Descriptive Research Design
Ch 6
Survey Methods
 The survey method involves a structured
questionnaire given to respondents and
designed to elicit specific information
 This method of obtaining information is based
on questioning respondents
 Respondents are asked a variety of questions
regarding their behavior, intentions, attitudes,
awareness, motivations, and demographic and
lifestyle characteristics
Survey Methods
 These questions may be asked verbally,
in writing or via computer, and the
responses may be obtained in any of
these forms
 Survey methods are structured data
collection methods
Survey Methods
 Use of a formal questionnaire that
presents questions in a predesigned order
 Structured refers to the degree of
standardization imposed on the data
collection process
 The process of obtaining information is
direct
Survey Methods
 Advantages
 Questionnaire is simple to administer
 The data are reliable because the responses
are limited to the alternatives stated
 Coding, analysis, and interpretation of data
are relatively simple
Survey Methods
 Disadvantages
 Respondents may be unable or unwilling to provide
the desired information
 For example, consider questions about motivational
factors. Respondents may not be consciously aware
of their motives for choosing specific brands or
shopping at specific department stores. Therefore,
they may be unable to provide accurate answers to
questions about their motives
 Respondents may be unwilling to respond if the
information requested is sensitive or personal
 Wording questions properly is not easy
Survey Methods
 Telephone Interviews
 Traditional
 Computer assisted
Telephone Interviewing
 Traditional Telephone Interviewing
 Involves a phoning a sample of respondents
and asking a series of questions
 The interviewer uses a paper questionnaire
and records the responses with a ball point
pen
 Advances in telecommunications and
technology have made it possible to conduct
nationwide interviewing from a central
location
Telephone Interviewing
 Computer-assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI)
 CATI uses a computerized questionnaire
administered to respondents over a the
telephone
 A computerized questionnaire may be
generated using a mainframe, mini or
personal computer
Telephone Interviewing
 Computer-assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI)
 The interviewer sits in front of the computer
terminal and wears a headset
 The computer replaces a paper and ballpoint
pen questionnaire and the headset
substitutes for telephone
Telephone Interviewing
 Computer-assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI)
 Upon command, the computer dials the
telephone number to be called
 When contact is made the interviewer reads
the question posed on the computer screen
and records the respondent’s answer directly
into the computer memory bank
Telephone Interviewing
 Computer-assisted Telephone
Interviewing (CATI)
 The computer systematically guides the
interviewer
 Only one question at a time appears on the
screen
CATI
 Advantages
 The computer checks the responses for
appropriateness and consistency
 The responses are use to personalize the
questionnaire
 The data collection flows naturally and
smoothly
 Interviewing time is reduced
 Data quality is enhanced
CATI
 Advantages
 Laborious steps involved in the data
collection process, coding questionnaires,
and entering data into the computer are
eliminated
 Because the data are entered directly into
the computer, interim and update reports on
data collection or results can be provided
almost instantaneously
Personal Interviewing
 Personal in-home interview
 Mall intercept interviews
 Computer-assisted personal
interviews
Personal In-Home Interviews
 Respondents are interviewed face-toface
 Interviewer task is to contact the
respondent, ask questions, and record
the response
Mall Intercept Interviews
 Respondents are interviewed face-to-face
 Interviewer task is to intercept the
respondent while shopping, ask
questions, and record the response
 Mall intercept interviews are more
efficient than personal in-home
interviews
Computer-Assisted Personal
Interviewing (CAPI)
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The respondent sits in front of the computer
terminal
Answers a series of questions on the computer
screen using a keyboard or a mouse
An interviewer is present to guide and assist the
respondent during the interview
Various software packages are available for
designing computer-based questionnaires
Pocket PC Survey, Opinio 5.1 and EasyQD are some
examples of application software used for
questionnaire designing
CAPI is used to collect data at shopping malls,
conferences and trade shows
Mail Interviews
 Traditional Mail
 Mail Panel
Mail Methods
 In traditional mail interviews, questionnaires are
mailed to preselected potential respondents
 A typical mail interview package consists of the
outgoing envelope, cover letter, questionnaire,
return envelope, and stimuli (display cards, etc.)
 Initial task is to obtain a valid mailing list. Lists
can be compiled from telephone directories,
alumni databases, membership rosters, etc.
