Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

1
Answei each of the following essay questions. Be suie to explain youi answeis fully.
uive examples to illustiate youi statements thioughout.

Complete answeis will be compiiseu of thiee paits:

i) A statement oi statements that answei the question

ii) An explanation of that statement(s)

iii) Examples to illustiate those explanations.

!" $%&'( )*+, -.(-/01,+%-'1 1*2/3& 42/ -2%1.&'( -2%&/-,.%5 1/(6'4
('1'+(-*7

Seveial cential issues shoulu be consiueieu befoie conuucting suivey ieseaich.
Each of the cential oi funuamental issues is basically stiaightfoiwaiu. Fiist, the
ieseaichei neeus a fiim giasp of the topic unuei stuuy. In othei woius, one must
unueistanu the subject sufficiently to constiuct "stiuctuieu questions." 0ften, it is
necessaiy to conuuct exploiatoiy ieseaich - using such methouologies as
stiuctuieu inteiviews, case stuuies, liteiatuie ieviews, oi focus gioups - as aius in
uefining the pioblem oi issue anu then foimulating well-ciafteu ieseaich questions.
In auuition to unueistanuing the topic, theie's no neeu to ie-invent the wheel. That
is to say, if the infoimation iequiieu is alieauy available, cuiient, anu accessible, one
can use that infoimation. Anothei stuuy is supeifluous.
An inteiesting anu, I think, uifficult issue in conuucting suivey ieseaich involves
who has the infoimation one neeus - exactly to whom woulu a ieseaichei
auministei the suivey. Anu, if one is seeking specializeu oi iaiifieu infoimation what
sampling stiategy will piouuce the most iepiesentative anu accuiate uata. Finally,
one neeus to consiuei whethei the population unuei stuuy will supply tiuthful oi
accuiate answeis to one's suivey questions. This is an issue in any stuuy - even if
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

2
the sample population is not being questioneu about illegal behaviois. 0ften
iesponuents feel embaiiasseu to aumit a lack of knowleuge in an aiea oi they
intenu to bolstei theii sense of self-esteem, so answeis woulu be uistoiteu. A sounu
suivey oi questionnaiie can contiol foi this up to a point.
8" 9&'%,.:4 ,*' 1'6'% 1,';1 .%6236'& .% -+((4.%5 2/, 1/(6'4 ('1'+(-* +%&
<(.':34 '=;3+.% )*+, '+-* '%,+.31"

Remlei anu van Ryzin (2u11) iuentify seven stages in conuucting suivey
ieseaich. Each is quite stiaightfoiwaiu on the suiface. As stateu in the pievious
section, one must iuentify the population that will have the knowleuge one is
seeking. While the concept is cleai-cut, actually ueteimining how to sample the
population while pieventing as much bias as possible becomes the challenge.
Aftei soiting thiough how to sample the population in question oi unuei stuuy,
one neeus a questionnaiie that will yielu the uata uiiectly ielevant to one's stuuy.
The questions not only neeu to be on topic, they also neeu piecise ciafting, so that
any potential ambiguity oi confusion with a question is aveiteu. In ciafting
peitinent questions, one can employ focus gioups anu iuentify impoitant issues to
incluue in the suivey.
When ciafting the suivey itself, Remlei anu van Ryzin suggest making a list of
potential topics anu outlining them. Then, ieview the liteiatuie anu iuentify othei
cieuible suiveys that may have been useu in ielateu ieseaich. These questions can
be built upon anu utilizeu in constiucting one's own suivey. In utilizing questions
that aie establisheu, one also has a basis foi compaiison.
The thiiu stage in cieating a suivey involves pie-testing it. Two soits of pie-
testing aie iuentifieu in the text: cognitive pie-testing anu fielu pie-testing.
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

