BMEN 694: Survey Research Methods

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Questions and Answers

What is survey research defined as?

The collection of information from a sample of individuals through interviews.

The collection of information from a sample of individuals through observations.

The collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions. (correct)

The collection of information from a sample of individuals through experiments.

Why is it important to understand survey research techniques?

So you can research only survey techniques.

So you can conduct surveys only.

So you can only design questionnaires.

So you can make sense out of the surveys you are exposed to every day. (correct)

What is a major ethical issue in survey research?

Whether to share the results publicly.

Whether to use online or offline surveys.

Whether and how to maintain the anonymity of participants and the responses' confidentiality. (correct)

Whether to ask open-ended or closed-ended questions.

What is the first step in designing a questionnaire?

Clearly define the topic of your study. Signup and view all the answers

What should be ensured in survey research?

Participants are treated ethically. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of assessing the validity of a questionnaire?

To ensure the questionnaire is relevant to the study. Signup and view all the answers

What type of questionnaire item allows the participant to respond in their own words?

Open-ended item Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a restricted item?

How often did you use your cell phone to get political information during the 2016 presidential election campaign? Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between open-ended and partially open-ended items?

Partially open-ended items provide an additional 'other' category, open-ended items do not. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of providing an 'other' category in partially open-ended items?

To provide an opportunity to give an answer not listed among the specific alternatives Signup and view all the answers

What type of questionnaire item is used to collect qualitative data?

Open-ended item Signup and view all the answers

What is the main advantage of using open-ended items in a questionnaire?

They provide detailed and nuanced responses Signup and view all the answers

What is the first step to establish face validity of a questionnaire?

Have experts review the questionnaire Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of conducting a pilot test in survey research?

To test the survey on a subset of the intended population Signup and view all the answers

What statistical method is used to identify underlying components in survey research?

Principal Components Analysis (PCA) Signup and view all the answers

What is the standard test of internal consistency in survey research?

Cronbach's Alpha (CA) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most widely used technique for acquiring a sample for a survey?

Probability Sampling Signup and view all the answers

What are the three sampling-related issues that must be considered in survey research?

Representativeness, Sampling Technique, and Sample Size Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of acquiring a sample for a survey?

To ensure the sample closely matches the characteristics of the population Signup and view all the answers

What is the key concept at the heart of all sampling techniques?

Random sampling Signup and view all the answers

In stratified sampling, how are the segments of the population divided?

Based on demographic characteristics Signup and view all the answers

What are the two factors to consider when selecting the size of the sample needed?

Acceptable error and population proportions Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the difference between the characteristics of the sample and the population?

Sampling error Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of simple random sampling?

To select a certain number of individuals from the population Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of assessing the reliability of a questionnaire?

To produce the same or highly similar results on repeated administrations Signup and view all the answers

What is one way to increase the reliability of a questionnaire?

Increase the number of items on the questionnaire Signup and view all the answers

What type of survey administration involves using the internet?

Internet Surveys Signup and view all the answers

What is a type of questionnaire item that uses a scale?

Rating scale Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of using a single administration to assess reliability?

It is a more convenient way to assess reliability Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a questionnaire item that uses a rating scale?

How much confidence do you have that the political information you obtained was accurate? Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Survey Research

Survey research is the collection of information from a sample of individuals through their responses to questions
Ethical issues in survey research include maintaining the anonymity of participants and the confidentiality of their responses

Designing the Questionnaire

Steps in designing a questionnaire:
- Clearly define the topic of study
- Define the required information
- Select participants
Types of questionnaire items:
- Open-ended items: allow participants to respond in their own words
- Restricted items (closed-ended items): provide limited response alternatives
- Partially open-ended items: resemble restricted items but provide an "other" category and opportunity to give an answer not listed among specific alternatives

Writing Questionnaire Items

Rating scales: a variation on restricted items that uses a rating scale rather than response alternatives
Example of a rating scale: "How much confidence do you have that the political information you obtained using your cell phone during the 2016 presidential campaign was accurate?"

Administering the Questionnaire

Methods of administering a questionnaire:
- Mail surveys
- Internet surveys
- Telephone surveys
- Face-to-face interviews
- Mixed-mode surveys

Assessing the Reliability of the Questionnaire

Reliability: the ability of a measure to produce the same or highly similar results on repeated administrations
Ways to assess reliability:
- Repeated administration
- Single administration
Ways to increase reliability:
- Increase the number of items on the questionnaire
- Standardize administration procedures
- Score the questionnaire carefully
- Ensure items are clear, well-written, and appropriate for the sample

Assessing the Validity of the Questionnaire

Steps to establish face validity:
- Have experts or people who understand the topic read through the questionnaire
- Have a psychometrician check the survey for common errors
Steps to assess validity:
- Pilot test the survey on a subset of the intended population
- Enter responses into a spreadsheet and clean the data
- Identify underlying components using principal components analysis (PCA)
- Check the internal consistency of questions loading onto the same factors using Cronbach's Alpha (CA)
- Revise the survey based on information gleaned from PCA and CA

Acquiring a Sample for the Survey

Probability sampling: each member of the population has a known probability of being selected
Sampling techniques:
- Simple random sampling
- Stratified sampling
- Proportionate sampling
- Systematic sampling
- Cluster sampling
Factors to consider when selecting a sample size:
- Amount of acceptable error
- Expected magnitude of the population proportions
Sampling error: the extent to which the characteristics of the sample differ from those of the population

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Description

This quiz covers the fundamentals of survey research, including questionnaire construction, administration techniques, sampling techniques, and data analysis. It's essential to understand the ins and outs of this important research technique. Take this quiz to test your knowledge of survey research methods.