Survey - How to
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This document provides an overview of survey research, including survey design, objectives, advantages, disadvantages, and methods of data collection. It discusses determining the information required and target respondents for a survey. Common data collection methods described are personal interviews, telephone interviews, mail surveys, and online surveys. Key factors in choosing a method include the target population, accessibility, and costs. Both structured and unstructured interview techniques are covered.
Survey - How to
- 2. Learning Objectives • Identify the information required to be collected through a survey • Describe and justify the appropriate respondents for a survey • Summarise the various communication techniques, including their strengths and limitations • Explain the factors that will influence the selection of a survey method • Choose an appropriate survey method for a given situation • Outline the issues involved when planning surveys internationally
- 4. Survey Design • Survey: the overall planning, design and administration process involved in obtaining data using a questionnaire • Respondents are asked questions regarding their behaviour, intentions, attitudes, awareness, motivations, and demographics and lifestyle What is the difference between a survey and a questionnaire???
- 5. Nature of surveys • Survey: a method of collecting primary data in which information is gathered by communicating with a representative sample of people. • Sample survey: more formal term for a survey. • Respondent: person who verbally answers an interviewer’s questions or provides answers to written questions. 5
- 6. Survey objectives: type of information gathered • Attempt to describe what is happening or to learn the reasons for a particular marketing activity. – Identifying characteristics of target markets – Measuring consumer attitudes – Describing consumer purchasing patterns. • Most often associated with quantitative findings, but can also be qualitative. 6
- 7. Advantages of surveys • Quick • Inexpensive • Efficient • Accurate • Flexible. 7
- 8. Advantages of Surveys Group Statistics Std. Error Gender N Mean Std. Deviation Mean How much have you Male 236 1283.4237 3502.02542 227.96244 spent, in total, on • Standardisation Internet shopping over Female the past 12 months? 212 1002.7311 1342.04673 92.17215 • Ease of administration • Ability to tap the ‘unseen’ • Large sample • Low cost • Increases geographic flexibility • Suitable for tabulations and statistical analysis • Generalisability • Sensitivity to subgroup differences
- 9. Disadvantages of Surveys • Difficult developing surveys • Need to develop constructs, scale measurements, survey design • Respondents may be unable/unwilling to provide the desired information • Structured and fixed responses • Difficult to probe
- 10. Determine the Information Required • Begin with clear research objectives, information needed, hypotheses and scope of the research • Use exploratory research to gain insight and clarification • Experience with similar studies • Good questionnaire design
- 11. From Whom • Target population will influence several aspects of survey design including: – survey communication method – question content – administration issues • Need to consider: –Who they are? –Where they are located geographically? –Accessibility?
- 12. How do you determine how many people are interviewed? William Burlace, Director, Media Services Roy Morgan Research
- 13. Methods of Data Collection • Personal interviewing • Telephone interviewing • Mail surveys • On-line surveys • Fax surveys } self-completion • Combinations of survey methods
- 14. Personal interviews • Form of direct communication in which an interviewer asks respondents questions face– to–face. • Versatile and flexible. 14
- 15. The advantages of personal interviews • Opportunity for feedback • Probing complex answers – Interviewer asks the respondent for clarification of answers. • Length of interview controlled • Completeness of questionnaire – Item non–response is least likely to occur. • Props and visual aids • High participation. 15
- 16. Disadvantages of personal interviews • Interviewer influence – Different interviewer characteristics and techniques • Lack of anonymity of respondent – Respondent may be reluctant to provide confidential information • Cost. 16
- 17. Personal interviews: Door-to-Door Interviews • Interview conducted at the respondent’s home Advantages • When personal contact is essential • Conducive environment to questioning process • Ability to explain complicated tasks • In-depth and detailed interviews can take place
- 18. Personal interviews: Executive Interviews • Interviewing business people at their offices Disadvantages • Very expensive • Experienced interviewers required
- 19. Personal interviews: Shopping Centre Intercept Advantages • Travel costs are eliminated • Interviewer can interact with respondents Disadvantages • Non-representative sample • Uncomfortable environment for respondents
- 20. Personal interviews: Purchase Intercept technique • Intercept customers while in the shopping environment Advantages • Aids buyer recall • Interviewer can interact with respondents Disadvantages • Access difficulties • Only purchasers are interviewed
- 21. Personal interviews: Computer Assisted • Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) • Direct entry of research information into a computerised database
- 22. Door–to–door interviews and shopping mall intercepts • Door–to–door interviews are conducted at respondents’ doorsteps. – An effort to increase the participation rate. – Call–backs are attempts to recontact individuals selected for a sample who were not available initially. • Mall intercept interviews are conduced in a shopping mall. – Lower costs but higher refusal rates. 22
- 23. Telephone interviews • Personal interview conducted by telephone. • Speedy data collection • Relatively inexpensive • Absence of face–to–face contact is more impersonal. • Cooperation • Representative samples • Lack of visual medium. 23
