Week 1 (Introduction to Survey Research Methods)

Question 1

What does “instrument” mean

Answer 1

A way of collecting data: This cane a questionnaire, individual interview, group interview, observation, checklist etc.

Question 2

What does “Survey” mean

Answer 2

The instrument AND process of collecting, analysing, and interpreting the data.

Question 3

What does “Scale” mean

Answer 3

A set of items that measure different aspects of a single construct. Sometimes called “the measure”

Question 4

What does “Subscale” mean

Answer 4

Sub-sets of items measuring different aspects of the thing we are trying to measure overall.

Question 5

What does “item” mean

Answer 5

A question, along with the rating scale used to answer it

Question 6

What does “self-report” mean

Answer 6

A measure relying on participants reporting what they did/do/will do

Question 7

What does “Observation” mean

Answer 7

A behaviour that researchers observe, then put into a category

Question 8

What kind of data can we get from surveys?

Answer 8

-Attitudes
-Behaviours and behavioural intentions
-Demographic information
-Evaluations
-Traits and stats

Question 9

Exploratory surveys

Answer 9

Investigating new phenomena, new issues
-Improves our understanding of the relationship between variables
-Preliminary, so we’re not always interested in generalising what we find to the whole population.

Question 10

Descriptive surveys

Answer 10

When, where, and with whom a phenomenon occurs
-Very interested in generalising to the population
-Create a sample that allows us to do that

Question 11

Explanatory/ predictive surveys

Answer 11

Aim to explain why phenomena occur
-We’re sometimes interested in generalising to the whole population