1. Chapter 4 Survey Designs Winston Jackson and Norine Verberg Methods: Doing Social Research, 4e

2. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-2 Survey Design: Definitions Survey: A method of collecting information by having respondents complete a questionnaire Questionnaire: A formatted series of set questions in which the respondent is provided with either a space for an answer or fixed choices alternative

3. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-3 A Short History of the Survey Pre-modern Biblical references — count children of Israel Census taken in ancient Egypt First modern survey (19 th C), Charles Booth Three major surveys of London, England Focus on accurate measures of poverty First major Canadian survey Herbert Ames, The City Below the Hill (1897) Post-World War II — survey research extensively employed by social scientists

4. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-4 The Rationale of the Survey Relatively easy, inexpensive method of collecting information from a large number of people Used for large sample studies Use a sample to represent a larger population Population: collection of individuals, communities or nations about which one wishes to make a general statement Sample: a subset of the population which will be interpreted to represent the population

5. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-5 Guidelines: Administration Make personal contact with respondent Establish legitimacy Pay respondent, reciprocal relation Do not pressure respondents to participate Keep it simple Do quality control spot checks Report to respondent

6. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-6 Types of Surveys Self-administered questionnaires Individually delivered questionnaires Group-administered questionnaires Mailed questionnaires Internet-based surveys Telephone interviews Face-to-face (in-person) interviews Multiple methods

7. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-7 Hand-Delivered Questionnaires Delivered to a respondent by a researcher Provide brief explanation, answer questions, arrange for return of questionnaire Community, school, and workplace studies Tips Avoid mail backs or drop-box return method Pick up on time Record time/place information Provide envelope for privacy Slotted return box conveys anonymity

8. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-8 Group Administered Questionnaires Delivered to a group of respondents Students in classroom, employees at work Good response rate (informal pressure to participate), but not representative Tips Explain survey to respondents Administer at end of session

9. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-9 Mailed Questionnaires Delivered to respondent through the mail Relatively cheap, fast way to contact a large number of respondents Factors influencing response rate: Salience of topic Professional, well-presented appearance Official letterhead, contact numbers Incentives Number of contacts Government sponsored

10. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-10 Tips for Mailed Questionnaires Send letter of notification before sending questionnaire Letterhead and envelop should identify the sponsoring organization’s name — increases legitimacy Type respondent’s name in full (no initials) First-class mail, stamps, not metered Stamped envelope for return Where relevant, tell respondent why codes are used Include an incentive, use new currency Send follow-up postcard to thank/remind respondent Send second follow-up three weeks later Do final follow-up after six weeks by telephone

11. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-11 Internet-Based Surveys Delivered to respondent via the internet Recent experimentation with internet-based survey delivery E.g., email invitation to participate in a web survey Concerns Response rate Availability of a list of email addresses Sometimes a list is available (e.g., all libraries in a province, all students in a university) Internet access/ computer literacy varies Establishing a random sample (generalizability)

12. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-12 Telephone Survey Tips Questionnaire delivered by an interview during a telephone call Unique concerns Response rate Random sampling Tips Begin with salient and interesting questions Rules for determining who gets interviewed Monitor quality Simplify response categories

13. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-13 Face-to-Face Interview Collect data in an in-person interview Structured interview Questionnaire is read to respondent Interview schedule Questionnaire includes areas that include open-ended questions to solicit respondent insights or experiences Concerns: Expensive Selection and training of interviews

14. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-14 Multiple Methods With adequate resources, many survey researchers employ multiple methods to ensure adequate and representative response rate E.g., start off with a mailed survey, and follow- up with a telephone call with the option to complete the survey using another method (phone, on-line, etc.)

15. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-15 Panel Studies Survey respondents more than one time over a specified time period Why? Point-in-time data is not a sufficient basis for making causal inference Examine how certain social factors influence other social factors over time Panel studies produce longitudinal data Also called time-series data Expensive, but valuable source of data E.g., National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

16. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-16 Tips for Panel Studies At time of first interview, request name of relative or friend Original phone number Use phone directory from original time and current one Contact employer Contact neighbours Call people with same last name

17. © 2007 Pearson Education Canada4-17 Advantages and Limitations Advantages Can generalize about larger populations Can include several variables and probing questions Some cost advantages Limitations Validity must always be assessed Causality not assured; however, longitudinal data can provide powerful causal evidence