Topic 8: Primary data errors Flashcards
1
Q
What is primary data?
A
Data gathered specifically for the project at hand.
2
Q
What is survey research and what are its advantages?
A
- Surveys are a form of primary data collection by communicating with a representative sample
- Advantages are: a quick, cheap, efficient, accurate means of assessing information about a population
3
Q
What are the different types of error in research?
A
- Statistical Sampling error
- Non-sampling/systematic error(bias)
4
Q
What are the types of systematic error in primary data research?
A
- Respondent error
- Administrative error
5
Q
What types of respondent error are there?
A
- Non-response error (self-selection bias favouring extreme positions)
- Response error (intentional falsification or unintentional subconscious bias)
6
Q
What types of response error are there?
A
- Acquiescence bias (respondents tending to be more agreeable or disagreeable)
- Extremety bias (respondants always giving extreme answers instead of more neutral ones and vice versa
- Interviewer bias (any change in the respondent’s answers because of the presence of the interviewer; could be due to their presence, dress style, gender etc.)
- Social desirability bias (respondent giving answers to misstate their own level of prestige, e.g: overstating income, wealth, education etc.)
7
Q
What are the different types of administrative error?
A
- Data processing error (incorrect data entry, computer processing or data analysis errors)
- Sampling error (poor sampling design or poor sample execution
- Interviewer error (interview making mistakes and failing to correctly record interview responses)
- Interviewer cheating (deliberate falsification of survey responses by interviewer)
8
Q
How to deal with response error?
A
Consider:
* Structure of the survey
* Layout of the survey
* Operationalizing the variable(asking same question in a variety of ways)
* Asking the negative version of a question to see if responses are consistent
