Unit 6 Flashcards
This type of question is one that the respondents answer in their own words
Open-ended question
This type of question is one that limits the respondents to certain alternatives
Closed-ended question
What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of using open ended and closed ended questions in the survey?
The open ended question permits respondents to answer more completely and to reveal the reasoning behind their answers. Makes it more likely that the questionnaire will discover something not anticipated buys designers. Open-ended questions are harder to code because the answers are near to form and require more effort from the respondent and are more difficult for less articulate response to answer. Open-ended questions are more useful for smaller and preliminary studies
Closed ended questions are easier to code and analyze, there are fewer off-the-wall responses. Respondents do not have to think as hard or be able to articulate to formulate their answers. The disadvantages of closed ended questions are that the issues being studied may be too complex to reduce to a small set of alternatives, or the respondent may not agree with any of them, resulting in simplistic answers. Can you put words into the mouths of respondents, suggesting alternatives that they might never come up with themselves. Errors can happen for instance misinterpreting the question or a clerical error coding the data. The standardize Asian of open ended questions make some more suitable for larger studies
A characteristic of certain responses that causes people to choose that response even if it does not represent their true tendency or opinion. When respondents perceive one alternative as more socially acceptable than the other
Social desirability
The tendency to agree with the statement on the questionnaire, regardless of its content. Common with binary closed ended questions such as agree/disagree or true/false
Acquiescence
A question that asks for a rating of the extent of agreement or disagreement with the statement; a rating scale. Frequently measured on a seven point scale or nine point scale
Likert scale
Usef questionnaire items should have the following characteristics:
Be written language familiar to all respondents.
Be clear and specific. Define the terms and the context clearly. Make alternatives clear, exhaustive, and mutually exclusive in the case of closed ended questions.
Avoid any leading, loaded, or double-barreled questions, which would result in biases in responses
Be as concise as possible and present all conditional information prior to the key idea
Categories defined so that membership in one rules out membership in another
Mutually exclusive
Categories defined so that all possible cases will fall into one of them
Exhaustive
What are the advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys?
Advantages: low-cost, no interviewer bias, best for personal and sensitive topics where anonymity is preserved
Disadvantages: questions must be self-explanatory, little control over order of questions answered, response bias for example low response or return rate
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the personal interview?
Advantages: interviewer can motivate interviewees, clarify questions, and monitor order of questions answered. Higher response or return rate than in mail surveys. Possible to use of visual aid
Disadvantages: interview were biased, much more expensive than Mail or telephone surveys, difficulty reaching interviewees, potential interviewer affect where respondents say what they think the interviewer wants to hear. Supervision of interviewers more difficult
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the telephone survey?
Advantages: easier access to respondents, quick completion, tighter supervision of interviewers, low cost, and possibility of using computer-assisted interviews
Disadvantages: possible selection bias, only suitable for short straightforward surveys, possible interview were biased, telemarketing and donation solicitation and options to screen calls and to use voicemail have reduced excess ability. Impossible to use visual aids. Less anonymous than mail or web-based surveys
What are the vantages and disadvantages of using Internet surveys?
Advantages: efficient, low cost and speedy, potential to reach a large number of respondents of diverse backgrounds and from difficult to access populations. Can control sequence and branching of questions, and can check for invalid response is easily and consistently
Disadvantages: response bias the same as other methods, selection bias for instance accessibility to the Internet, websites for special interest groups. Difficulty controlling how the surveys completed alone or in groups, clarity of instructions, limiting distractions. Difficulty and checking variables about the respondent such as their gender or age that are of interest to the researcher
Population subgroups for who selection the researcher uses hit or miss methods
Haphazard sample
A non-random sample that is chosen for some characteristic that it possesses. It is not selected randomly but for some particular reason
Purpose of sample
A non-random sample that is chosen for practical reasons
Convenience sample
A sample in which every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected
Random sample
A population as it is defined for the purposes of selecting subjects for astudy. The population that you will work with for your particular study.
Sampling frame
Individual member of a sampling frame
Element
A probability sample that is not randomly selected
Systematic sample
Group chosen from an entire population such that every member of the population has an equal and independent chance of being selected in a single sample
Simple random sample
A random sample in which two or more subsamples are represented according to some predetermined portion, generally in the same proportion as they exist in the population
Stratified random sample
Group selected by clusters or groupings from a larger population
Cluster sample. Used when the population would be impossible impractical to number, for instance making a list of every person in Canada would be impossible
Distinguish between a sample, population, sampling frame, element
A sample of the subset of individuals, a population is all individuals of interest to the researcher, sampling frame is a specific list of individuals in the population, each individual who falls within the sampling frame is called an element
The extent to which the results of a sample are generalizable to the population depends on the degree to which the sample is _________ of the population
Representative. A sample is representative of the population on the sample of the same distribution of characteristics as a population. When some segments of the population are overrepresented in the sample, selection bias results
How can response rate be increased?
The highest response rate occurs for personal interview surveys. The response rate for mail surveys is highest when the questionnaire has a personal touch, the effort required from the respondent is minimal, the topic of the survey is of interest to the respondent, and the respondent identifies with the sponsoring organization or the researcher conducting the survey. Researchers can increase return rate by administering the survey in groups if attendance my group members is high
Describe how questions should be ordered in a questionnaire
For self-administered questionnaires such as mail surveys, you should ask those questions first letter of greatest interest of the respondents so as to capture their attention, and to leave the questions about demographic data at the end. In personal or telephone interviews, it is important for the interview were to establish rapport with the respondent so beginning with questions that are easy to answer, such as demographic questions is best.
The generally excepted Methodist to begin with the most general question and then move onto more specific questions within a general topic.
For what purposes or surveys used and what are their characteristics?
The purpose of the survey is simply to determine how people feel about a particular issue, such as gun control or the performance of the president of the United States. They provide an opportunity to examine correlations among the participants responses and to look for possible patterns of cause-and-effect. They also help to dispel myths.
Surveys have several characteristics, they generally involve sampling, the self reporting of behaviors, feelings, thoughts, preferences, either in an oral or written form. All respondents answer the same set of predetermined questions to allow for comparison of responses
