This document discusses key aspects of survey research methodology, including how surveys can provide insights into peoples' attitudes and behaviors. It covers potential sources of error in survey responses, best practices for constructing effective survey questions, and sampling techniques for obtaining representative data from a population. Some of the sampling techniques discussed are simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, and nonprobability sampling approaches.

1. Survey Research

2. • Surveys provide a methodology for finding out
what people think at a particular time
• Study attitude and behavior change over time
• Important complement to experimental
research findings
• It is assumed people are able
and willing answer
truthfully and accurately
Survey Research

3. Survey Response Errors
• Response set: when a participant
answers all questions from a particular
perspective.
–Social Desirability
–“Yea-saying” or “Nay-saying”

4. Constructing Questions
• Defining the Research Objectives
–Attitudes and beliefs
–Facts and demographics
–Behaviors
–Ensure simplicity!

5. Constructing Questions
• Question Wording
–Potential problems can stem from difficulty
understanding the question
• Keep it simple
–Double-barreled questions
–Loaded questions
–Negative wording

6. Constructing Questions
• Negative Wording Advantages
–Reducing Acquiescent Bias
–Reducing Extreme Response Bias
• Negative Wording Disadvantages
–Misinterpret
–Mistake
–Miscode
(Sauro & Lewis, 2011)

7. Responses to Questions
Closed-ended questions
• Dichotomous & Multiple-choice
• Rating Scales
–Likert scale
–Graphic rating scale
–Semantic differential scale
–Nonverbal scales for children
•   
–Labeling Response Alternatives

8. Responses to Questions
• Closed- versus open-ended questions
–Potential problems can stem from difficulty
understanding the question
• Number of Response Alternatives
– Item analysis/Internal consistency
– Test-retest reliability

9. Finalizing the Questionnaire
• Format the questionnaire to be
professional
–Use consistent scales internally
–Clear & brief
• Pilot the questionnaire
–Refine the questionnaire
• Identify your population to sample!

10. Cross-sectional or Longitudinal?
• Different ways to track changes over
time
–Repeated surveys of individuals at a
single point in their own timeline
–Follow individual respondents
• Panel study
• Pilot the questionnaire

11. Sampling from a population
Confidence Intervals
Level of confidence that the true population value
lies within an interval of the obtained sample
Sampling error or margin of error
Sample Size
A larger sample size reduces the size of the
confidence interval
Must consider the cost / benefit of increasing
sample size
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

12. Sampling Techniques
Two basic techniques for sampling
Probability Sampling
Simple random sampling
Every member of the population has an equal probability of
being selected
Stratified random sampling
Population divided into subgroups (strata) and random
samples taken from each strata
Cluster sampling – identify clusters and sample from
three clusters
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

13. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

14. © 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

15. Sampling Techniques
 Nonprobability Sampling—unknown probability of
any member being chosen
Haphazard sampling – convenience sampling
Purposive sampling – sample meets
predetermined criterion
Quota sampling – sample reflects the numerical
composition of various subgroups in the
population
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

16. Evaluating Samples
Representative of the population
Sampling Frame
- Actual population from which the sample is drawn
Response Rate
- Percentage of respondents who complete
Reasons for Using Convenience Samples
- Less costly in terms of time and money
Concerns
- May not be generalizable
© 2012 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.