S
Cognitive pietesting ielates to ueteimining if all the questions aie cleai -
ieseaicheis can auministei the suivey, then "ue-biief" the paiticipants. The
objective with cognitive pie-testing is to claiify any confusing questions as well as
uesign. Fielu pie-testing involves the "uiess ieheaisal." That is, ieseaicheis
auministei the suivey unuei the exact - oi as close as possible - conuitions as the
actual ieseaich. This incluues setting up all piotocols anu pioceuuies such as
pioceuuies foi ueliveiy anu collection of the suivey. Any systemic glitches can be
iuentifieu anu coiiecteu befoie caiiying out the actual ieseaich.
If one uses inteivieweis, it is essential to tiain inteivieweis. They all neeu to use
the same woiuing when uistiibuting the suivey, giving instiuctions, anu collecting.
Peisonal qualities such as "fiienuliness anu tiustwoithiness" as well as an
appieciation of the impoitance of following exact pioceuuies aie necessaiy.
Tiaining of inteivieweis shoulu be caiiieu out. The thiee tiaining components
involve teaching inteivieweis inteiviewing ethics - such ethics involve ieauing
questions in a neutial tone, not asking leauing questions, anu not tiying to pieuict
answeis. In shoit, an inteiviewei neeus to convey consistent neutiality with eveiy
subject oi iesponuent. Inteivieweis also neeu to unueistanu any specific guiuelines
oi vocabulaiy ielateu to the suivey.
Aftei the suivey is completeu, auministiatois neeu to collect uata. Cleaily the
suivey methou employeu will play a laige iole in the uata collection. If inteivieweu,
will the inteiview be iecoiueu anu then tiansciibeu as an initial step in uata
collection. If email is employeu, how will one amass all suiveys completeu anu, then
ietuineu. 0ften, uuiing the auministiation anu collection of the suivey, aujustments
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

4
aie necessaiy. 0ne may neeu to follow up anu contact non-iesponueis - eithei
thiough phone calls, email, mailings oi physical visits. Follow up effoits with non-
iesponueis is impoitant - the gieatei numbei of completeu suiveys, the stiongei
one's stuuy may potentially be.
Bata analysis, again, will uepenu laigely on the suivey methou. If an inteiview has
been tiansciibeu, the iesponses iequiie couing. An optical scannei coulu also be
utilizeu; if so, the scannei will iuentify specific answeis. Bepenuing on the extent of
the sample, one coulu use oveilay techniques in examining iesponses to questions.
0sing an electionic means of analyzing uata necessitates a thoiough check of the
uatabase - aie fielus uesciibeu accuiately anu aie columns aligneu.
Finally, it is a goou iuea to uocument the pioceuuies useu in uata analysis.
Besciibing the uata, uating when the suivey was auministeieu anu when the uata
weie collecteu iecoiu the piotocols. In auuition, one shoulu uesciibe the file layout.
The final stage in suivey ieseaich entails statistical analysis of the uata - anu then
the piesentation of one's finuings.
>" ?*' ,'=, .&'%,.:.'1 '.5*, &.::'('%, ,4;'1 2: 1/(6'41" @'3'-, :.6' ABC 2: ,*'1'
+%& .&'%,.:4 +C )*+, ., .%6236'1D <C .,1 1,('%5,*1D +%& -C .,1 )'+E%'11'1"

I am selecting five types of suiveys on the basis of those that I feel might be
methouologies oi pioceuuies piouuctive in my ieseaich inteiests. These five
methous incluue: Inteicept Inteiview Suiveys, Telephone Inteiview Suiveys, Nail
Self-Auministeieu Suiveys, Web oi Inteinet Suiveys, Panel oi Longituuinal Suiveys.
I will uiscuss each of these methouologies below.



Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

S
"#$%&'%($ "#$%&)*%+ ,-&)%./

Inteicept inteiview suiveys involve a soit of convenience sampling - inuiviuuals
aie sampleu systematically - at specifieu inteivals. Then the auministiatoi oi
ieseaichei appioaches a peison, baseu on an establisheu inteival, in a public venue
anu (aftei an agieement) inteiviews them. They aie saiu to be quick to auministei,
but they aie not auvantageous foi lengthy (in-uepth) questionnaiies. I can see
seveial useful applications of this type of suivey in my fielu of enueavoi - while
inteiesteu in how scholais utilize uigital tools; uigital aichives - when uone well --
aie excellent iesouices foi euucatois, stuuents, ieseaicheis, anu aitists looking to
fuithei innovative ieseaich anu knowleuge piouuction.
0%1%(23#% "#$%&)*%+ ,-&)%./

Telephone inteiview suiveys aie wiuely useu; they aie quick, inexpensive, anu
use ianuom uialing (as most of us have expeiienceu). If one is looking to sample a
specializeu population, lists (such as membeiships in associations) aie employeu
anu iesponuents woulu be ianuomly selecteu. These aie inexpensive with iapiu
uata collection. The uownsiue, anu I think this is becoming moie of an issue, is
householu fatigue - uue to telemaiketeis anu funuiaiseis (as stateu in the
textbook). Potential iesponuents iefuse to paiticipate; they aie woin out with
anonymous uemanuing phone calls. (0ne wonueis about the ethics of incessant
intiusiveness in a peison's home.) Nonetheless, the telephone suivey, can obtain
immeuiate uata fiom sample, ianuomizeu.



45*1 ,%16789:*#*/$%&%9 ,-&)%./
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

6

The methou involves mailing a questionnaiie to potential iesponuents - soit of a
shotgun appioach -- anu incluuing instiuctions on how to self-auministei the
questionnaiie. Because the questionnaiie is self-auministeieu - meaning the
instiuctions aie wiitten anu the iesponuent is expecteu to unueistanu - each
question iequiies cleainess anu piecision. In auuition, such a self-auministeieu
suivey necessitates peisuasive explanation anu iequest to complete. This iequiies
iesponuents to unueistanu the impoitance of the ieseaich anu iesponu accoiuingly.
Impoitantly, such an appioach assumes oi iequiies liteiacy in the suivey language
of all iesponuents. The upsiue is a foimalizeu appioach, the !"#$%&'( ('*#+, -'!.%(
/TBN) uesigneu by Billman (2uu7), that focuses on all components of the suivey -
fiom initial mateiials to the suivey, its foimatting, timing anu follow up. TBN
emphasizes multiple contacts with vaiying foims. This appioach cleaily outlines a
seiies of behaviois involveu in caiiying out the suivey iequest.
;&3-( ,%16789:*#*/$%&%9 ,-&)%./

The gioup self-auministeieu suivey is ueliveieu wheie theie is a community oi
gioup - piobably inteiesteu in the potential benefits of the ieseaich, so moie
compliant in agieeing to paiticipant. It is cost effective, quick, anu the tiaineu
auministiatoi oi ieseaichei is piesent to oveisee the piocess. The uisauvantages
involve potential intei-iesponuent influences, uisinteiest if the ieseaich is not
seiving theii gioup's inteiests, anu a laige sampling eiioi - that coulu possibly
negate the stuuy's finuings.



Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

7
<%= 3& "#$%&#%$ ,-&)%./

Web suiveys geneially involve embeuuing a link that leaus to an online suivey
within an email. Accoiuing to the textbook, web suiveys have "emeigeu as one of
the most impoitant anu wiuely useful alteinatives to the moie tiauitional moues of
uata collection." (Remlei anu van Ryzin, 2u11). They aie also iefeiieu to as online
suiveys anu Inteinet suiveys. Impoitantly, web suiveys have spawneu an entiie
inuustiy of suppoit foi them, fiom self-auministeiing softwaie to specialists
offeiing online suivey seivices. Web suiveys aie most poweiful when theie is an
establisheu gioup oi community that paiticipates in e-mail inteichanges oi in
tiacking habitual useis to a paiticulai website. They aie low cost anu, if
membeiship in a gioup oi association is laige, can ianuom sample. If the population
oi iuentifieu gioup is sufficiently laige - a census can be obtaineu.
F" G2%1,(/-, + ,+<3' )*.-* 1/00+(.H'1 42/( ('1;2%1'1 .% I/'1,.2% >" J2(
'=+0;3'D -('+,' + -23/0% .% ,*' ,+<3' :2( '+-* 2: ,*' :2332).%5 -+,'52(.'1 K
1/(6'4 ,4;'D )*+, ., .1D 1,('%5,*1D )'+E%'11'1 K +%& :.33 .% ,*' -'331 <'32) ).,*
42/( +%1)'(1"


