with respondents
- highest control over survey administration
- Disadvantages
- the most expensive survey mode
- the problem of interview bias
- hard to schedule interviews
- Internet surveys
- Advantages
- relatively inexpensive
- easy to conduct; fast data collection
- flexible and easy for respondents to complete
- Disadvantages
- lack of control over survey administration
- limited to those who have Internet access
- low response rate
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Term
Problem of non-attitude and the use of screening questions in Survey Research |
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Definition
- The dilemma
- Offering a no-opinion option should reduce the pressure to give substantive responses felt by respondents who have no true opinions. By contrast, no-opinion options may discourage some respondents from doing the cognitive work necessary to report the true opinions they do have.
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