L5 Survey Research Flashcards
(43 cards)
What is survey research?
Research, based on a questionnaire to which respondents record their answers typically with closely defined alternatives
What is the ICS?
Index of Consumer Sentiment:
focused on past and current personal and general economic conditions
What is CBS?
Centraal Bureau Statistiek:
Focused, among others, on demographic, social and economic statistics
When to use surveys?
- When you want to say something about a population, but you cannot measure the whole population (very often)
- When you are interested in quantitative descriptors
- personal measures (archival is mostly only objective and not subjective)
What are the survey research design decisions?
- Operationalization of concepts (variables)
- Decide on survey mode
- Appearance of the questionnaire
- Data collection
What is operationalization
- Reduction of abstract concepts
* to render them measurable in a tangible way
What are off-the-shelf measures?
usen before and proven succesful by prior researchers
What are open-ended questions?
Allows respondents to answer a question in any way they choose
(+)No limit to possible responses, sometimes participants prefer own words
(-) More difficult to respond and analyze
What are closed-ended questions?
Asks the respondents to make choices
among a set of alternatives
(+) Help respondents to make quick decisions
(-) Alternatives need to be mutually exclusive and collective exhaustive
Single-item measures
When concrete singular object/attribute:
- maritial status
- profession
Multi-item measures
When measuring more abstract questions
In all other cases
• Use ‘off-the-shelf’ scales
• Develop your own scale
Mixed-mode designs
a combination of different survey models, leads to a trade-off costs and errors (e.g. web survey + mail to seniors)
Advantages and disadvantages of Off-the-shelf scales
(+) • Known and “good” validity and reliability • Comparability of results • Low cost
(-)
• Not tailored to your exact
research need
• Require translation if in different language (source of error)
Double barreled questions
question that lends itself to different possible responses to its subparts (2 subjects in one)
“How is the taste and appearance of your pancakes?”
ambiguous questions
the respondent may not be sure what the question exactly means
“Are you happy?”
Leading questions
lead the respondent to give the responses that the researcher would like them to give
“A true American’s favorite colors are red, white and blue. Are these your favorite colors?”
Loaded question
question phrased in an emotionally charged manner
“have you stopped cheating on tests?”
“do you still beat your wife”
Double negatives
unclear what people mean when answering yes/no
“Do you oppose not allowing the board to pass article 10 of the ballot?”
what are comparative scales (ranking scales)?
- Paired comparison
- Rank ordering
- Constant sum
Paired comparison
Now you will see ten pairs of shampoo brands. For each pair, please indicate which one of the two brands you would prefer for personal use
Rank ordering
Rank these brands in order of preference for personal use.
- Cola ___
- Ice Tea ___
- Fanta ___
Constant sum
Divide 100 points among the following brands, indicating your preference for personal use:
- Cola (points)
- Ice Tea (points)
- Fanta (points)
What are non-comparative scales (rating scales)
- Continuous rating scale
- Likert scale
- Semantic differentials
Continuous rating scale
- “How would you rate De Bijenkorf as a department store?”
* 0 ———————————- 100
