Social Surveys Flashcards
What is a social survey?
Primary quantitative method that produced quantatitve data
What are rhe 4 methods of administrating social surveys?
Face to face
Telephone
Postal
Internet
What’s an advantage and disadvantage of using a face to face method?
Researcher can explain things- more valid
Can’t do as many interviews- less representative
What’s an advantage and disadvantage of using the telephone method?
Can access different areas- more represtantive
Don’t know who is filling it is- less valid
What’s an advantage and disadvantages of using the postal method?
Person doesn’t feel pressured and unlimited time- more valid
People not likely to fill survey through post
What’s an advantage and disadvantage of using the internet as a method of administration?
Larger sample size-more representative
Only certain demographic likely to fill out- less representative
When constructing a questionnaire, what makes a successful one?
Avoid oversimplification, leading questions, be specific, keep language simple, avoid emotive language, keep it short
Weaknesses- what kind of people are less likely to send questionnaires back?
Less educated respondents- not representative
Weaknesses- what else can affect response rate?
Subject matter
What did Russell’s questionarre reveal about subject matter?
Subject matter can affect response rate, in Russell’s study 19% did not take part in the questionnaire about incest
How could response rate be improved?
Financial incentive
Short questionnaires
Repeated contact- 2nd questionnaire
Originated from university
What’s does operationalising mean? And what are some examples?
To make Abstract concepts measuersble
Examples- cultural and economic capital
How would you operationalise the concept of equality in the family?
What percent of household tasks each person does
How would you operationalise the concept of attitudes towards marriage?
Look at divorce rates, percent of people married in church
How are questionnaires practical?
They are quick, cheap and easy to quantify
