1. r As in other types of research, the group of
persons (objects, institutions, and so on) that
r-
r Suppose, for example, that the target
population is defined as "all of the faculty
is the focus of the study is called the target
"members in a particular school district.'
pooulation.
r ls this definition sufficiently clear so that one
r To make trustworthy statements about the can state with certainty wtro is or is not a
target population, it must be very well
member of this population?
defined.
r ln fact, it must be so well defined that it is
r Atfirst glance, you may be tempted to say
possible to state with certainty whether or not yes. But what about administrators who also
a particular unit of analysis is a member of teach? What about subsiltute teachers, or
this population. those who teach only part-time? What about
student teachers? What about counselors?
IDit to a Group
"tAdminisration
r CHOOSING THE MODE OF DATA r This method is used when'ever a researcher
COLLECTION has access to all (or most) of the members of
r a particular group in one place.
There are four basic ways to collect data in a
survey: by administering the survey r The instrument is administered to all
members of the group at the same time and
instrument "live" to a group; by mail; by
usually in the same place.
telephone; or through face-to-face interviews.
r Examples would include giving
questionnaires to students to complete in
their classrooms or workers to complete at
their job settings.
I
I
r advantage
B high rate of responsF-often close to 100 percenl
Veb-Based Suweys
(usually in a single setting).
o low cost factor,
o the researcher has an opportunity to explain the
r researchers and students are turning to e-
stridy and ansrrtrer any qrcslions that the mail- or Web-based softrvare and services to
respondents may have before they complete the collect survey data from their target
' questionnaire.
population.
r disadvantage
n there are nol many types of surveys that can use
samples of irdividuals that are collected together
as a gfoup
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