Overview of Survey Research Methods

Large-scale research design procedures for collecting large amounts of raw data using questionnaires.

Conceptualization and Constructs

A concept is an abstract idea to explain how things work. Closely related, a construct is more abstract and developed for scientific inquiry

Operationalizing A ConstructWhen a research team operationalizes a construc, they go through a process of “breaking-it-down.” In other words, they create questions to reflect a construct. How would you operationalize …

Customer Loyalty

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Various Variables

Independent variables

Dependent variables

Extraneous (uncontrolled) variables Lead to spurious conclusions

• Use simple, interesting, non-threatening opening questions

• Do your respondents understand the question?.

• Use the funnel approach, asking broadquestions first

• Carefully design branching questions

• Place difficult or sensitive questions near the end

• Ask for classification information last

• Pre-test the survey

Guidelines for Question Quality(to control for non-sampling error)

Survey questions must tap into the research problem

A Funnel Sequence

How would you rate your last experience when eating at ABC restaurant?

Extremely Extremely Poor Poor So-So Good Good

How would you rate the quality of the service?

Extremely Extremely Poor Poor So-So Good Good

A question framed to give the respondent an indication about how he or she should answer.

Example

Do you feel that limiting taxes by law is an effective way to stop the government from picking your pocket every payday? Yes No Undecided

Leading Questions

A question that calls for two responses

Double-Barreled Question

Example

Are the food and service at the local Green Mill good?Yes No

Branching Question Example

1. Did you give money to Canopy of Care last year? ___ Yes ___ No{If Yes, go to #3.}

2. We are interested in why people do not contribute. The following is a list of answers others have given. Please tell me which, if any, apply to you.

a. ___ Someone else in my household had already contributed. b. ___ I did not have the money at the time. c. ___ I gave to other charities. d. ___ I volunteered my services to Canopy of Care instead of contributing money. e. ___ I volunteered my services to other charities instead of contributing to Canopy

f. ___ I did not give because Canopy of Care spends its money inefficiently. g. ___ None of the above.

3. To how many different charities do you think Canopy of Care contributes to? a. ___ 0-20 d. 81-100 b. ___ 21-40 e. More than 100 c. ___ 41-80 f. Don’t know.

Creating the instrument

Open-Ended Questions

the respondent can reply in his or her own words.

“What advantages, if any, do you think ordering from a mail order catalog company offers compared with local retail outlets?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Closed-Ended Questions response is “forced” does avoid problems (such as subjectivity)

of open-ended questions. But you can lose compelling data.

Closed-Ended Questions

Closed Questions

RESPONSES MUST BE ...

ExhaustiveMutually exclusiveShould have a “Don’t know”

Types of Scale

Nominal Scale labels and categories (e.g. gender, major)

Ordinal Scale order (ie., rank restaurants in order of preference)

Interval Scale (it is inherently ordinal) equal differences (e.g. temperature)

Ratio Scale Natural zero (e.g. weight, height)

Scale Characteristics

Order – numbers on scale are ordered Distance – differences exist between the

ordered numbers Origin – There is a unique origin

indicated by the number zero

Dichotomous Questions The simplest form of a closed-ended question. Nominal response

1. Where do you live?

A. Large urban area 1

B. Small rural area 2

Nominal Scale

Which of the following soft drinks do you like? Check all that apply.

Coca-Cola Mountain Dew Seven Up

Dr. Pepper Pepsi Sprite

1. Now that you have read a sample of the Wall Street

Journal, would you say that you would…(Check one)

Definitely buy it

Probably buy it

Might or might not buy it

Probably will not buy it

Definitely will not buy it

Ordinal Scale

Interval Scale

What is your overall opinion about each of these brands?

unfavorable favorableCoca-Cola 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Dr. Pepper 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Pepsi 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Sprite 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Likert Scale

How much do you agree with the following statements:

SD SA People who live in BH are rich 1 2 3 4 5 People who live in BH are sad 1 2 3 4 5

Semantic Differential

People who live in Beverly Hills are:

rich 1 2 3 4 5 poor friendly 1 2 3 4 5 snobby young 1 2 3 4 5 old happy 1 2 3 4 5 sad

Ratio Scale(numeric response)

Divide 100 points among these soft drinks according to your likelihood of purchasing each within the next week:

___Coca-Cola ___Mountain Dew ___Seven Up

___Dr. Pepper ___Pepsi ___Sprite

Age ___

Hierarchy of Measurement Scales

Ratio – the “elite” scale. Possesses order, distance, origin (absolute zero)

Data Analysis? ___________

Interval – possess order and distance, but not origin (zero point is arbitrary.

Data Analysis? ____________

Ordinal – ranking scales. Possess only the characteristics of order.

Data Analysis? ____________

Nominal – names, labels, tags. Does not possess order, distance, origin

Data Analysis? ____________

Scale Validity and Reliability

Validity: Does the measurement “mean” what you wanted it to mean? Construct validity

Convergent Discriminant

Predictive validity

Reliability: Has to do with how accurate the measure is