Surveys and Interviews
Survey
- useful way of obtaining information about people’s opinions, attitudes, preferences, and
behaviors simply by asking
- can be in the form of:
1. Self-administered questionnaires
2. Mail / computer / internet / telephone surveys
3. Face-to-face interviews
4. Focus group discussions
Advantages:
1. Used in gathering data about sensitive topics
2. Can gather large amounts of info in a shorter period
Ethical concerns:
1. Breach of confidentiality
2. Stress brought about by answering sensitive questions
It is important that the research objectives are mapped out as specific as possible before survey
construction
- write them down
- then decide the imposition of units (do you want your subjects to give long and free responses
to the questions or do you want to restrict their responses to a limited number of alternatives)
Important points for consideration
1. Open-ended or closed questions
- exhaustive options – all possible answers can be stated by the respondents
2. Levels of measurement
- the questions we ask are based on how we intend to use the data
3. Response styles
- willingness to answer
- position preference
- social desirability
- response acquiescence and deviation
4. Pilot testing
- pre-testing can help make the survey easier for the participants as feedbacks can be asked
from pilot participants
- context effects can be addressed
5. Reliability – extent to which the survey is consistent and repeatable
- responses to similar questions should be consistent
- similar responses across different survey-givers
- similar responses if it is given to the same person more than once
Survey
- useful way of obtaining information about people’s opinions, attitudes, preferences, and
behaviors simply by asking
- can be in the form of:
1. Self-administered questionnaires
2. Mail / computer / internet / telephone surveys
3. Face-to-face interviews
4. Focus group discussions
Advantages:
1. Used in gathering data about sensitive topics
2. Can gather large amounts of info in a shorter period
Ethical concerns:
1. Breach of confidentiality
2. Stress brought about by answering sensitive questions
It is important that the research objectives are mapped out as specific as possible before survey
construction
- write them down
- then decide the imposition of units (do you want your subjects to give long and free responses
to the questions or do you want to restrict their responses to a limited number of alternatives)
Important points for consideration
1. Open-ended or closed questions
- exhaustive options – all possible answers can be stated by the respondents
2. Levels of measurement
- the questions we ask are based on how we intend to use the data
3. Response styles
- willingness to answer
- position preference
- social desirability
- response acquiescence and deviation
4. Pilot testing
- pre-testing can help make the survey easier for the participants as feedbacks can be asked
from pilot participants
- context effects can be addressed
5. Reliability – extent to which the survey is consistent and repeatable
- responses to similar questions should be consistent
- similar responses across different survey-givers
- similar responses if it is given to the same person more than once
