SURVEYSSURVEYS

SURVEYS ASK A RESPONDENT FOR INFORMATION USING VERBAL OR WRITTEN QUESTIONING

RESPONDENTSRESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS

ARE A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF PEOPLE

GATHERING INFORMATION GATHERING INFORMATION VIA SURVEYSVIA SURVEYS

• QUICK• INEXPENSIVE• EFFICIENT• ACCURATE• FLEXIBLE

PROBLEMSPROBLEMS

• POOR DESIGN• IMPROPER EXECUTION

Communication ApproachesCommunication Approaches

Self-Administered

Survey

Survey via PersonalInterview

TelephoneSurvey

COMMUNICATING WITH COMMUNICATING WITH RESPONDENTSRESPONDENTS

• PERSONAL INTERVIEWS• DOOR-TO-DOOR• WIRK PLACE• SHOPPING MALL INTERCEPTS

• TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS• SELF-ADMINISTERED

QUESTIONNAIRES

PERSONAL INTERVIEWSPERSONAL INTERVIEWS

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Speed of Data Collection Moderate to fast

Geographical Flexibility Limited coverage

Respondent Cooperation Excellent

Versatility of Questioning Quite versatile

Questionnaire Length Long

Item Nonresponse Low

Possibility of Respondent LowestMisunderstanding

Degree of Interviewer HighInfluence of Answer

Supervision of Interviewers Moderate

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Anonymity of Respondent Low

Ease of Call Back or Follow-up Difficult

Cost Highest

Special Features Visual materials may beshown or demonstrated;extended probing possible

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Speed of Data Collection Fast

Geographical Flexibility Confined, urban bias

Respondent Cooperation Moderate to low

Versatility of Questioning Extremely versatile

Questionnaire Length Moderate to Long

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Item Nonresponse Medium

Possibility of Respondent LowestMisunderstanding

Degree of Interviewer HighestInfluence of Answers

Supervision of Interviewers Moderate to high

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Anonymity of Respondent Low

Ease of Call Back or DifficultFollow-up

Cost Moderate to high

Special Features Taste test, viewing of TV Commercials possible

Telephone Telephone SurveySurvey

Traditional

CATI systems

Computer-administered

Questionnaire Length Moderate

Item Nonresponse Medium

Possibility of Respondent AverageMisunderstanding

Degree of Interviewer ModerateInfluence of Answer

Supervision of Interviewers High, especially withcentral location WATSinterviewing

Telephone Surveys

Speed of Data Collection Very fast

Geographical Flexibility High

Respondent Cooperation Good

Versatility of Questioning Moderate

Telephone Surveys

Anonymity of Respondent Moderate

Ease of Call Back or Follow-up Easy

Cost Low to moderate

Special Features Fieldwork and supervisionof data collection aresimplified; quite adaptableto computer technology

Telephone Surveys

Advantages of the Telephone Advantages of the Telephone SurveySurvey

• Lower costs than personal interview

• Expanded geographic coverage

• Use of few interviewers

• Reduced interviewer bias

• Fast completion time

• Better access to some participants

• Random dialing possible

• CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) possible

Disadvantages of the Disadvantages of the Telephone SurveyTelephone Survey

• Lower response rate than personal interview

• Higher costs if interviewing geographically dispersed sample

• Interview length limited

• Unlisted phone numbers

• Some unavailable by phone

• Lack of visuals

SELF-ADMINISTERED SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRESQUESTIONNAIRES

• MAIL• PLACE OF BUSINESS• DROP-OFF• COMPUTERIZED• E-MAIL• INTERNET

MAIL SURVEYSMAIL SURVEYS

Mail Survey

Speed of Data Collection Researcher has no controlover return of questionnaire; slow

Geographical Flexibility High

Respondent Cooperation Moderate--poorly designedquestionnaire will have low

response rate

Versatility of Questioning Highly standardized format

Mail Survey

Questionnaire Length Varies depending on incentive

Item Nonresponse High

Possibility of Respondent Highest--no interviewerMisunderstanding present for clarification

Degree of Interviewer None--interviewer absentInfluence of Answer

Supervision of Interviewers Not applicable

Mail Survey

Anonymity of Respondent High

Ease of Call Back or Follow-up Easy, but takes time

Cost Lowest

Increasing Response Rates

• Effective Cover Letter

• Money Helps

• Interesting Questions

• Follow-Ups

• Advanced Notification

• Survey Sponsorship

• Keying Questionnaires

How to Increase Response Rates for Mail Surveys

• Write a “Sales Oriented” Cover Letter• Money Helps

- As a token of appreciation

• Stimulate Respondents’ Interest with Interesting Questions• Follow Up

- Keying questionnaires with codes• Advanced Notification• Sponsorship by a Well-known and Prestigious Institution

INTERNET SURVEYSINTERNET SURVEYS

• Speed of Data Collection– instantaneous

• Geographic Flexibility

– worldwide

• Respondent Cooperation– varies depending on web site

INTERNET SURVEYSINTERNET SURVEYS

• Versatility of questioning

– extremely versatile

• Questionnaire Length– modest

• Item Nonresponse– software can assure none

INTERNET SURVEYSINTERNET SURVEYS

• Possibility for Respondent misunderstanding– high

• Interviewer Influence of Answers– none

• Supervision of Interviewers– none

INTERNET SURVEYSINTERNET SURVEYS

• Anonymity of Respondent– Respondent can be anonymous or known

• Ease of Callback or Follow-up– difficult

• Cost– low

• Special Features– allows graphics and motion

INTERNET SURVEYSINTERNET SURVEYS• Item Nonresponse

software can assure none• Possibility for Respondent

misunderstanding– high

• Degree of Interviewer Influence of Answers– none

• Supervision of Interviewers– none

There is no best form of There is no best form of survey; each has survey; each has advantages and advantages and disadvantages.disadvantages.

