The Survey Research Handbook

500 Pages·1985·27.761 MB·English

by  Pamela L. Alreck

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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2018 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/surveyresearchhaOOOOalre
The Survey Research
Handbook
Guidelines and Strategies
for Conducting a Survey
VI Preface
\
numeric—what statistic to use or how to organize a table or graph. All the people, computers,
words, and numbers involved might look intimidating to those approaching a survey for
the first time. However, they need not be afraid!
This handbook brings together all the different techniques and principles, skills and activ¬
ities required to do a really effective survey. It isn’t devoted to any one specific area but
instead provides comprehensive coverage of a wide variety of skills new researchers will
need to know to conduct good, sound survey research. This handbook will lead an inex¬
perienced researcher through each step of the process from beginning to end, providing the
most effective techniques and strategies every step of the way.
Researchers with substantial experience will find this handbook a valuable reference tool.
Whether seeking suggestions on survey planning, trying to find the best scale for a particular
measurement, or looking for ideas about report presentations, the answers are here. With
over 300 guidelists, checklists, examples, figures, summaries, and tables, there’s a wealth of
reference information that the survey research professional can find quickly and easily.
In writing this book, our objective has been to make it as understandable as possible. As
you read it, you won’t find a lot of buzzwords or obscure terms. You won’t find a lot of
Greek symbols or statistical computations either. (The statistical computations survey
researchers need are built into readily available computer programs, so there’s really no need
for complex terminology or mathematical equations to be given.) Even the most technical
material is expressed in plain, ordinary language. Our goal has been to make this an under¬
standable, practical, hands-on guidebook for survey sponsors, information seekers, and
researchers.
Pamela L. Alreck
Robert B. Settle
PART I Planning and Designing the PART TV Interpreting and Reporting
Survey Results
CHAPTER 1 Initiating a Survey 3 CHAPTER 10 Analyzing the Results 267
CHAPTER 2 Planning the Project 25 CHAPTER 11 Interpreting Statistics 305
CHAPTER 3 Designing the Sample 54 CHAPTER 12 Reporting the Information 347
APPENDIX A Conducting Focus
PART II Developing Survey Instruments
Groups 393
CHAPTER 4 Composing Questions 87
APPENDIX B Statistical Tables 408
CHAPTER 5 Creating Item Scales 113
APPENDIX C Report Presentations 424
CHAPTER 6 Building Questionnaires 143
Glossary 442
PART III Collecting and Processing Data
Index 459
CHAPTER 7 Mail Data Collection 183
CHAPTER 8 Gathering Interview Data 210
CHAPTER 9 Processing the Data 236

PART I Planning and Designing the Instrumentation 42
Data Processing 44
Survey
Report Generation 46
Project Costs and Timing 46
CHAPTER 1 Initiating a Survey 3
Cost Estimation 46
Why Surveys Are Conducted 3
Project Timing 50
Surveys of an Audience 3 The Final Project Plan 53
Surveys of a Clientele 4
Surveys of Other Populations 4 CHAPTER 3 Designing the Sample 54
Expectations of Survey Results 5
The Purpose of Sampling 54
Survey Attributes 5
Survey Limitations 6 Specification of Population 54
Surveys Don’t Dictate Decisions 7 Sample Unit Specification 55
Sample Frame Selection 56
The Roles of the Participants 8
Reliability and Validity 56
The Sponsor’s Role 8
Validity and Bias 58
The Researcher’s Role 8
Reliability and Eiror 58
Potential Survey Topics 11
Sample Size Determination 59
Attitudes 11
Sample Size and Error 59
Images 14
Confidence Level 60
Decisions 15
The Outside Limits 62
Needs 17
Variance in the Population 64
Behavior 18
Subsample Sizes 67
Lifestyles 20
Judgment and Determination 68
Affiliations 21
Preliminary Sampling 69
Demographics 23
Sample Selection Methods 70
Conclusion 24
Random Sampling Benefits 70
Stratified Sampling 70
CHAPTER 2 Planning the Project 25
Cluster Sampling 72
The Survey Process 25 Quota Sampling 75
Specifying Information Needs 26 Special Designs 76
Survey Information Value 171 Sample Selection Procedure 77
Planning the Survey Elements 30 Random Selection Methods 77
Data Collection 32 Sample Selection Bias 79
Sampling Design 37 Science and Art of Sampling 82
IX
X Contents
Grouping Items Both Ways 154
PART II Developing Survey Instruments
Directing Response Flow 155
CHAPTER 4 Composing Questions 87 Conditional Branching 155
Unconditional Branching 158
The Core of the Survey 87
Branching Limitations 158
Basic Attributes of Questions 88
Unlimited Branching 159
Expressing the Questions 90
Composing Instructions 160
Instrumentation Bias and Error 93
Concluding the Questionnaire 167
Sources of Response Bias 99
Minimizing Threat or
Question Format 105
Intimidation 167
Composing Categorical Items 107
The Demographic Section 168
Verbal and Numeric Scaling 111
Precoding the Questionnaire 170
Precoding Record Formats 170
CHAPTER 5 Creating Item Scales 113
Pretesting the Questionnaire 178
Why Scales Are Used 113
Specificity of Scales 113
PART III Collecting and Processing Data
Multiple-Choice Questions 115
Multiple-Response Items 115
CHAPTER 7 Mail Data Collection 183
Single-Response Items 115
Conventional Scale Types 116 Mail Survey Characteristics 183
The Likert Scale 116 Mailing Piece Production 184
The Verbal Frequency Scale 118 The Paper Stock 184
The Ordinal Scale 120 Print Characteristics 185
The Forced Ranking Scale 121 Page Layout 187
The Paired Comparison Scale 124 Assembling The Piece 188
Tire Comparative Scale 124 Vendors and Services 189
The Linear, Numeric Scale 127 Mailing Piece Components 193
The Semantic Differential Scale 128 The Mailing Envelope 193
The Adjective Checklist 130 The Cover Letter 194
The Semantic Distance Scale 132 The Questionnaire 198
The Fixed Sum Scale 133 The Return Envelope 200
Scale Combinations 134 Inducements to Respond 200
The Multiple-Rating List 135 Selecting Inducements 201
The Multiple-Rating Matrix 135 Types of Inducements 202
The Diagram Scale 137 Mailing and Receipt 205
Nonverbal Scales 138 Self-Administered Surveys 207
The Picture Scale 140
The Graphic Scale 140 CHAPTER 8 Gathering Interview Data 210
Scale Selection Criteria 140
Role of the Interviewer 210
Mode of Interviewing 210
CHAPTER 6 Building Questionnaires 143
Data Collection Agencies 212
Function of the Questionnaire 143 Agency Data Collection Process 213
Survey Introduction 144 Interviewer Management
A Sample Questionnaire 144 Functions 217
Questionnaire Organization 144 Interviewing Error 223
Creating Questionnaire Sections 153 Interviewing Bias 225
Grouping Items by Topic 153 The Interview Questionnaire 225
Grouping Items by Scaling The Personal Interviewing Process 231
Technique 154 The Telephone Interview Process 233