Survey Research

In Case of a System Glitch…

• After forming into your usual teams:– Create a brief survey that seeks to discern

citizens’ attitudes about tax cuts.– Tell me what your sampling frame is; also

decide what method of administration you will use.

– Decide what types of personal and demographic data you would like to know about each respondent and create items to collect that data.

In Case of a System Glitch…

– Create a list of items that address the main purpose of the survey and choose appropriate response scales for each.

– Individual items or small sets of items imply hypotheses. These are often dependent upon the point of view of the survey creator. Write out the hypotheses implied by each of your questions as this will help you justify the presence of each item on the survey.

– Finally, tell me how you might use the results of this survey.

Overview

• Most frequently used method of primary data collection

• In a sample survey a subset of a group is chosen to represent the larger group

• In a census all group members of interest are respondents

• As with all methods, a precise problem definition is crucial

When to Use a Survey

• When objective data are not available from another source

• When interested in opinions

• When interested in attitudes, beliefs

• To gather demographic data about a group

• To aggregate descriptive information about a group

Vocabulary

• Population – any group of person, objects or institutions that have at least one characteristic in common

• Population parameter – any numerical value that can be calculated using information on all members of a population; Greek letters are usually used to designate (μ for the mean)

Vocabulary

• Sample – a part of the population used for data collection; if used to estimate the population parameter it must be chosen carefully and according to well-defined rules

• Representativeness – samples that are useful in estimating population parameters are said to be representative

Vocabulary

• Sample Statistic – any numerical value that is calculated using data from a sample; Roman letters are normally used to designate (x bar)

• Interviewer protocol – instructions for interviewers and the questions they are to ask

Survey Advantages

• A small sample properly chosen can accurately describe a large group

• Well understood by most managers

• Relatively cost effective

• Potential wide geographic contact

• Uniformity in the way questions are posed

• Easily adapted to longitudinal use

Survey Disadvantages

• Difficulty in disentangling cause and effect

• Response or non-response bias

• Risk of improper interpretation

• Lack of control for alternative explanations of results

• Noise – an unmeasured variable

Systematic or Non-Sampling Error

• Social desirability, acquiescence • Non-response bias (especially with a low

response rate)• Self-selection• Auspices or sponsorship bias (although

polls can be used to influence opinion)• Either extremity or central tendency bias• Interviewer effects

Survey Type by Time Studied

• Cross-sectional studies – a snapshot in time

• Longitudinal studies – measure changes in attitudes, characteristics over time; may permit near-causal inference

• Panel studies – special type of longitudinal study in which the same group (sample) is surveyed on a routine basis

Communicating with Respondents

• Personal interviews– Structured – semi-structured– Unstructured

• Can probe, obtain feedback especially in the pilot phase of a study

• Door-to-door, mall intercept are examples• Most expensive

Communicating with Respondents

• Telephone interviews – usually structured– Fast– Relatively inexpensive– But complex information difficult to

communicate– Mostly computerized now if commercial

Communicating with Respondents

• Mail questionnaires– Slowest method– Subject to greatest non-response rates– Relatively inexpensive– Can convey more complex ideas

• E-mail questionnaires seeing more use but still problems – better to direct someone to a Web site

A Reference

• One of the better resources available to you should you ever encounter the need to do survey research:Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and telephone

surveys: The total design method. New York, John Wiley.