Survey Research

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Survey Research
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Survey data

• Survey data are obtained when individuals respond
  to questions asked by interviewers or when the
  individual responds to questions that he has read
• Quantitative and qualitative information
• Census or sample?

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Survey Sampling

• Sample Survey
• Sample of the population (e.g., sample of
  Alberta CEOs)
• Census Survey
• Complete population (e.g., all CEOs in
  Lethbridge)

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Functions

• Descriptive
• Causal (limited function)
• Exploratory (limited function)

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Information Provided by Surveys

• respondents knowledge of facts
• how many times a month do you buy cookies?
• respondents attitudes
• chocolate chip is my favorite variety of
  cookie.
• May describe processes undertaken by respondent
• Stages in the purchase decision, for example
• usually self-report data

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• The type of information gathered depends on a
  surveys objectives.
• Surveys typically have multiple objectives

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Classifications

• Method of Communication
• Telephone
• Mail
• Personal interview
• Degree of Structure
• Unstructured
• structured
• Degree of Disguise

Limitations Structure and disguise are not
clear categories most surveys are hybrids
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• Temporal classifications
• Cross sectional studies
• Longitudinal studies
• Trend Studies
• Samples general population at each point
  complete turnover in who is actually sampled
• Cohort studies (tracking studies)
• Samples from one group over time e.g., sample of
  a graduating class
• Panel studies
• sample cohort, same specific respondents each
  sample

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Method of Communication

• Media
• Personal Interviews
• Telephone Interviews
• Self administered Questionnaires

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Media

• Human interactive
• Electronic interactive researcher and respondent
  interact using digital technology
• Non-interactive media

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Personal interview

• Direct communication between business and
  consumers in which interviewers ask respondents
  questions in face to face situations
• Key advantages
• Opportunities for feedback
• Probing for complex answers
• Length of interview

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Personal interview

• Direct communication between business and
  consumers in which interviewers ask respondents
  questions in face to face situations

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Key advantages Personal interview

• Opportunities for feedback
• Probing for complex answers
• Length of interview
• Completion rates
• Ability to use props
• High participation/low refusal rate (especially
  if using call back)

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Key disadvantages

• Anonymity of respondent
• Interviewer bias
• Interviewer cheating
• cost

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Types of personal interviews

• Door to door interviews
• Low refusal rates
• Provide a more representative sample
• Provide a less representative sample
  (under-representation of certain groups)

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Types of personal interviews

• Mall intercept
• Lower cost
• Provide a larger sample
• Useful if targeting particular population
• Increased use of visual aids
• Higher refusal rate
• Provide a less representative sample

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Telephone interviews

• Considered to be the primary method of survey
  research

• Why
• representative samples
• Technology
• Perception of anonymity

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Key advantages Telephone interview

• Central location - increased quality of
  supervision
• Computer assisted telephone interviewing - data
  entry
• Speed
• Cost

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• Anonymity- absence of face to face contact
• Less interviewer cheating
• Less researcher bias
• Cooperation???
• Representative samples (RDD)
• Call backs easier

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Key disadvantages

• Cooperation
• Lack of visual media
• Limited duration

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Mail and self-administered questionnaires

• A very popular method of data collection

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Types of Mail Surveys

• Ad Hoc Mail Surveys
• Questionnaires for a particular project sent to
  selected names and addresses with no prior
  contact by the researcher.
• Mail Panels
• Precontacted and screened participants who are
  periodically sent questionnaires.
• A mail panel is a type of longitudinal study. A
  longitudinal study in one in which the same
  respondents are resampled over time.

