1. McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 Initiating a Survey

2. 1-2 Survey Populations An Audience People to whom the sponsor directs messages A Clientele People to whom sponsor sells or provides goods Other Populations Groups of interest to scientists and academics

3. 1-3 Survey Objectives To influence or persuade some audience or constituency more effectively To successfully create or modify a product or service provided to a clientele To better understand, predict or modify human behavior or conditions

4. 1-4 Survey Attributes Data can be collected online or by mail, telephone, or personal interview Surveys can measure very simple or very complex things Surveys can sample very few people or the entire population

5. 1-5 Survey Attributes Surveys can be customized to fit the exact needs of the situation By sampling, only a fraction of the population needs to be surveyed With careful design, large quantities of data can be obtained quickly

6. 1-6 Survey Limitations Sometimes answers are socially acceptable, rather than the truth Surveys are costly in terms of time, effort, and money Usually no information is far better than erroneous information Even when correctly done, survey information may be inconclusive

7. 1-7 Guidelines For Sponsors Don’t be secretive, provide sufficient background information about the problem Describe the issues or uncertainties and the type of information that would solve the problem Indicate what decisions, choices, or actions will be based on the survey results Estimate the value of the information and specify how much time and funding is available

8. 1-8 Guidelines For Researchers Indicate survey capabilities and limitations to the sponsor Get enough background information from the sponsor Question the sponsor about the problems, uncertainty, or issues Ask what decisions or choices rest on the survey results

9. 1-9 Guidelines For Researchers Assess information value, time and resource availability Describe what sponsor participation will be required Explain the ethical principles and responsibilities that apply

10. 1-10 Professional Ethics Always protect the project sponsor’s best interests All information obtained belongs to the sponsor Get prior, written permission to release information Refuse any project if the sponsor wants to bias the results If respondent anonymity is promised, never break it

11. 1-11 Professional Ethics Don’t identify individual respondents for sponsor retaliation Don’t identify them for solicitation unless they agreed It’s okay to withhold sponsor identification to respondents Return all files and materials to the sponsor at completion

12. 1-12 Attitudes Include all three components of attitudes Start with awareness and knowledge Consider unaided recall questions first Knowledge or Belief Knowledge or Belief Feeling or Emotion Feeling or Emotion Action or Behavior Action or Behavior

13. 1-13 Attitudes Measure positive/negative valence of feelings Measure both direction and intensity of feeling Knowledge or Belief Knowledge or Belief Feeling or Emotion Feeling or Emotion Action or Behavior Action or Behavior

14. 1-14 Attitudes Measure past actions or behavior Measure current policies or actions Measure plans or expectations for the future Knowledge or Belief Knowledge or Belief Feeling or Emotion Feeling or Emotion Action or Behavior Action or Behavior

15. 1-15 ___:___:___:___:___ Weak Young Unattractive Robust Drab Inexpensive Strong Old Attractive Fragile Colorful Expensive Images Use to measure multiple attributes or dimensions Question typical respondents to identify dimensions Choose dimensions most meaningful to respondents Randomly order items and incline them randomly Use about half positive and half negative items

16. 1-16 Images Obtain ratings of multiple objects for comparisons Obtain ratings of an ideal object as a benchmark Image profiles can be compared among objects Difference profiles from ideal can be compared ___:___:___:___:___ Weak Young Unattractive Robust Drab Inexpensive Strong Old Attractive Fragile Colorful Expensive

17. 1-17 Decisions Focus is mainly on choice process, rather than results Determine what information was used for evaluations How much information existed? How much sought?

18. 1-18 Decisions How much information came from: Direct, personal experience? Personal or social influence? Media or market sources? What level of media effect is applicable? Exposure Attention Content Impact Measure the evaluative criteria that underpin choice

19. 1-19 Objectives Motives Desires Preferences Goals Wants Needs Terms Identify the terms that are the most applicable to the information needs Vocabulary List the questions and answers in words and phrases everyone will understand

20. 1-20 Needs Scaling Consider scales that don’t allow rating everything as equally important Complexity Many things may satisfy one need and one thing may satisfy many needs Sensitivity Use projective methods to avoid threat or subconscious falsification

21. 1-21 Lifestyles Lifestyle patterns are based on activities, interests, opinions, possessions Find or compose items that are directly relevant to the information needs Use multiple items about similar issues to identify patterns of behavior Be ready to focus analysis on answers to multiple items to identify clusters

22. 1-22 Affiliations Consider both formal and informal groups and relationships as sources of influence Define groups simply and clearly so respondents know exactly who is included or referenced Decide whether the appropriate group is a comparative, normative, or informative reference

23. 1-23 Affiliations Consider both opinion leaders and key influentials as sources of social influence Understand that respondents can or will identify only approximate, not exact sources of influence

24. 1-24 Behavior Specify information needs according to “What, where, when, and how often?” Identify locations and actions that make responses comparable Use single- or multiple-response items based on whether they engage in one or multiple actions

25. 1-25 Behavior Behavior is often measured in times per period (Day, week, month, etc.) Aggregate intentions are much more predictive than individual intentions Use verbal frequency or fixed sum scales to measure proportions of times actions are taken

26. 1-26 Demographics Include all the demographic variables that may be systematically linked to important survey questions Measure demographic status of both male and female heads of household when survey topics include family issues Specify demographic categories in clear, simple terms that respondents will easily understand Choose demographic categories that are comparable with those used by other sources of secondary data

27. McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2004 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. End of Chapter 1