Survey Methods
By
Shivakumaraswamy, K N
[email protected]
Introduction
Survey research has been widely used in LIS.
It deals mainly with collection, analysis and
presentation of data relating to the present
time reflecting the present state of affairs in
social, economic and political activities.
Survey method is approached through the
methods of personal interview, mailed
questionnaires (both surface and Email),
telephone, personal discussion, electronic
survey, and so on.
What is a survey?
• According to National Business Research
Institute (NBRI), Inc. U.S. A survey may be
many things, but a survey should be a
deliberate, well-planned research study of a
number of individuals with regard to one or
more variables, carried out in such a way as
to significantly reduce the error inherent in
all social science research by adhering to
scientific
research
principles
and
methodologies.
Features of a survey
• Information is gathered by asking people questions.
• Information is collected either by having interviewers
ask questions and record answers or by having people
read or hear questions and record their answers.
Characteristics of survey method
The survey method has certain specific characteristics
• It is always carried in a natural setting or field study.
• It obtains responses directly from the respondents.
• It can seek and cover a very large population.
Quality of a survey depends upon the
following
• The thoroughness in planning.
• The soundness in sampling.
• The adequacy and reliability of data.
• The quality of analysis.
• The interpretation of the findings.
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Purpose of surveys
To provide information to government and
business enterprises.
To test hypotheses and thereby to explain the
causal relationship between variables and to
find out the influences of various parameters.
To make comparisons of demographic
groups.
To compare cause and effects and relationship
to make use for certain predictions.
Types of survey
• Personal interviews
• Telephone surveys
• Mail surveys
• Web surveys
Personal interviewing
• An interview is called personal when the Interviewer asks the
questions face-to-face with the Interviewee. Personal
interviews can take place in the home, at a shopping mall, on
the street, outside a movie theater or polling place, and so on.
• Advantages:
• Generally yields highest cooperation and lowest refusal rates
• Allows for longer, more complex interviews
• High response quality
• Takes advantage of interviewer presence
• Multi-method data collection
• Disadvantages:
• Most costly mode of administration
• Longer data collection period
• Interviewer concerns
Interview schedule sample template
While every interview requires a somewhat
different structure, certain principles and techniques
are applicable to all. Each interview schedule should
have the following three major parts:
1. The opening
2. The body
3. The closing
Telephone interviewing
• Surveying by telephone is the most popular interviewing method in
the world. This is made possible by nearly universal.
• Advantages:
• Less expensive
• Shorter data collection period
• Interviewer administration
• Better control and supervision of interviewers
• Better response rate
• Disadvantages:
• Biased against households without telephones, unlisted numbers
• Non response
• Questionnaire constraints
• Difficult to administer questionnaires on sensitive or complex
topics
Mail surveys
• Email surveys are both very economical and very fast. More people have
email than have full Internet access. This makes email a better choice than a
Web page survey for some populations. On the other hand, email surveys are
limited to simple questionnaires, whereas Web page surveys can include
complex logic.
• Advantages:
• Cost is very low
• Extremely fast
• Can be administered by smaller team of people
• Access to otherwise difficult to locate, busy populations
• Respondents can look up information or consult with others
• Disadvantages:
• Most difficult to obtain cooperation
• No interviewer involved in collection of data
• Need good sample
• More likely to need an incentive for respondents
• Slower data collection period
Web surveys
• Web surveys are rapidly gaining popularity. They have major
speed, cost, and flexibility advantages, but also significant
sampling limitations. These limitations make software
selection especially important and restrict the groups you can
study using this technique.
• Advantages:
• Lower cost (no paper, postage, mailing, data entry costs)
• Can reach international populations
• Time required for implementation reduced
• Complex skip patterns can be programmed
• Sample size can be greater
• Disadvantages:
• Differences in capabilities of people's computers and software
for accessing Web surveys
• Do not reflect population as a whole.
Thank you