11] Surveys And Interviews Flashcards
What is a survey
It’s an activity in which many people are asked a question or series of questions in order to gather information about what most people think about something
What are the two types of questionnaires
1: Self-administered
2: Interviewer lead
What is postal questionnaires
You simply send the survey to random house via the postal system, using a stamped addressed envelope so they can send it back.
And the participants will complete it in their own time
Postal Questionnaires: What increases the response rates
1: Use their name
2: Ensure minimal response effort is needed
3: Use the method of delivery only for topics that they are likely to respond to
Postal Questionnaires: Pros
1: Easy to do with probability sampling
2: Quick response time
3: Removes researcher bias
4: Good for personal questions
5: Easy to create
Postal Questionnaires: Cons
1: They cannot clarify the questions meanings
2: Open to response bias
3: Can often be directed towards a household and not a person themselves
What are internet questionnaires
These are online versions of the questionnaires that people can answer across their technological devices
Participants get directed to them through
. A link on a website
. A link in an email
. A post on social media
Internet Questionnaires: Pros
1: Cheap
2: Less paper waste
3: Small burden for participants
4: Sample from around the world
5: Good for personal questions
6: More complex designs possible
Internet Questionnaires: Cons
1: Cannot clarify the questions meaning
2: Internet users who respond might not be representative
3: They can submit multiple responses
What are personal interviews
This is where the researchers themselves verbally conduct the questionnaire, which is commonly done in public spaces
Personal Interviews: Pros
1: Can clarify issue
2: Impose order and require answers
3: Complex design allowed
4: Can be more ethical
Personal Interviews: Cons
1: Expensive and time-consuming
2: Difficult to implement with probability sampling
3: People are not always willing to engage in interviews
4: Interviewer bias
What are telephone questionnaires
They are conducted over a telephone and numbers are found through records like a phone book, this also allows you to use a randomized number picker
Telephone Questionnaires: Pros
1: Many of the same advantages as personal interviews
2: Can allow access to dangerous neighborhoods
3: Distance between researcher and participant is irrelevant
Telephone Questionnaires: Cons
1: More and more people do not have landlines
2: Mobile phones mean that participants may be in a very different setting when responding
3: People can easily screen calls or employ answering machines
When studying change in a questionnaire what are the three types of effects
1: Age effects
2: Cohort effects
3: Time effects
What are cross sectional designs
It’s a research design in which individuals typically of different ages or developmental levels are compared at a single point in time
E.g: The census
What are longitudal designs
What is explanatory research
When the research wants to find out more on a topic
What confirmatory research
When a researcher is theory testing and already has an idea of what the data should look like
Interviews: what is the informal conversational approach
This is a regular conversation with no predetermined questions, guided by the participants responses and often conducted in a participant observer fieldwork
Informal Conversational Approach: Pros and Cons
Pros
1: Very flexible
2: Interviewer can be responsive
3: Context sensitive
Cons
1: Time consuming
2: Difficult to analyze
3: Skilled interviewer
Interviews: what are semi structured
It contains a list of topics to explore and the aim is to gain general bits of information, also allowing for individual perspectives
Semi-Structured: Pros and Cons
Pros
1: Very flexible
2: More focused than conversational response
3: Easier to compare responses
Cons
1: Careful planning needed
2: Structure takes away flexibility
3: Vulnerable to interviewer effect
Interviews: Standardized open ended interviews
The same questions are asked to each respondent, this makes them faster and allows for easier comparisons
Standardized Open-Ended Interviews: Pros and Cons
Pros
1: Time efficient
2: Data analysis is easier
3: Same info is gathered each time
Cons
1: Through planning needed
2: Little flexibility
3: Individual experiences masked
Interviews: Focus groups
This is where a group of people and an interviewer discusses particular topics for around 1-2 hours
It’s often used in explanatory research, program development or program evaluation
The interviewer has three main functions
1: Make participants comfortable
2: Keep discussion focused
3: Seek clarification
Focus Groups: Pros and Cons
Pros
1: Cost effective
2: Less intimidating to participants
3: Good at gauging normative attitudes and opinions
Cons
1: Group settings can be intimidating
2: Individuals opinions can be distorted by group influences
3: Can be very difficult to analyze responses
Inadequate response to interview are
1: Partial responses
2: Irrelevant responses
3: Inaccurate responses
4: Verbalised response problem
5: Non response