Electronic Methods
 E-mail Interviews
 Internet Interviews
E-mail Interviews
 Much like a traditional mail interview
 The questions are either written within the body
of the e-mail message or may be attached in
form of a text file
 E-mailed questionnaire is as good as a manually
administered questionnaire
 The received questionnaires need to be
manually tabulated, coded, and entered for
analysis
 Legitimacy of the respondent is difficult to
ascertain, as anyone having access to an email
address can respond
Internet Interviews
 In contrast to e-mail surveys, Internet or
Web surveys use Hypertext markup
language (HTML) and are posted on a
Web site
 Respondents may be recruited over the
internet from potential respondent
databases maintained by marketing
research firms or they can be recruited
by conventional methods
Internet Interviews
 Internet surveys are more advantageous than e-mail
surveys
 Internet or web based surveys (also called on-line
surveys) allows for direct update of collected
information
 Errors that may arise from tabulation, coding or entry
are all eliminated
 Internet surveys have built-in checks and skipping
instructions as opposed to e-mail surveys
 Additional stimuli, such as graphs, images animations,
links to other Web pages may be integrated into or
around the survey
A Comparative Evaluation of
Survey Methods
 Evaluation criteria includes:
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Flexibility of Data Collection
Diversity of questions
Use of physical stimuli
Sample control
Control of data collection environment
Control of field force
Quality of data
Response rate
Perceived anonymity of the respondent
Social desirability
Obtaining sensitive information
Potential for interviewer bias
Speed
Cost
Flexibility of Data Collection
 Flexibility refers to the extent to which
respondent can interact with interviewer
and the questionnaire
 Personal survey methods allows for greatest
flexibility
 Traditional telephone surveys allows only
moderate flexibility
 CATI, CAPI, and Internet surveys allows
comparatively more flexibility
 Mail survey methods have low flexibility
Diversity of Questions
 The diversity of questions that can be asked
depends upon the degree of interaction the
respondent has with the interviewer and the
questionnaire, as well as the ability to
actually see the questions
 Personal in-home, mall-intercept, and CAPI
allows for diversity
 Internet surveys have moderate to high
degree of diversity
 Mail surveys , CATI, and traditional
telephone surveys have limited capability of
asking a diversity of questions
Use of Physical Stimuli
 Personal survey methods allows highest
use of physical stimuli
 Mail surveys allows moderate usage
 Internet surveys are also moderately
suitable for using physical stimuli
 Traditional telephone and CATI have
limited usage of physical stimuli
Sample Control
 Sample control is the ability of the survey
mode to reach the sampling unit
 Personal in-home interviews have highest
degree of sample control
 Telephone or CATI surveys have moderate
to high degree of sample control
 Mall intercept and CAPI interviews have
moderate sample control
 Mail, internet and email have low sample
control
Control over Data Collection
Environment
 Mall intercept and CAPI offers highest
control
 Telephone and CATI offers moderate
control
 Mail survey methods and electronic
survey methods offer low control
Control over Field Force
 Traditional telephone surveys, CATI,
CAPI, mall intercept offers moderate
control over field force
 Electronic and mail survey methods do
not require field force and have no such
requirement
 Personal in-home interviews have lowest
control over field force as interviews are
conducted at various locations
simultaneously , it impractical to
Quantity of Data
 Personal survey methods allows for
greatest quantity of data collection
 Telephone and CATI allows for lowest
amount of data as they tend to shorter
than other methods
 Mail surveys may yield moderate amounts
of data
Response Rate
 Highest in personal, in-home , mall
intercept, CATI, and CAPI yields highest
response rate
 Mail surveys and surveys conducted using
electronic survey methods yields lowest
response rate
Perceived Anonymity
 Refers to the respondent’s perception
that the interviewer or the researcher
will not discern their identities
 It is higher in mail and Internet surveys
 Perceived anonymity is low in personal
interviews
 Traditional telephone and CATI falls in
middle
 E-mail is moderate
Social Desirability
 Survey methods in which interviewer is
not in personal contact with the
respondent are less susceptible to social
desirability
 Social desirability refers to the tendency
to give answers that may not be accurate
but they may be desirable from a social
standpoint
Potential for Interviewer Bias
 Interviewers can bias the results of a survey
by the manner in which they select the
respondents, ask certain questions, record
answers
 The extent of the interviewer’s role
determines the degree of bias
 In-home and mall intercept surveys have
highest potential for interview bias
 CATI and telephone interviews have
somewhat less chances
 Mail and electronic survey methods are free
from interviewer bias
Speed
 Internet surveys are fastest
 E-mail survey is also fast
 Traditional telephone ands CATI are also
fast ways of obtaining information
 Mall-intercept and CAPI are moderate to
high on speed count
 In-home personal interviews are lower
 Mail surveys are slowest
Cost
 Internet surveys are most cost effective
 Personal-in-home interviews are most
expensive
Observation Methods
 The recording of behavioral patterns of
people, objects, and events in a
systematic manner to obtain information
about the phenomenon of interest is
called ‘observation’
Observation Methods
 Structured Observation
 Observation techniques where the researcher
clearly defines the behaviors to be observed
and the methods by which they will be
measured
Observation Methods
 Unstructured Observation
 Observation that involves a researcher
monitoring all aspects of a phenomenon
without specifying the details in advance
Observation Methods
 Disguised Observation
 In disguise observation, the respondents are
unaware that they are being observed
 Disguise enable respondents to behave
naturally, because people tend to behave
differently when they know they are being
observed
 Disguise may be accomplished by on-way
mirror, hidden cameras, inconspicuous
mechanical devices
Observation Methods
 Undisguised Observation
 In undisguised observation, the respondents
are aware that they are under observation
Observation Methods
 Natural Observation
 Natural observation involves observing
behavior as it takes place in the environment
 Contrived Observation
 The behavior is observed in an artificial
environment
Observation Methods
 Personal Observation
 An observational research strategy in which
human observers record the phenomenon
being observed as it occurs
 For example, a researcher might record
traffic counts and observes traffic flows in a
department store
 Mystery shoppers are another example of
personal observation
Observation Methods
 Mechanical Observation
 An observational research strategy in which
mechanical devices, rather than human
observers, record the phenomenon being
observed
 Cameras, bar code readers, turnstiles (that
record the number of people entering or
leaving a building
Observation Methods
 Audit
 Physical examination by the researcher or his
representative of people, objects or events is
known as audit
 Retail audit is the physical examination of
the inventory in an outlet
Comparison of Survey & Personal
Observation Methods