Chapter 5 - Survey Research

Question 1

What is the definition of Survey Research?

Answer 1

A specific type of field study that involves the collection of data from a sample group drawn from a well-defined population through the use of questions. Surveys can be administered via self-administered questionnaires, or through face-to- face or telephone interviews.

Question 2

What are the advantages of Survey Research?

Answer 2

1. Survey research is popular with social researchers who are interested in collecting primary data for describing a population which is too large to observe directly.
   
   2. Survey research is cost-effective and large amount of data can be collected within a short duration.
   3. Provides opportunity to sample a large number of participants.

Question 3

What are the challenges of using Survey Research?

Answer 3

1. Respondents must provide meaningful answers to the questions. This may be challenging as respondents may not always be able to understand the questions, or may interpret the questions in different ways.
   
   2. Respondents’ true attitudes or feelings toward the issue or topic being studied may not be captured fully by their responses to the survey questions.
   3. It is challenging to design a questionnaire that is comprehensive enough, yet feasible to administer. If it is too long, it will lead to respondent fatigue. If it is too short, there may be insufficient information to answer the research questions.
   4. The scope of the questionnaire should be sufficient to enable the researcher to answer the research questions.

Question 4

What are the 3 different types of survey?

Answer 4

1. Census surveys
2. Cross-sectional surveys
3. Longitudinal surveys

Question 5

What is a Pilot Test (The 3-step process)?

Answer 5

Pilot tests can be conducted at any stage in the development of the questionnaire, from conceptualisation to the fully developed draft which is ready to be implemented.

Question 6

Why should questionnaires be pilot tested?

Answer 6

• To provide the researcher with feedback on the survey process
  
  • To determine whether the questions can be understood by respondents, and whether the language/ terms used need to be modified
  • To determine whether the instructions are clear
  • To estimate the time taken to complete the questionnaire or interview, and the overall manageability of the survey.

Question 7

What is the 3-step process to pilot test a questionnaire?

Answer 7

1. Select a few people from the target group to comment on the language, clarity and length of the draft questionnaire. Revise the questionnaire based on these comments if necessary.
   
   2. After the revision, pilot test the amended questionnaire on several individuals who have the same characteristics as the individuals you are intending to survey in your actual study. The pilot test should focus on assessing interviewing techniques, completion time, and logistics, and determining whether the revised questions are clear, unambiguous, and answerable. For telephone interviews, the researcher may want to consider conducting the initial pilot face-to-face. This will allow the researcher to observe and note the respondent’s physical reactions to the questions. It is recommended that at least 10 pilot interviews be conducted.
   3. Finally, examine the questionnaire for completeness, omissions, layout problems, and proofing errors.

Question 8

What are open-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 8

• These are free response questions in which the respondents give their responses in their own words. These responses provide primarily qualitative data.
  
  • Ensure there is sufficient space for the respondents to write or type their answers if it is a self-report questionnaire.

Question 9

What are 2 reasons/advantages for using open-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 9

1. Makes respondents feel more at ease and in control because responses are provided in their own words
   
   2. Open-ended questions allow respondents to respond freely, without limits, and therefore can generate a wide range of responses

Question 10

What are the disadvantages for using open-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 10

1. It is time consuming for the respondents to complete and this may discourage some from completing the questionnaire
   
   2. If respondents are not able to write well, the information they provide may be lost in ‘translation’. Researcher may need to contact them personally to clarify, if it even possible to do so. This is very time-consuming and may frustrate the respondents.
   3. Responses need to be transcribed and coded. This is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process.

Question 11

When to use open-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 11

1. Open-ended questions can be used to gather more in-depth information from respondents particularly when research problem is a complex one.
2. To gather preliminary information for further quantitative research. Open-ended questions will reveal a variety of opinions and behaviours of the participants which are useful to the researcher when designing questions for quantitative research.
3. Provide an outlet for participants to voice their concerns or to provide more information to the researcher, particularly when the survey requires the participants to answer closed-ended questions on attitudes, opinions, or behaviours. These questions are usually placed at the end of a survey.

Question 12

What are close-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 12

• A closed-ended question offers the respondent a choice of answers.
  
  • In a self-report questionnaire, the respondent may be asked to tick a box corresponding to the answer, underline or circle the response.
  • The choice of response formats for closed-ended questions depends on the information requirements, the level of sensitivity that is needed in measuring the issue under investigation and the suitability of the method of data collection.

Question 13

What are 2 reasons/advantages for using close-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 13

1. Relatively easy to administer
   
   2. Takes up less time than open-ended questions
   3. Easier for data processing

Question 14

What are the disadvantages for using close-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 14

1. Difficult to design
2. Difficult to ensure that respondents are providing ‘real’ responses as some respondents may randomly answer in order to complete the questionnaire quickly
3. The researcher may overlook possible responses. For example, for the questions “what is the most important issue facing your family?”, the researcher may exclude issues that the respondent would have said was important
4. When questions are structured in the same way repeatedly, it can be boring and repetitive for the respondent

Question 15

When to use close-ended questions in surveys?

Answer 15

• To gather information from a large group of participants within a short duration; for example, feedback forms
  
  • Useful to measure the same participants over time; for example, to compare the opinions of social workers on wages over a period of five years
  • When trying to yield data that is easy to interpret, and can be analysed using statistical techniques.