Selected Questions to Selected Questions to determine the appropriate determine the appropriate

technique:technique:

• Is the assistance of an interviewer necessary?

• Are respondents interested in the issues being investigated?

• Will cooperation be easily attained?

Selected Questions to Selected Questions to determine the appropriate determine the appropriate

technique:technique:

• How quickly is the information needed?

• Will the study require a long and complex questionnaire?

• How large is the budget?

Pre-testingPre-testing• A trial run with a group of respondents to iron out fundamental problems in the instructions or survey design

Sources of ErrorSources of Error

ErrorSources

Measurement Questions

Interviewer

Participant

Participant MotivationParticipant Motivation

Designing QuestionnairesDesigning Questionnaires

Easy to readEasy to read

Offer clear directionsOffer clear directions

Include personalizationInclude personalization

Notify in advanceNotify in advance

Encourage responseEncourage response

Totalerror

Systematicerror (bias)

Random samplingerror

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

RANDOM SAMPLING RANDOM SAMPLING ERRORERROR

• A STATISTICAL FLUCTUATION THAT OCCURS BECAUSE OF CHANCE VARIATION IN THE ELEMENTS SELECTED FOR THE SAMPLE

SYSTEMATIC ERRORSYSTEMATIC ERROR

• SYSTEMATIC ERROR RESULTS FROM SOME IMPERFECT ASPECT OF THE RESEARCH DESIGN OR FROM A MISTAKE IN THE EXECUTION OF THE RESEARCH

Systematicerror (bias)

Administrativeerror

Respondenterror

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

SAMPLE BIASSAMPLE BIAS

• SAMPLE BIAS - WHEN THE RESULTS OF A SAMPLE SHOW A PERSISTENT TENDENCY TO DEVIATE IN ONE DIRECTION FROM THE TRUE VALUE OF THE POPULATION PARAMETER

Respondenterror

Nonresponseerror

Responsebias

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

RESPONDENT ERRORRESPONDENT ERROR

• A CLASSIFICATON OF SAMPLE BIAS RESULTING FROM SOME RESPONDENT ACTION OR INACTION

• NONRESPONSE BIAS• RESPONSE BIAS

NONRESPONSE ERRORNONRESPONSE ERROR

• NONRESPONDENTS - PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO COOPERATE

• NOT-AT-HOMES• SELF-SELECTION BIAS

• OVER-REPRESENTS EXTREME POSTIONS• UNDER-REPRESENTS INDIFFERENCE

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Responsebias

Unconsciousmisrepresentation

Deliberatefalsification

RESPONSE BIASRESPONSE BIAS

• A BIAS THAT OCCURS WHEN RESPONDENTS TEND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WITH A CERTAIN SLANT THAT CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY MISREPRESENTS THE TRUTH

Acquiescence bias

Extremity bias

Interviewer bias

Auspices bias

Social desirability bias

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Acquiescence biasAcquiescence bias

• A category of response bias that results because some individuals tend to agree with all questions or to concur with a particular position.

Extremity biasExtremity bias

• A category of response bias that results because response styles vary from person to person; some individuals tend to use extremes when responding to questions.

Interviewer biasInterviewer bias

• A response bias that occurs because the presence of the interviewer influences answers.

Auspices biasAuspices bias

• Bias in the responses of subjects caused by the respondents being influenced by the organization conducting the study.

Social desirability biasSocial desirability bias

• Bias in responses caused by respondents’ desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role.

Systematicerror (bias)

Administrativeerror

Respondenterror

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

ADMINISTRATIVE ERRORADMINISTRATIVE ERROR

• IMPROPER ADMINISTRATION OF THE RESEARCH TASK

• BLUNDERS• CONFUSION• NEGLECT• OMISSION

Data processing error

Sample selection error

Interviewer error

Interviewer cheating

Tree Diagram of Total Survey Error

Administrative errorAdministrative error

• Interviewer cheating - filling in fake answers or falsifying interviewers.

• Data processing error - incorrect data entry, computer programming, or other procedural errors during the analysis stage.

• Sample selection error -improper sample design or sampling procedure execution.

• Interviewer error - field mistakes.

M E TH O DO F

C O M M U N IC A TIO N

S TR U C TU R E DA N D D IS Q U IS E D

Q U E S TIO N S

TE M P O R A LC L A S S IF IC A TIO N S

C L A S S IF Y IN GS U R V E Y

R E S E A R C HM E TH O D S

TIME PERIOD FOR TIME PERIOD FOR SURVEYSSURVEYS

• CROSS-SECTIONAL• LONGITUDINAL

Cross-sectional studyCross-sectional study

• A study in which various segments of a population are sampled.

• Data are collected at a single moment in time.

Longitudinal studyLongitudinal study

• A survey of respondents at different times, thus allowing analysis of changes over time.

• Tracking study - compare trends and identify changes – consumer satisfaction

CONSUMER PANEL CONSUMER PANEL

• A longitudinal survey of the same sample of individuals or households to record (in a diary) their attitudes, behavior, or purchasing habits over time.

The endThe end