- 24. Telephone interviews • Central location: 1300 or 1800 lines to a central location • Computer–assisted: answers to telephone interviews entered directly into a computer. • Computerised voice–activated: done without human interviewers. • Random digit dialling: use of table of random numbers to contact respondents. 24
- 25. Telephone Interviewing Strengths • Relatively inexpensive • Yields a very high sample • Quick Weaknesses • Inability of respondents to see questions • Inability to observe respondents • Limitations on information quality and quantity • Sampling problems • People associate surveys with telemarketing
- 26. Telephone Interviewing cont. Traditional telephone interviews • Paper and pencil. Disadvantages • Difficult to measure quality control • High potential for errors • Difficult to determine time spent on surveys
- 27. Telephone Interviewing: Computer Assisted Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) • Computerised survey administered to respondents over the telephone
- 28. Telephone Interviewing: Computer Assisted cont. Advantages • Computer dials phone number • Computer skips questions Minimises • Can customise questions research errors • No editing required • Analysis can be done at any stage • Cost savings • Quality control • Time savings
- 29. Telephone Interviewing: Computer Automated Computer automated telephone systems (CATS) • Computer-synthesised voices are used to ask questions over the phone • Respondents select numbers on the telephone keypad to answer questions • Voice recognition is likely to be used in the future to record and count responses
- 30. Self Administered Surveys: Direct Mail • Survey is developed and mailed to pre- selected respondents who return the completed surveys by mail • Mail interview package consists of the outgoing envelope, cover letter, survey, return envelope
- 31. Self Administered Surveys: Direct Mail cont. Advantages • No interviewers to recruit, train, monitor and compensate • Inexpensive to implement • Can reach many people Disadvantages • Low response rate • Self-selection bias • Slow form of collection • Possible misunderstanding of skipped questions
- 32. Methods Used to Increase Response Rates • Preliminary notification • Foot-in-the-door • Personalisation • Anonymity • Response deadline • Appeals • Sponsorship • Incentives • Survey length • survey size, reproduction, and colour • Type of postage (outgoing) • Type of postage (return envelopes) • Follow-ups
- 33. Self Administered Surveys: Mail Panels • Large representative sample of households that have agreed to participate in periodic mail surveys, product tests and telephone survey
- 34. Self Administered Surveys: Mail Panels cont. Advantages • Panel can be tested prior to the survey to obtain a representative sample • Produces a higher response compared with direct mail • Allows for longitudinal research Disadvantage • May not be a representative sample
- 35. Example: Roy Morgan Single Source • Roy Morgan research company surveys over 50, 000 Australians each year on a range of topics which forms their Single Source Data – Lifestyle and attitudes – Media consumption habits – Brand and product usage – Purchase intentions – Service provider preferences – Financial information – Recreation and leisure activities Source: www.roymorgan.com
- 36. Explain the methodological rigor behind the single source monitor? William Burlace, Director, Media Services Roy Morgan Research
- 37. Response rate • The number of questionnaires returned or completed divided by the number of eligible people who were asked to participate in the survey. 37
- 38. Increasing response rates for mail surveys • Stamped return envelope • Attractive questionnaires • Cover letter • Monetary incentives or premiums • Interesting questions • Follow–ups • Advance notification • Survey sponsorship — auspices bias. 38
- 39. Self–administered questionnaires that use other forms of distribution • In–flight and in–store • Drop–off method • Email surveys • Internet surveys – Speed and cost–effectiveness – Visual appeal and interactivity – Respondent participation and cooperation – Representative samples – Accurate real–time data capture – Personalised and flexible questioning. 39
- 40. Self Administered Surveys: Drop-off Survey • A representative of the researcher hand- delivers survey forms to respondents; the completed surveys are returned by mail or picked up by the representative
- 41. Self Administered Surveys: Drop-off Surveys cont. Advantages • Availability of a person who can answer general questions • Screen potential respondents • Spur respondents in completing the survey Disadvantages • Fairly expensive in comparison to direct mail surveys
- 42. Computer Assisted Surveys: Fax Advantages • Flexibility of mail • Speed of the telephone • Administration and clerical functions can also be reduced • Fax implies urgency Disadvantages • Fax technology may not be used • Cost to respondents could reduce response rates • Technical problems • Lack of privacy may cause response problems • May lack clarity of image of a printed mail survey
- 43. Computer Assisted Surveys: E-Mail • A survey using plain text which is e-mailed for the respondent to read, complete and return Advantages • Fast • Inexpensive
- 44. Computer Assisted Surveys: On-line • Use HTML to write the survey. • Survey can be found on the web or emailed to a potential respondent Advantages • Prepared with speed and accuracy of electronics Disadvantages • Possible non-response bias • Respondents must seek the survey • May not be a representative sample
- 45. How have you changed the way you administer surveys at Colmar Brunton? Peter Kenny, Managing Director Colmar Brunton
- 46. Preparing your own on-line survey • A number of companies allow you to design your own survey – www.surveymonkey.com – www.zoomerang.com • Some research companies have their own panel whom they send surveys to if they meet the criteria specified by the researcher. – www.researchnow.com.au – http://au.acnielsen.com/industry/online.sh – www.theoru.com.au
