Research Methods in Politics 10

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Research Methods in Politics10

• Questionnaires

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Teaching and Learning Objectives

• 1. to understand the special characteristics of
  questionnaires and where they are best used
• 2. to consider how questionnaires should be
  structured, designed, tested and coded
• 3. to discuss how questionnaires can best be
  administered
• 4. to discuss issues of personal safety

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Our researchers with Public Opinion are
content That he held the proper opinions for the
time of the year When there was peace, he was
for peace When there was war, he went. W. H.
Auden (1940) The Unknown Citizen
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Questionnaires

• pre-designed lists of closed questions with
  pre-designated alternative answers
• large representative samples
• administered
• face-to-face
• remotely by telephone
• self-administered by mail or internet
• designed and coded for computer analysis
• declining response rates
• access to respondents
• motivation
• effective questionnaire design

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Access

• sample frame
• sampling method
• random
• nth address
• random walk
• quota sample

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Motivation

• appeals to
• altruism
• public or personal benefits
• reciprocity
• trust in researcher
• approach, manner
• reputation of university
• ID
• authentication

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Effective Questionnaire Design

• limited number of questions
• short, simple, unambiguous, plain English
• no leading questions
• dont knows
• no replies
• sequence critical sensitive questions last
• classifier questions at end
• proxy-indicators
• show cards
• scaling attitudes
• many pilots

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Scaling Attitudes

• semantic differential
• Likert Scale
• Guttman scale
• Bogardus social distance scale
• scale rating

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Personal Safety

• Do
• carry ID
• carry mobile phone
• stay is sight of colleagues
• daylight
• personal alarm
• public places
• notify police

• Dont
• accept invitations
• harass or hinder people
• stand in doorways or other private places
• get involved in arguments

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coding

• codes
• scoping
• generic codes
• recording responses

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Questions for Discussion or Assignments

• Pilot the exhibit questionnaire (why are the
  British so anti-EU? ) on at least two members of
  the public (not students). What improvements
  would you suggest and why?
• You are asked to test the hypothesis that age and
  education strongly influence the likelihood of
  electors voting in general elections. You must
  use a questionnaire. Identify the sample frame.
  Devise a quota sample for on-street survey.
  Design, test and revise a questionnaire of no
  more than twelve questions. Administer the
  questionnaire to ten members of the public in the
  main shopping street. Comment critically on your
  experiences as a questionnaire writer and
  questioner
• Discuss critically the claim that questionnaires
  can measure peoples attitudes and beliefs
• 4. Most of the national opinion polls published
  in the lead-up to the 1992 UK general election
  wrongly forecast the outcome. Critically assess
  the various explanations given.