slobodan cvejic research methods - survey design

8/13/2019 Slobodan Cvejic Research Methods - Survey Design

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UNIVERSITY OF ARTS, BELGRADE

Masters program in management in culture

Course in social research methods

Survey design

Slobodan Cvejic, PhD

Belgrade University, Faculty of Philosophy

[email protected]


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RESEARCH METHODS: survey design

Steps in survey design

Theory

Hypothesis

Measures of concepts

Questionnaire

Target population (time, space, variables of interest)

Sample

Data collection

Data processing

Data analysis

Findings/conclusions


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Concept

Concepts are the building blocks of theory and representthe points arround which social research is conducted (e.g.Social class, consumption, religious orientation, social control...)

Categories for the organization of ideas and observationssometimes very abstract, they show our increasing capacityto comprehende world arround us

Concepts are being invented or renewed as our knowledge

about reality accumulates and improves (trust, risk,leisure...)

IQ is not a concept, intelligence is concept

We need to measure concepts in order to investigate them


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Indicators

The process of measurement is directed towards indicators ofconcepts (e.g. We cannot measure someones traditionalism, but someexpressions of it)

Indicator(s) is operational definition of a concept (e.g. IQ for

intelligence) Single and multiple indicators (e.g. Possesion of driving licence is sufficient

indicator of someones driver status, but to deal with traditionalism we need tocheck through several statements)

Measures are not same as indicators (e.g. Several statements are indicatorsof traditionalism, but we measure them by Likerts scale of agreement)

Efficient and valid measuring through multiple indicators requiresadvanced statistical knowledge


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Major concerns

Measurement (positive knowledge)

Causality (explanation rather than description,posibility to predict)

Generalization (tendency towards universalknowledge as a tool for control andmanagement of different processes)

Replication (the ultimate proof of validity)


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Structured interview

Structured or standardized interview is a tool of administrationof an interview by an interviewerthe aim is for all intervieweesto be given exactly the same context of questioning and to avoidinterviewer variability

Major goal: to ensure that each respondent receives exactly thesame interview stimulus and that interviewees replies can beaggregated

Major concerns: Wording of questions

Order of questions

Lenght of the interview

Face to face, telephone, CATI, post, internet


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Major sources of error in surveys

1. A poorly worded question

2. The way the question is asked by the interviewer

3. Misunderstanding on the part of the interviewee

4. Memory problems on the part of the interviewee

5. The way the information is recorded by theinterviewer

6. The way the information is processed, either whenanswers are coded or when data are entered into thecomputer


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Conducting interviews

Know the schedule, get familiar with your questionnaire, you dont want to besurprised with your questionnaire in front of respondent

Introduceyour research, present yourself and survey organizer, as well as thegoals of the research; make the respondent sure her/his identity will remainhidden

Achieve rapport, make the respondent cooperate, but dont go too far, it could

eat your time Hold strictly to thewordingof the questions, avoid subjective interpretations Dont forget to record answers (sex is so obvious!)

Give clear instructionsto respondents on how to give answers

Dont change the order of the questions, sometimes it can jeopardize the

whole research Do theprobingonly when necessary, and even then without suggesting the

answers, but with rather general comments or hints

Instead ofprompting use show cards as much as possible

IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND SUPERVISION!!!


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Types of questions

Open questions (free answers): e.g. By your opinion who represents interests of ournation in best way?

Advantages: respondents answer in their own terms, unusuall responses canbe derived, heuristicaly fertile, good for generating fixed-choice format

Disadvantages: time consuming, need coding, require greater effort fromrespondents, subject to more bias in recording

Closed questions (offered answers): e.g. How religious you think you are: 1. I believe ingood; 2. I go to church every Sunday; 3. I believe in life after death

Advantages: easy to process, enhanced comparability, clearer meaning,

easier complition, better recording Disadvantages: less spontaneity in answers, fixed set of choices, overlaping

of answers, irritating for respondents if not matching their perceptions, toomuch formality makes establishing the rapport harder


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Rules for questions design

Avoid ambiguous terms in questions (e.g. Instead of scale: very oftenquite oftennot so often,try with once a monthtwice a monthonce a weektwice a week)

Avoid long questions (e.g. How do you think members of your closest community, i.e. Those wholive in your wider neighbourhood would react, both in their opinion or action, if some building in yourblock would be restored into space that could be used for different artistic purposes, like exibitions,performances, galeries, etc.?)

Avoid double-barelled questions (e.g. How satisfied are you with pay and conditions in yourjob?)

Avoid very general questions (e.g. How satisfied are you with your cultural life) Avoid leading questions (e.g. If increased taxation of your wage would be used to help poor and

decrease infant mortality, would you agree with it?)

Avoid questions that are actually asking 2 questions (e.g. Which party did you vote for at thelast election?Did you vote? Which party did you vote for?) Avoid questions that include negatives (e.g. Do you agree that our national law should not

allow for homosexual mariages) Avoid technical and expert terms (e.g. Do you think that internal labor markets help nowday

firms to improve their performance?)

slobodan cvejic research methods - survey design

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