9: Survey Research
• Topics Appropriate for Survey Research
o Can be used for Descriptive, Explanatory, and
Exploratory purposes
• Best for collecting data for describing a
populations too large to observe directly
• Individuals must be the respondents or
informants regardless of unit of analysis
Topics Appropriate for Surveys
• Kinds of Information Sought
o Attitudes are thought out and crystallized
o Opinions are general impressions and can
be changed easily with facts
o Beliefs are convictions
o Behavior
o Attributes
Topics Appropriate for Surveys
• Push Polls on Voter Opinions
o Technique to lead false or misleading
“information” to voters to “push” them to
vote another way
• Surveys are used for fundraising
Choose Appropriate Question Forms
• Close-ended
o Mutually Exclusive
o Exhaustive
o Reliable but issues with validity
• Open-ended
o Can be tough to code and use
o Help complete a close-ended
o May be more meaningful because person answering gives own
response
• Questions Vs. Statements
Question Wording
Make Responses Mutually Exclusive
1) Friend or Relative
2) TV or Radio
3) From My Spouse
4) at Work
5) Extension Service
Make Items Clear
• Make sure respondents are clear on what you
mean
o Working full-time
o What did you do last “week”
Question Wording
Uniform Understanding
"Honest" for "Candid"
"Most Important" for "Priority"
"Free Time" for "Leisure"
"Work " for "Employment"
"Help" for "Assistance"
Question Wording
Avoid Vague Terms
Majority (more than half or what?)
Regularly (daily, weekly, what?)
Government (state, local federal, what?)
Older People (how old is old?)
Policies (what policies?)
Question Wording
Avoid Abbreviations
USDA, CES, FFB, RSS,
DDT, I.E., E.G., Etc.
Avoid Double-Barreled Questions
• Providing a single answer to a question that
actually has multiple meanings
• As a general rule avoid the word “and”
Question Wording
Avoid Double Questions
"Have you made changes in your attitude
and/or behavior towards the environment
based on information from the Sunshine
County Extension Environmental Landscape
Management Program?"
1) None
2) Few
3) Some
4) Many
Respondents must be
Competent to Answer
•
•
•
•
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Avoid too much detail
Avoid complicated tasks
Do not assume knowledge
Short items are best
Avoid Double Negatives!
Question Wording
Avoid Questions That Are Too Precise
How Many Books Did You Read Last Year?
______ (number).
Versus
How Many Books Did You Read Last Year?
1) none
2) 1-10
3)11-25
4) More Than 25
Question Wording
Avoid Assuming Too Much Knowledge
"Are the current operating hours
of the county cannery satisfactory
for your needs?"
1) Yes
2) No
Question Wording
Avoid Double Negative
"Should our 4-H advisory
committee not meet
quarterly?"
1) No
2) Yes
Respondents Must Be
Willing to Answer
• Try appealing to a gatekeeper
• Gain trust and legitimacy
Questions Should Be Relevant
Make
sure questions are valid for the majority of
respondents
Use
screening questions
Provide a
Don’t Know or Not Applicable Response
Avoid Biased Items and Terms
A question that influences people to respond
in a manner that does not accurately reflect
their position
• Don’t name drop
• Some forms of wording will produce more
support than others:
o Assistance to the poor Vs. Welfare
o Halting Rising Crime Rate Vs. Law Enforcement
o Dealing with Drug Addiction Vs. Drug
Rehabilitation
• Male Vs. Female Names
Question Wording
Avoid Bias
"The 4-H horse show should
be held on Monday night of
fair week, shouldn't it?"
1)Yes
2)No
Means of Gathering Data
Observation
Review of Records and Reports
Direct Questioning:
Telephone Survey
Mail Survey
Selection Considerations
Collecting Information
reaching respondents
response rates
Questionnaire Construction
length
nature of the questions
avoiding non-response
Selection Considerations
Response Accuracy
social bias
interviewer distortion
outside contamination
information access
Administration Requirements
personnel
speed
Cost
Mail Surveys
Advantages:
economical
standard presentation
time to think about answers
can do in own home
Disadvantages
low response rate
who really responds
trouble with complex questions
Advantages:
quick
inexpensive (in local area)
can probe
can assist in difficult questions
Disadvantages
people can hang up
answering machines
long questionnaires difficult