3. Content List
What is Survey.
Why Survey?
Survey Research (definition).
Characteristics of Survey Research
Steps in process of Survey Research.
Tools for Survey Research.
Survey Research Designs
Strengths and weaknesses/limitations of Survey
Research.
Conclusion
4. What is a Survey?
A survey is an instrument to collect data that describe
one or more characteristics of a specific population.
A systematic method for gathering information from
(a sample of) individuals for the purposes of
describing the attributes of the larger population of
which the Individuals are members.
Surveys are method of data collection in which
information is gathered through oral or written
questioning”
5. Why Surveys?
To explain the situation (analytic survey)
Problem identification & solving.
To measure the change.
To study attitudes, behaviors and habits.
To formulate a hypothesis.
To test hypothesis.
6. Survey Research
Definition
Survey Research involves collecting data to test
hypothesis or to answer questions about people’s
opinion on some topic or issue.
Survey Research involves the collection of
information from a sample of individuals through
their responses to questions.
7. Continue…
Survey Research determines and reports the way things are;
it involves collecting numerical data to test hypothesis or
answer questions about the current status of the subject of
the study.
8. Characteristics Of Survey Research
Sampling from a population.
Construction or identification of survey instrument for
data collection.
Collecting data through questionnaires or interviews.
High response rate.
9. Types of Surveys
Two main types of Survey;
Analytic survey
Descriptive survey
10. Descriptive Survey
“A descriptive survey attempts to picture or document
current conditions or attitudes that is, to describe what
exists at the moment”
Examples:
Audience survey to determine the program taste.
To study the changing values, life style by the effect of some
special type of program.
11. Analytical Survey
An analytical survey attempts to describe and explain why
certain situations exist. Here we examine two, or more
variable to test our research hypothesis”
Examples:
How life-style effects the t.v. viewing habits.
Impact of war games on teenagers.
13. Step 1:
Develop hypothesis.
State the problem or topic.
Construct or locate the survey tool.
Sampling
Pilot test the questionnaire.
Prepare the cover letter.
14. Step 2:
How to record data.
Pilot test instrument.
Revise the instrument.
15. Step 3:
Decide on target population.
Get sampling frame.
Select sample.
20. Interview
Any person- to- person interaction between two or
more individuals with a specific purpose in mind is
called interview. Interviews are of two types-
Structured interviews.
Unstructured interviews.
21. Structured Interview
In structured interview the researcher asks a
predetermined set of questions using the same order
of questions as specified in interview schedule.
An interview schedule is a written list of questions
prepared for use by an interviewer in a person- to -
person interaction which may be face- to- face , on
telephone or by other electronic media.
22. Unstructured Interview
In unstructured interview complete freedom is
provided to the researcher in terms of content and
structure.
There is flexibility in interview questions. Types of
unstructured interview are-
In-depth interview
Focus group interviews
Oral histories
23. Limitations of Interview
In an interview the quality of the data generated is
affected by the experience , skills and commitment of
the interviewer.
The interviewer may be biased.
Quality of data may vary when many interviewers are
used.
It is more expensive.
24. Questionnaire
Questionnaire is the most commonly used tool in
survey research.
Forms Of Questions
There are two forms of questions:-
1.Open-ended
2.Closed -ended
25. Advantages of Questionnaire
It is less expensive and convenient method of data
collection.
As there is no face-to-face interaction between
respondents and researcher, this method provides
greater anonymity.
26. Disadvantage of Questionnaire
Its application is limited to a study population that can
read and write.
Response rate is low as people fail to return the
questionnaire.
If the respondents interpret questions wrongly, it will
affect the quality of information provided.
27. Survey Research Designs
Survey research studies generally comes into
two designs:
Cross-Sectional Surveys
Longitudinal Surveys
28. Cross-Sectional Survey Design
A cross-sectional survey is one in which data is
collected from selected individuals at a single point in
time. It is a single, stand-alone study.
Cross-Sectional designs are effective for providing a
snapshot of the current behaviors, attitudes and
beliefs in a population.
It provides data quickly.
In it a sample or samples are drawn from the relevant
population and studied once.
29. Continue…
It describes the characteristics of that population at
one time but can not give insight as to the causes of
population characteristics.
As these studies involve only one contact with the
study population, they are comparatively cheap to
undertake and easy to analyze.
Examples –
Consumer satisfaction with a product.
The relationship between the home environment and
the academic performance of a child at a school.
30. Limitations
Cross-Sectional studies are not effective if the
researcher’s goal is to understand the trends or
development over time.
A single point in time often does not provide a broad
enough perspective to inform decisions about changes
in process and system reliability .
e.g. to change the math curriculum in a school
31. Longitudinal Survey Design
In a longitudinal survey study, data is collected at two
or more times to measure growth or change.
This survey is extremely useful for studying the
dynamics of a topic issue over time.
It measures same random sample at multiple time
points.
It is the easiest way of assessing the effect of naturally
occurring events.
Example-
To ascertain the trends of the demand for labor.
32. Continue…
Longitudinal survey is categorized into four basic
types
o Trend Survey
o Cobort Survey
o Panel Survey
o Follow-up Survey
33. Limitation
It is expensive and difficult because it hardens to
find sample that will commit to a month or
yearlong study.
34. Strengths Of Survey Research
High Representativeness
Low Costs
Convenient Data Gathering
Good Statistical Significance
35. Continue…
Little or No Observer Subjectivity
Leads to great objectivity
Precise Results
Helps to know the social situations.
36. Limitations Of Survey Research
It is charged that survey information touches only the
surface of the research field and does not make a deeper
thrust into it.
Sometimes if sample information's have not been
collected very carefully, the magnitude of sampling error
may be too large to render the sample results reasonably
accurate.
37. Continue…
It is also charged with demanding of more time, effort and
money.
Insecurity limiting access to the population of concern.
The lack of funding necessary to carry out a survey.
38. Conclusion
Sometimes, survey research leads many people to imagine
that no particular training or systematic procedures are
required. Nothing could be further from the truth. But as a
result of this widespread misconception, you will
encounter a great many nearly worthless survey results. You
must be prepared to examine carefully the procedures used
in any survey before accepting its findings as credible. And
if you decide to conduct a survey, you must be prepared to
invest the time and effort required by proper procedures.