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Key advantages Self-administered

• Geographical flexibility
• Cost
• Respondent convenience - accuracy and reflection
• Anonymity
• Standardized questions - increase validity

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Key disadvantages Self-administered

• Time
• Length (6 pages)
• Interviewers absence
• Response rates

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Tactics Employed to Increase Response Rate
Advance postcard or telephone call alerting
respondent of survey Follow-up postcard or
phone call (coding/keying) Monetary incentives
(nickel, dime, quarter, half-dollar) Premiums
(pencil, pen, keychain, etc.) Postage stamps
rather than metered envelopes Self-addressed,
stamped return envelope Assurances regarding
length
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Promise of contributions to favorite charity
Entry into drawing for prize Emotional
appeals Affiliation with universities or
research institutions Multiple mailings of the
questionnaire Bids for sympathy Reminder
that respondent participated in previous study
Interesting questions well laid out Ask the
right people A cover letter
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Cover Letter

• introduces who you are
• purpose and importance of study
• relevance of survey to respondent
• especially if they receive several surveys a
  week, need to be convinced survey results matter
  to them

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• why and how they were selected
• why their input is crucial
• e.g., As a respected member of the Trustees, you
  have a unique perspective on....)
• big name sponsor, if any
• e.g., University of Lethbridge, Heart Foundation,
  etc.

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• give due date
• make reasonable but specific
• contact number if they have any questions
• include email these days too
• end by thanking them for completing survey
• explain direct incentive, if any (optional)

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Not just the mail...

• At point of service
• Fax surveys (respond by fax deliver by fax)
• Email surveys
• Computerized questionnaires (computer
  interactive)
• Internet surveys

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Factors Determining Choice of Particular Survey
Method

• Sampling Precision Required
• Budget Available
• The Need to Expose the Respondent to Various
  Stimuli
• Quality of Data Required
• Length of the Questionnaire

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• Necessity of Having Respondent Perform Certain
  Specialized Tasks
• Incident Rate
• Percentage of people or households in the general
  population that fit the qualifications to be
  sampled.
• Degree of Structure of the Questionnaire

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Error
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Types of Error in Survey Research

• Random Sampling Error (Random error)
• Error that results from chance variation
• Impact can be decreased by increasing sample size
  and through statistical estimation (confidence
  interval) or rule of thumb
• Systematic Error (non sampling error)
• Error that results for the research design or
  execution.

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Types of Systematic Error

• 1. Administrative Error
• Error that results from improper execution.
• Data Processing Error
• Quality of data depends on quality of data entry.
• Use of verification procedures can minimize

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• Sample Selection Error
• Systematic error resulting from improper sampling
  techniques either in design or execution.
• Interviewer Error
• Data recorded incorrectly (error or selective
  perception).
• Interviewer Cheating
• Mitigate by random checks

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• 2. Respondent Error
• Humans interviewing humans...
• Non-response error
• Statistical difference between a survey that
  includes only those who responded and a survey
  that also includes those who failed to respond.
• Non-respondent person not contacted or who
  refuses to participate
• Self selection bias extreme positions represented

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• Response bias
• Errors that result from tendency to answer in a
  certain direction.
• Conscious or unconscious misrepresentation
• Types
• 1. Deliberate falsification (why?)

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• Why would people deliberately falsify data
• Appear to be what they are not
• Dont trust confidentiality
• Protect
• To end the interviewer quicker
• Average man effects

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• Types of response bias continued
• 1. Deliberate falsification
• 2. Unconscious misrepresentation

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• Reasons for unconscious misrepresentation
• Question format
• Question content
• Misunderstanding of question leading to biased
  answer
• Lack of time to consider answer fully
• Communication or semantic confusion
• other

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• Types of response bias
• Acquiescence bias individuals have a tendency to
  agree or disagree with all questions or to
  indicate a positive/negative connotation
• Extremity bias results for response styles
  varying from person to person some people tend
  to use extremes when responding to questions

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• Types of response bias continued...
• Interviewer bias Bias in the responses of the
  subject due to the influence of the interviewer
• Auspices bias respondents being influenced by
  the organization conducting the study
• Social desirability bias caused by respondents
  desire, either consciously or unconsciously to
  gain prestige or to appear in a different social
  role