@/(6'4 ?4;' @,('%5,*1 L'+E%'11'1
Inteicept Inteiview Suiveys


Quick to auministei

Sampleu systematically - at
specifieu inteivals

Public venue

Not auvantageous foi lengthy
questionnaiies
Telephone Inteiview Suiveys


Quick, inexpensive, anu use
ianuom uialing

Responuents ianuomly

Bouseholu fatigue -
iesponuents iefuse to
paiticipate
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

8
selecteu

Suiteu to specializeu
population

Inexpensive & iapiu uata
collection
Nail Self-Auministeieu Suiveys


Foimalizeu appioach
(TBN)

Focuses on all components
of suivey -foimatting,
timing & follow up

Nultiple contacts with
vaiying foims

Each question iequiies
cleainess anu piecision

Peisuasive explanation anu
iequest to complete

Requiies liteiacy in the suivey
language
uioup Self-Auministeieu Suiveys


Compliant in agieeing to
paiticipant

Cost effective, quick

Tiaineu auministiatoi oi
ieseaichei piesent

Potential intei-iesponuent
influences

Bisinteiest

Potential laige sampling eiioi
Web oi Inteinet Suiveys


Low cost, laige population,
ianuom sample
Speeu
Can have "unique" elements
-- multimeuia
Real-time viewing of
iesponses

Email, spam fatigue

Cheapeneu communication,
sample feels unobligateu to
iesponu

Technological issues aiise


Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

9
B" G20;+(' +%& -2%,(+1, ,*' +&6+%,+5'1 +%& &.1+&6+%,+5'1 2: -2%&/-,.%5
.%,'(6.')1 ,(+&.,.2%+334 .% ;'(12% 61" /1.%5 -20;/,'( +11.1,'& .%,'(6.')
,'-*%.I/'1"

Fiist, I think it uepenus - it uepenus on the inteiviewei anu it uepenus on the
quality of the uigital voice oi computei-assisteu inteiview (I am taking computei-
assisteu inteiview as a uigital inteiview - not an online suivey). Then, it uepenus on
peisonality chaiacteiistics anu expeitise of the iesponuents. So, I uon't have an
unconuitional peispective. (This woulu be an inteiesting stuuy - oi an inteiesting
stuuy to ieau.)
0ne auvantage to a tiauitional inteiviewei woulu be allowing sufficient time oi
peiceiving the ieaction time of the iesponuent anu allowing time (whethei less oi
moie) to iesponu. In an inteiview, I woulu expect some to become giauually
comfoitable, anu as they become comfoitable, they may be inteiesteu in expiessing
theii iesponse anu exploiing the question within, pioviuing moie uepth. I think this
is piobably the most impoitant - anu an emphatically impoitant aspect of the
tiauitional inteiview.
Bowevei, if one is inteiviewing subjects about a topic iequiiing theii expeit
input, time anu ieflection may not be as impoitant. They will unueistanu, consiuei
theii time impoitant, anu succinctly iesponu with quality. Some can say moie in two
woius than otheis in a 1uu. The questions though neeu to ieflect cleai knowleuge of
the topic; this gaineis iegaiu anu sets up a context foi ielevant anu moie piecise
ieplies.
I think the uigital voice oi inteiviewei cieates a uistance, so if the topic oi the
iesponuent iequiies uetachment anu ielatively assuieu confiuentiality, a uigital
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

