Chapter 7: Survey Research

Question 1

Survey Research

Answer 1

Research in which information is collected from a sample of individuals through their responses to a set of standardized questions

Question 2

Ominbus Survey

Answer 2

A survey that covers a range of topics of interest to different social scientists

Question 3

Double negative

Answer 3

A question or statement that contains two negatives, which can muddy the meaning of the question

Question 4

Double-barreled question

Answer 4

A single survey question that actually asks two questions but allows only one answer

Question 5

Filter question

Answer 5

A survey question used to identify a subset of respondents who thena re asked other questions

Question 6

Skip pattern

Answer 6

The unique combination of questions created in a survey by filter questions and contingent questions

Question 7

Contingent question

Answer 7

A question that is asked of only a subset of survey respondents

Question 8

Floaters

Answer 8

Survey respondents who provide an opinion on a topic in response to a close-ended question that does not include a “Don’t know” option but who will choose “Don’t know” if it is available

Question 9

Fence-sitters

Answer 9

Survey respondents who seem themselvse as being neutral on an issue and choose a middle (neutral) response that is offered

Question 10

Questionnaire

Answer 10

A survey instrument containing the questions in self-administered survey

Question 11

Interview schedule

Answer 11

A survey instrument containing the questions asked by the interviewer in an in-person or phone survey

Question 12

Cognitive interview

Answer 12

A technique for evaluating questions in which researchers ask people test questions, and then probe with follow-up questions to learn how they understood the question and what their answers mean

Question 13

Interpretive questions

Answer 13

Questions included in a questionnaire or interview schedule to help explain answers to other important questions

Question 14

Context effects

Answer 14

In survey research, refers to the influence that earlier questions may have on how subsequent questions are answered

Question 15

Mailed (self-administered) survey

Answer 15

A survey involving a mailed questionnaire to be completed by a respondent

Question 16

Cover letter

Answer 16

The letter sent witha mailed questionnaire that explains the survey’s purpose and auspices and encourages the respondent to participate

Question 17

Group-administered survey

Answer 17

A survey that is completed by individual respondents who are assembled in a group

Question 18

Phone survey

Answer 18

A suvey in which interviewers question respondents over the phone and record their answers

Question 19

Interactive voice response (IVR)

Answer 19

A suvey in which respondents receive automated calls and answer questions by pressing numbers on their touch-tone phones or speaking numbers that are interpreted by computerized voice recognition software

Question 20

In-person interview

Answer 20

A suvey in which an interviewer questions responsdents face-toface and records their answers

Question 21

Computer-assisted personal interiew (CAPI)

Answer 21

A personal interview in which the laptop computer is used to display interview questions and to process responses that the interviewer types in, as we as to check that these responses fal; within the allowed ranges.

Question 22

Electronic survey

Answer 22

A survey that is sent and answered by computer, either through e-mail or on the web

Question 23

E-mail survey

Answer 23

A survey that is sent and answered through e-mail

Question 24

Web survey

Answer 24

A survey that is accessed and responsed to on the World Wide Web.

Question 25

Anonymity

Answer 25

Provided by research in which no identifying information is recorded that could be used to link resopondents to their answersl