Survey Research

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven ObjectivesChapter Seven Objectives• Understand the reasons for the popularity of survey

research• Learn about types of surveys

• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of online surveys

• Learn about Internet samples and ways online surveys can be conducted

• Recognize the special issues that arise in designing online questionnaires

• Gain insight into the factors that determine the choice of particular survey methods

• Learn about the types of errors in survey research

Chapter Seven

The Popularity of Survey Research

Why How Who

Chapter Seven

Door-to-Door Interviews:• PROS: Direct customer contact, can demonstrate products,

response rates good• CONS: Expensive, bad image, liability, safety issues

Executive Interviews:• PROS: Talking with decision-maker is valuable, can have

complicated questioning• CONS: Hard to get decision-maker, limited sample size

Mall-Intercept Interviews:• PROS: Direct customer contact, can test products, human

interaction• CONS: Expensive, not always representative of the

population, busy environment

Types of Surveys

Chapter Seven

Central-Location Telephone Interviews:• PROS: Good segmentation, can verify respondent as the

right person, customization of questionnaire• CONS: Cost, response rates slipping, need to have short

surveys

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI):

• PROS: Data can be directly entered into computer, can have complicated skip patterns, data entry errors rare

• CONS: Computer glitches, need interviewer training, expensive equipment

Types of Surveys

Chapter Seven

Self-Administered Questionnaires:• PROS: Respondents can take their time, good response

rates• CONS: Respondents often take a long time, researcher can

overcomplicate the survey since respondents have more time

Mail Surveys:• PROS: Not too expensive, can get targeted mailing lists,

longer questionnaires• CONS: Low response rates, mailing list often out of date,

not sure who completed the survey, manual data entry common

Types of Surveys

Chapter Seven

Cross-Sectional Surveys:• Are one-time snapshots of a population• Use the same survey and different

sample

Longitudinal Surveys:• Identify market trends• Use the same survey and

same sample• Use tracking panels and

groups

Types of Surveys

Chapter Seven

• Rapid deployment• Reduced costs• Personalization• High response rate• Ability to contact hard-to-reach consumers• Simplified /enhanced panel management

• Information security, both real and perceived• Often not representative of the general population• Connecting speeds can slow down some survey applications• Anyone can take the survey if not password protected• Difficult to find good sample frames• May be hard to track who / who did not respond

Survey Research on the Internet

Chapter Seven

ADVANTAGES

DISADVANTAGES

• Web survey system

• Survey design and web hosting sites

Methods of Conducting Online Surveys

Chapter Seven

• Screened Internet samples• Recruited Internet samples• Recruited panels• Renting Internet panels• Random website intercepts• Data capture of visitors

Internet Samples

Chapter Seven

• Sampling precision• Budget• Requirements for respondent reactions• Quality of data desired / required• Desired questionnaire length• Incidence rates• Questionnaire structure• Time available to complete the survey

Determination of the Survey Method

Chapter Seven

• Sampling Error• Systematic Error

- Sample design error- Frame error- Population specification error- Selection error- Measurement error- Surrogate information error - Interviewer error- Measurement instrument bias- Processing error- Non-response bias - Response bias

Types of Errors in Survey Research

Chapter Seven