1u
inteiviewei woulu elicit a iesponse that a tiauitional situation anu inteiviewei
might not (again, uepenus on the peiceiveu tiustwoithiness of the inteiviewei). I
think it is easiei to lie anu fake iesponses to an aitificial entity - uigital voice - than
anothei peison. 0n balance, I believe a tiauitional inteiview woiks best - anu one
shoulu iecoiu the inteiview (anu iecoiuing has anothei set of issues) anu
tiansciibe. This is costly, time consuming, anu laboi-intensive. But, I think the uata
collecteu will be iichei, have moie uepth, anu peisonal sense than a uigital situation.
M" 9&'%,.:4 )*+, 42/ <'3.'6' +(' ,*' ,*('' 021, .0;2(,+%, ;.'-'1 2: +&6.-' .%
,*' )2(&.%5 2: 1/(6'4 I/'1,.2%1 ,*+, +(' .&'%,.:.'& .% 42/( ,'=," N=;3+.% )*4"

Actually, I think auvice on woiuing suivey questions is the same auvice in
woiuing stiong, cleai wiiting anu speech. 0se simple woius, smallei iathei than
laigei. Theie aie lots of ieasons foi this, but basically, simple woius pioviue moie
claiity anu aie geneially less ambiguous with fewei iefeients. Also, most people
tiust stiaightfoiwaiu language moie than long, convoluteu sentences with
gianuiose woiuing.
0sing a few woius, iathei than many is similai to using simple woius. Theie is
moie claiity - the caveat is that the few woius must be apt anu piecise. Lots of
woius often cieate an illusion of authoiity oi euucation, but clutteiing one's
message with lots of woius obscuies one's meaning anu intent. So, fewei woius, but
apt.
Be suie that each question is technically accuiate. This seems unquestionable -
anu the example given is goou; technically one uoes not own if one has a moitgage.
So, it is moie accuiate, having less potential ambiguity, to say own (with oi without
a moitgage).
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

11

O" L*+, +(' ,*' ;(.0+(4 ',*.-+3 -2%1.&'(+,.2%1 ,*+, 1*2/3& <' +&&('11'&
)*'% -2%&/-,.%5 1/(6'417 L*.-* .1 ,*' 021, .0;2(,+%,7 L*47

Infoimeu consent is categoiically essential. Asking a peison to paiticipate in a
ieseaich stuuy oi suivey without iuentifying oneself as a ieseaichei conuucting a
stuuy in a paiticulai subject aiea is unpiincipleu, uisiespectful, anu potentially
haimful to subjects. Piivacy anu confiuentiality aie also piimaiy consiueiations.
Absolutely all ieseaich anu iesponses shoulu be confiuential - the pioviso might be
if a situation aiises when haim coulu come to eithei the iesponuent oi anothei as a
iesult of theii paiticipation. Bottom line is "fiist uo no haim."
Suiveying minois is unconscionable - othei foims of ieseaich can be conuucteu
with minois, but I uon't think that minois may fully fathom the situation anu the
impoitance of theii answeis. As fai as making suivey uata available foi public use -
I finu this inappiopiiate. Absolutely no uata shoulu be ieleaseu at any time when the
paiticipant, a paiticipant's family membei, oi ciicle of associates coulu be
embaiiasseu oi haimeu. This, of couise, incluues those suivivois of a paiticipant.
P" L*+, .1 ,*' &.::'('%-' <',)''% -2%&/-,.%5 1/(6'41 +%& -2%&/-,.%5
141,'0+,.- 2<1'(6+,.2%17 J2( )*+, ,4;' 2: ('1'+(-* I/'1,.2%1 )2/3& ,*' 3+,,'(
<' 02(' ('3'6+%,7

The funuamental uiffeience between conuucting suiveys anu systematic
obseivation is awaieness. With a suivey the iesponuent is awaie that they aie being
obseiveu oi that his oi hei answeis to an inteiviewei oi suivey ielate to ieseaich.
With tiaineu obseivation the ieseaichei systematically obseives behaviois - but
those who aie obseiveu aie not awaie. It is possible that a gioup might be tolu that
a stuuy woulu be conuucteu - this is infoimeu consent - but the paiticipants woulu
Chaptei 7: Piimaiy Bata Collection Nillei_Paisey

12
not necessaiily be awaie of when oi wheie they aie obseiveu anu behaviois
quantifieu.