- 47. A Comparative Evaluation of Survey Methods
- 48. Combining Methods • Several alternatives are available • Allows researcher to capitalise on strengths and minimise limitations of methods involved • Overall goal is to improved response rates
- 49. Factors Affecting Choice of Survey Method • Sampling • Type of population • Question form • Question content • Response rates • Costs • Available staff • Time
- 50. Length of Questionnaire • Influenced by: – information required – characteristics of respondents – communication method Example: Shopping centre intercepts are typically 5 minutes or less so pointless drafting lengthy survey
- 51. Errors in survey research 51
- 52. Random sampling error • A statistical fluctuation that occurs because of change variation in the elements selected for the sample. 52
- 53. Systematic error • Systematic error results from some imperfect aspect of the research design or from a mistake in the execution of the research. • Sample bias exists when the results of a sample show a persistent tendency to deviate in one direction from the true value of the population parameter. 53
- 54. Respondent error • A classification of sample bias resulting from some respondent action or inaction. – Non–response error – Response bias. 54
- 55. Non–response error • Non–response error: the statistical differences between a survey that includes only those who responded and a perfect survey that would also include those who failed to respond. • Non–respondent: a person who is not contacted or who refuses to cooperate in the research. • No contact: a person who is not at home. 55
- 56. Non–response error • Refusal: a person who is unwilling to participate in a research project. • Self–selection bias: a bias that occurs because people who feel strongly about a subject are more likely to respond to survey questions than people who feel indifferent about it. – Over–represent extreme positions – Under–represent indifference. 56
- 57. Response bias • A bias that occurs when respondents tend to answer questions with a certain slant that consciously or unconsciously misrepresents the truth. • Deliberate falsification: occasionally people deliberately give false answers. • Unconscious misrepresentation: response bias arising from question format or content, even when respondent is trying to be truthful. 57
- 58. Types of response bias • Acquiescence bias results because some individuals tend to agree with all questions or to concur with a particular position. • Extremity bias results because response styles vary from person to person; some individuals tend to use extremes when responding to questions. 58
- 59. Types of response bias • Interviewer bias occurs because the presence of the interviewer influences answers. • Auspices bias is caused by the respondents being influenced by the organisation conducting the study. • Social desirability bias is caused by respondents’ desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role. 59
- 60. Administrative error • Data processing error: incorrect data entry, computer programming, or other procedural errors during the analysis stage. • Sample selection error: improper sample design or sampling procedure execution. • Interviewer error: field mistakes • Interviewer cheating: filling in fake answers or falsifying interviewers. 60
- 61. Classifying survey research methods • Surveys may be classified based on the method of communication, the degrees of structure and disguise in the questionnaire, and the time frame in which the data are gathered. 61
- 62. Structure and disguised questions • A structured question imposes a limit on the number of allowable responses. • An unstructured question does not restrict the respondents’ answers. • An undisguised question is straightforward and assumes the respondent is willing to answer. • A disguised question assumes the purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent. 62
- 63. Temporal classification • Cross–sectional study: various segments of a population are sampled and data are collected at a single moment in time. • Longitudinal study: respondents are surveyed at different times, thus allowing analysis of continuity and changes over time. – Tracking study uses successive samples to compare trends and identify changes. 63
- 64. Temporal classification • Consumer panel is a longitudinal study of the same sample of individuals or households to record their attitudes, behaviour, or purchasing habits over time. 64
- 65. Mail questionnaires • Self–administered questionnaire sent to respondents through the mail. • Geographic flexibility • Relatively inexpensive • More convenient for respondents • Anonymity of respondent • Absence of interviewer • Highly standardised questions • Time consuming. 65
- 66. Selecting the appropriate survey research design • There is no best form of survey; each has advantages and disadvantages. – For example, a researcher who must ask highly confidential questions may use a mail survey, thus sacrificing speed of data collection to avoid interviewer bias. • Table 5.2 is a summary of the major advantages and disadvantages of typical survey methods. 66
- 67. 67
- 68. Pre–testing • Pre–testing involves a trial run with a group of respondents to iron out fundamental problems in the instructions or design of a questionnaire. • Avoids problems of having respondents misunderstand a particular question, skip a series of questions or misinterpret instructions. 68
Editor's Notes
- #32: An alternative Drop off surveys A representative of the researcher hand-delivers survey forms to respondents; the completed surveys are returned by mail or picked up by the representative Advantages Availability of a person who can answer general questions screen potential respondents, and spur interest in completing the questionnaire May increase the response rate Disadvantages Fairly expensive in comparison to direct mail surveys
- #44: Advantages Fast Inexpensive Disadvantages Lack of privacy Some respondents may not use this form of technology