Plan Making and Implementation Flashcards
What are the three steps to planning?
1) Goals and visions;
2) Analysis of current problems;
3) Creation and evaluation of alternatives
What are surveys most often used for in planning?
To obtain citizen input. They are used to collect data on a topic that cannot be directly observed, and are used to assess attitudes on a wide range of topics.
What is a sampling frame?
A sampling frame is a the population of interest used as a sample in a survey.
What is the difference between a cross-sectional survey and a longitudinal survey?
A cross-sectional survey gathers information about a population at a single point in time. A longitudinal survey is conducted over a period of time.
What is a written survey and what are its pros and cons?
Written surveys can be mailed, printed in a newspaper, or administered in a group setting. They’re popular when a planner is trying to reach a broad audience. This method is low-cost and generally convenient for survey-takers. However, mail surveys have a low response rate and requires participants are able to read and write.
What is a group-administered survey and what are its pros and cons?
Group-administered surveys are best when there is a specific population that a planner is trying to target. This form of surveying allows a high and quick response rate. The difficulty is gathering everyone you need to survey in one place. Therefore, sample size is generally small.
What is a drop-off survey and what are its pros and cons?
A Drop-off survey allows the survey to be dropped off at someone’s residence or business. Respondents are free to complete the survey at their convenience. Response rates are higher than with a mail survey because the person dropping off the survey may have personal contact with the respondent. This method can be expensive because of the time required to distribute the surveys. Tends to be a small sample size.
What are oral surveys?
Can be administered on the phone or in person.
What is a phone survey and what are its pros and cons?
Phone surveys are useful when you need yes/no answers. Surveys on the phone or in person allow the interviewer to follow up and gain further explanation on answers. The response rate varies greatly, depending on the ability to reach potential respondents. Response rates for phone surveys are declining. Phone surveys are usually more expensive than mail or internet-based surveys. Phone and in-person interviews can be biased due to interaction with the interviewer. Long questions and those with multiple answers are difficult to administer using this method.
What is an online survey and what are its pros and cons?
Online surveys are popular. These can be administered on a website, e-mail, or text message. This is an inexpensive method of surveying that can generate quick responses. Electronic surveys have a higher response rate than written or interview surveys. The downside is that you will not reach people without Internet access, which can introduce significant bias.
What is stratified sampling and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling??
(probability) The population is divided into separate groups or classes, from which a sample is drawn such that the classes in the population are represented by the classes in the sample.
What is cluster sampling and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling??
(probability) A cluster sample is a special form of stratified sampling, where a specific target group out of the general population is sampled from, such as the elderly, or residents of a specific neighborhood.
What is a convenience sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) A sample of individuals who are readily available.
What is a snowball sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) Where one interviewed person suggests other potential interviewees.
What is a volunteer sample and is it a probability or non-probability method of sampling?
(non-probability) Self-selected respondents - for example, a wiki map (volunteered geographic information)
Define nominal data.
Data that is classified into mutually exclusive groups or categories and lack intrinsic order (i.e. unordered factors in R).
Define ordinal data.
Data in ordered categories implying a ranking of observations (e.g. letter grades).
Define interval data.
Data with an ordered relationship where the difference between the scales has a meaningful interpretation. The typical example is temperature, where the difference between 40 and 30 degrees is the same as between 30 and 20 degrees, but 20 degrees is not twice as cold as 40 degrees.
Define ratio data.
Ratio data is the gold standard of measurement, where both absolute and relative differences have a meaning. The classic example of ratio data is a distance measure, where the difference between 40 and 30 miles is the same as the difference between 30 and 20 miles, and in addition, 40 miles is twice as far as 20 miles.
What is a continuous variable?
Continuous variables can take an infinite number of values, both positive and negative, and with as fine a degree of precision as desired.
What is a discrete variable?
Discrete variables can only take on a finite number of distinct values. An example is the count of the number of events, such as the number of accidents per month. Such counts cannot be negative, and only take on integer values, such as 1, 28, or 211.
What is a binary variable?
A type of discrete variable - variables with a finite number of distinct values - which can only take on two values, usually 0 or 1.
What is the difference between descriptive statistics and inferential statistics?
Descriptive statistics describe the sample; inferential statistics use probability to determine/infer characteristics of a population based on a sample.
What is the normal/Gaussian distribution?
The bell curve. The distribution is symmetric and has the additional property that the spread around the mean can be related to the proportion of observations. More specifically, 95% of the observations that follow a normal distribution are within two standard deviations from the mean. Often used for statistical inference.