This document discusses survey research methods. It covers forms of surveys like face-to-face, mail, telephone and internet surveys. It defines validity as accurate measurement and reliability as consistent results. Sources of error in surveys are random error from chance and systematic error from design flaws. The goal is to minimize errors. Factors like feelings, willingness to participate, and interviewer characteristics can influence responses. Respondents must understand what information is relevant, be motivated to provide it, and know how to do so. Interviewers must accurately record responses. The goal of sampling is to make valid inferences about populations using random samples and the law of large numbers. Surveys can be exploratory, descriptive or explanatory. The steps of survey design

1. GEOG 420 / POL 420 / SOC 420
Spring 2018

3.  Forms of Survey Research:
 Face-to-Face Surveys
 Mail Surveys
 Telephone Surveys
 Internet Surveys

5.  What is validity? What is reliability?
 Validity: True and accurate measure
 Reliability: Consistent results across individuals
 Types of Error:
 Random Error – Occurs by Chance
 Systematic Error – Occurs by Design
 Research Goal: Minimize Error!

10.  Intensity of Feelings aboutTopic
 Willingness to Complete Research
 Desire to Please Interviewer
 Interviewer Characteristics (Race, Gender)
 Context of Research

11.  R must know what I deems relevant answer
 R must be motivated to provide I information
 R must know how to provide information
 I must accurately record R’s response

17.  Goal: Make valid and reliable inferences about
a population of interest with a sample
 “Law of Large Numbers”
 Randomly selected and independent observations
 Larger the sample size, the more likely it is that
the sample mean is close to the population mean

19.  Exploratory
 Acquire new information
 Descriptive
 Measure population of interest
 Explanatory
 Test hypotheses
 Verify observed patterns in data

20.  #1: Survey Design
 #2: Sampling and Pre-Testing
 #3: Survey Evaluation
 #4: Data Collection
 #5: Data Collation and Management
 #6: Data Analysis

24.  Traditional Mode of Surveying / Interviewing
 Respondent’s Natural Surrounding
 Home or Business
 Structured Questionnaire
 Interviewer Presence: Pros and Cons
 Pro: Provide Context to Respondents
 Con: Social Desirability Effects

27.  #1: Low Cost
 #2: Reduction in Error
 #3: Greater Anonymity
 #4: Consider Answers / Consultations
 #5: Accessibility

28.  #1: Simple Questions
 #2: No Opportunity to Probe Respondents
 #3: No Control over Questionnaire
 #4: Low Response Rate

29. Professor Don Dillman,
Washington State University

30.  Focuses on identifying aspects of survey
process and modifying them to obtain best
response rate
 Response Rates:
 First Mailing: 24%
 Follow-Up Postcard: 42%
 First Replacement Questionnaire: 50%
 Second Replacement Questionnaire: 72%

31.  “KISS”Test – “Keep it Simple, Stupid”
 Personalize Survey
 “Dear Austin” vs. Respondent”
 Get Sponsor
 Offer Monetary Incentives:

33. ADVANTAGES
 Moderate Cost
 Speed
 High Response Rate
 Quality
DISADVANTAGES
 Social Desirability
 “Broken” Interviews
 Less Information
 Cell Phones

35.  Too early to judge overall effectiveness
 What are the advantages to this mode?
 Rise of Internet Polling prevented by:
 Access
 “Click-In” Polls

37.  Closed-Ended Questions
 Open-Ended Questions
 Double-Barreled Questions
 Ambiguous Questions
 Leading Questions
 Filter Questions

38.  Combines two questions into one
 Example: Do you agree with the statement
that the situation in Iraq is deteriorating and
that the United States should increase the
number of troops in Iraq?

39.  Question that contains a concept that is not
clearly defined
 Examples:
 What is your income?
 How many children do you have?
 Do you prefer Brand A or Brand B?

40.  Encourages respondents to choose
particular response because the
question indicates researcher expects it
 Example: Don’t you think that global
warming is a serious environmental
problem?

41.  Branching and Filter Questions
 Sorts respondents into subgroups
 Directs subgroups to answer different questions

43.  Helping “the needy” versus
those “on welfare”
 “Socialized medicine” versus
“National Health Insurance”
 “Going toWar” versus
“Fighting againstTerrorism”

45.  #1: Saliency: Effect that mention of one issue in survey may have in
causing respondent to mention the issue in connection with a later
question.
 #2: Redundancy: Reverse of saliency; Respondent does not want to
repeat themselves
 #3: Consistency: Answer to later question may be constrained by
answer given earlier
 #4: Fatigue: Respondents may give quick answers to questions late in
the survey because they are tired
 #5: Primacy: Respondents select first response option given in survey
 #6: Recency: Respondents select last response option given in survey