Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of conducting a survey?
What is the primary goal of conducting a survey?
What does a low response rate in a survey indicate?
What does a low response rate in a survey indicate?
Which type of interview allows for open-ended responses from participants?
Which type of interview allows for open-ended responses from participants?
What constitutes a Representative Sample in research?
What constitutes a Representative Sample in research?
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What is a major advantage of using questionnaires over interviews?
What is a major advantage of using questionnaires over interviews?
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What is the primary characteristic of a Structured Interview?
What is the primary characteristic of a Structured Interview?
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What can lead to a Measurement Error in surveys?
What can lead to a Measurement Error in surveys?
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What is typically the most common method for collecting data in surveys?
What is typically the most common method for collecting data in surveys?
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Study Notes
Surveys
- Survey: A series of self-report measures collected through interviews or questionnaires.
- Widely used to gather descriptive information about groups of people.
- Goal: To produce a "snapshot" of opinions, attitudes, or behaviors at a specific time.
Survey by Interview
- Questions are read aloud to the respondent.
- Methods include: telephone, face-to-face, computer (e.g., Zoom).
Free-Format Interviews
- Unstructured: Interviewer discusses various topics with the respondent.
- Focuses on areas of respondent's interest or expertise.
- Data collection methods: individual interviews, focus groups, qualitative data, open-ended questions.
Fixed-Format Interviews
- Structured interviews: Researchers use quantitative data collection methods.
- Highly structured with pre-prepared questions.
- Primarily closed-ended questions.
- Quantitative data collection.
Questionnaires
- Set of fixed-format, self-report items completed by respondents at their own pace.
- Less expensive than interviews.
- Often used with online or mail systems.
- May increase respondent anonymity.
- May promote greater honesty in responses.
Response Rate
- Response rate: Percentage of respondents who complete and return the questionnaire.
- Low response rate can lead to inaccurate conclusions by sampling a different group of people.
- Incentives like gifts or monetary payments are sometimes used to increase response rates.
Question Order
- Question order matters in surveys.
- Poor question order may lead to measurement error.
- Example: Asking about family relationships before asking about spousal relationships.
Use of Existing Survey Data
- Examples: U.S. Census (every 10 years), General Social Survey (U.S. sample every year), Human Area Relations Files (international).
Sampling and Generalization
- Census: Measures the entire population.
- Sample: Measures a subset of a population.
Representative Sample
- Represents the entire population accurately in key aspects.
Simple Random Sampling
- Aim: Every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.
- Requires a complete list of the population.
- Random number generator helps select participants.
Sampling Bias
- Occurs when a sample is not representative of the population.
- Problem arises because the probability of selecting certain population members isn't known.
Snowball Sampling
- Method where initial participants help researchers identify other participants.
- Useful for hard-to-reach populations (e.g., homeless, underground groups).
Convenience Sampling
- Selects participants who are readily available.
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Description
Explore various survey methods including interviews and questionnaires. This quiz covers both qualitative and quantitative approaches used to gather data, focusing on their structure and application. Perfect for understanding the principles of survey research.
