Surveys (Babbie Ch. 9)

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Surveys(Babbie Ch. 9)
Geography 237aResearch Methods

• Characteristics
• Terminology
• Common problems in questionnaires
• Types of questionnaires
• Advantages/Disadvantages

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Some Characteristics of Survey Research

• typically about patterns or explanation (less so
  exploration)
• typically nomothetic (less so idiographic)
• typically large samples (100s or even 1000s)
• typically UOO is individuals (even if UOA are
  some aggregation e.g., survey Mayors and
  councilors when cities are unit of analysis)

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Preliminary Terminology

• Questionnaire
• instrument
• mostly closed-ended questions
• Respondent
• person to whom questionnaire is administered
• predominantly one-way exchange of information
• Example
• Canadian Census questionnaire
• respondents 20 of all Canadians

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Preliminary Terminology

• Closed-Ended Questions
• pre-categorized (researchers words)
• simple to numerically code
• need exhaustive categories
• need mutually exclusive categories
• Open-Ended Questions
• in respondents words
• useful detail for answering why?
• labour intensive to numerically code

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Closed-Ended Examples
Source Canadian Community Health Survey
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Open-Ended Examples
Why did you rate your health as _____ in the
previous question?
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Flash Review Question

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of
  using
• open-ended questions
• closed-ended questions?

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Preliminary Terminology

• Likert Scales
• common way to standardize question format
• convert statements into questions
• 4, 5 or 7 point scale
• agreement scale is typical
• strongly agreestrongly disagree

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5 Point Likert Scale Examples
Source General Social Survey
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Likert Scale Examples
Something about Q219 seem somewhat wrong?
Source General Social Survey
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Question

• What might you use a 4 point scale (no neutral
  response) instead of a 5 point scale?

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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Unclear wording

Source Canadian Community Health Survey
200-20001
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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Multiple items in one question
• If Libya now increases its terrorist acts
  against the UW and we keep inflicting more damage
  on Libya, then inevitably it will end in the UW
  going to war and finally invading that country
  which would be wrong.
• Source Babbie, 2003 - see text p.247

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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Respondent not competent to answer

Source Canadian Community Health Survey
200-20001
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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Respondent unwilling to answer

Source Canadian Community Health Survey
200-20001
Source General Social Survey
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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Questions too long/complicated

Source General Social Survey 1998
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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Questions irrelevant (to respondent)
• e.g, Tom Sakumoto (Babbie, 1993 248)

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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Negative terms
• Which of the following do you not support in
  relation to AIDS
• AIDS victims eligible for benefits
• government pay healthcare costs

Source General Social Survey 1998
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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Biased terms
• way question is asked
• increase probability that respondents will answer
  a certain way
• subtle or overt
• e.g, Dont you agree that communism is a good
  form of political-economy? (biased)
• To what extent to you agree that each of the
  following are good forms of government (matrix)
• communism
• anarchism
• capitalism

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Common Problems in Questionnaire Development

• Biased terms

Source Babbie, 2003 250
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Questionnaire DevelopmentGeneral
PrinciplesExercise

• Outline some other principles for good
  questionnaire construction

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Questionnaire Development

• Contingency Questions
• questions intended for a subset of sample
• based on response to earlier question
• caveat reduced numbers for statistical/analytical
  purposes

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Questionnaire Development

• Contingency Questions

Source Canadian Community Health Survey 2000-2001
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Questionnaire Development

• Matrix Questions
• simplifies
• same question and response mode for all items
• easy for respondent

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Questionnaire Development

• Contingency Questions

Source General Social Survey
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Types of QuestionnairesExercise

• What are the typical ways that questionnaires are
  administered?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

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Types of QuestionnairesWeb Surveys

• Web surveys
• not widely used
• why not?
• example web survey

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SurveysAdvantages/Disadvantages

• Advantages
• large samples
• strong reliability - standardized
• statistical analysis
• Disadvantages
• inflexible researchers words
• miss what is really important
• too distant from social life
• weak validity