http://www.theinternetpoll.com
the site specially for polling in the internet
Sabtu, 27 Februari 2010
livesurvey.com
 |
We have removed our Panelist Area.Recently, LiveSurveys.com has been unable to provide adequate survey opportunities to our panelists, so we have removed our panelist sign-up area (at least for now).
Why would we do such a thing?
Almost all of the work we do is relationship-based. Our customers want feedback from their employees, customers, etc. There has not been enough interest in "blind surveys" to a random sample of consumers to justify the panel. We would love to provide more opportunities for you to make money taking surveys, but at the same time, we don't want to disappoint you with the recent low volume of opportunities.
Check back soon!
We are finishing up some tools making it easier for you to find active surveys as well as share your thoughts about the survey community through blogs and discussion boards.
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Kamis, 25 Februari 2010
A Survey of Survey Tools
A Survey of Survey Tools
This page was last updated: 19 November 2008.
Dates of evaluation of survey tools are in the “Roll-Call of Tools” section.
A “Changelog” at the end of the document lists changes for the updates to this page.
The content and comments on this page are the professional opinion solely of the Web Accessibility Center and do not represent the opinion of The Ohio State University or any organizations or units affiliated with the WAC.
This document presents an overview of a number of popular tools for conducting surveys online. We have no hard statistics on which of these tools are currently being used at OSU. We have either taken surveys delivered by OSU entities via one of these tools or have been contacted by web administrators who have used or currently deploy the tool within their department or unit. At the end of this document we mention a few other tools we came across in our research.
In the comparisons and analysis below, we attempt to assess the degree to which the survey tools—for both the administrator and survey-taker—are accessible to keyboard alone and to a screen reader. Also important in this capacity, particularly for people with cognitive disabilities, are a logical page organization (visually and at the level of the HTML), easy recognizability of both the progress through the survey for the survey-taker and the various feature sets available for the administrator, and visual usability factors such as use of open/white space, proximity of related elements, and visual contrast between elements that might help in survey-takers making selections on multiple-choice and matrix question types.
For accessibility testing:
We ran a screen reader (JAWS) against all of the interfaces, both survey-taker and administrator. How difficult was it to navigate the interfaces and accurately fill in information?
We attempted to perform all input with keyboard alone, specifically using the tab key to navigate form elements. Can a user tab and arrow through the interfaces? Is it clear where the cursor is while doing so, that is, do form or other elements clearly visually indicate focus? Is it necessary to use the mouse for essential functionality?
We set the computer into a high-contrast rendering mode. Are all essential page elements still visible and is contrast uniformly enhanced?
We enlarged the screen fonts. Does enlarging fonts distort or “break” the interfaces?
We made subjective appraisals of the clarity, organization, and contrast of the visual presentation. Does does styling and layout aid visual recognition of the functionality or purpose and significance of the various elements of the interfaces?
It is relatively easy to make static form elements accessible. And, by and large, survey-taker interfaces in all of the tools lack dynamic interface elements. That is, there is little AJAX or use of JavaScript to manipulate display, though some use JavaScript for tooltips and to trigger selection of elements in question types. We found more extensive use of dynamic techniques on the administrator interfaces, which tended to make them less accessible. Here is some of the markup we looked for:
Use of headings to introduce questions or sections of content
Use of labels to associate descriptive text with form elements
Use of fieldsets and legends to group and identify related form elements
Proper markup of tables with headers in matrix question types
There are some basic HTML techniques survey authors ought to be aware of, regardless of the accessibility of the tool they are using. So after discussing the survey tools, we offer a few tips for creating accessible surveys.
Roll-Call of Tools
Without further ado, the patients currently on the operating table:
SurveyGizmo (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
SurveyMonkey (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
Zoomerang (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
Checkbox (commercial, server installed or hosted, re-reviewed 24 September 2008, version 4.4)
LimeSurvey (open-source, server installed, re-reviewed 24 September 2008, version 1.71+)
Snap Survey Professional Edition (commercial, survey configuration via desktop application (Windows only), manual publishing to web for data collection, reviewed 25 July 2008)
For our tests, we composed a survey in each tool. The first seven questions in each survey are either identical or as close to identical as we could muster, given the idiosyncrasies of the tools and question types. We then imagined 10 survey-takers and had “them” fill in each of the five surveys overlapping questions identically. We did this to get a sense of how the statistics collected by each tool stack up head to head.
Question Types
We are listing only those features available at all package levels and try to constrain our choices to question types that are common across more than one survey tool. All of the remotely managed (non-locally installed) survey tools provide more question types and, in some cases, greater flexibility in collection of data (uploads of data files, for instance) at the higher cost package levels.
This page was last updated: 19 November 2008.
Dates of evaluation of survey tools are in the “Roll-Call of Tools” section.
A “Changelog” at the end of the document lists changes for the updates to this page.
The content and comments on this page are the professional opinion solely of the Web Accessibility Center and do not represent the opinion of The Ohio State University or any organizations or units affiliated with the WAC.
This document presents an overview of a number of popular tools for conducting surveys online. We have no hard statistics on which of these tools are currently being used at OSU. We have either taken surveys delivered by OSU entities via one of these tools or have been contacted by web administrators who have used or currently deploy the tool within their department or unit. At the end of this document we mention a few other tools we came across in our research.
In the comparisons and analysis below, we attempt to assess the degree to which the survey tools—for both the administrator and survey-taker—are accessible to keyboard alone and to a screen reader. Also important in this capacity, particularly for people with cognitive disabilities, are a logical page organization (visually and at the level of the HTML), easy recognizability of both the progress through the survey for the survey-taker and the various feature sets available for the administrator, and visual usability factors such as use of open/white space, proximity of related elements, and visual contrast between elements that might help in survey-takers making selections on multiple-choice and matrix question types.
For accessibility testing:
We ran a screen reader (JAWS) against all of the interfaces, both survey-taker and administrator. How difficult was it to navigate the interfaces and accurately fill in information?
We attempted to perform all input with keyboard alone, specifically using the tab key to navigate form elements. Can a user tab and arrow through the interfaces? Is it clear where the cursor is while doing so, that is, do form or other elements clearly visually indicate focus? Is it necessary to use the mouse for essential functionality?
We set the computer into a high-contrast rendering mode. Are all essential page elements still visible and is contrast uniformly enhanced?
We enlarged the screen fonts. Does enlarging fonts distort or “break” the interfaces?
We made subjective appraisals of the clarity, organization, and contrast of the visual presentation. Does does styling and layout aid visual recognition of the functionality or purpose and significance of the various elements of the interfaces?
It is relatively easy to make static form elements accessible. And, by and large, survey-taker interfaces in all of the tools lack dynamic interface elements. That is, there is little AJAX or use of JavaScript to manipulate display, though some use JavaScript for tooltips and to trigger selection of elements in question types. We found more extensive use of dynamic techniques on the administrator interfaces, which tended to make them less accessible. Here is some of the markup we looked for:
Use of headings to introduce questions or sections of content
Use of labels to associate descriptive text with form elements
Use of fieldsets and legends to group and identify related form elements
Proper markup of tables with headers in matrix question types
There are some basic HTML techniques survey authors ought to be aware of, regardless of the accessibility of the tool they are using. So after discussing the survey tools, we offer a few tips for creating accessible surveys.
Roll-Call of Tools
Without further ado, the patients currently on the operating table:
SurveyGizmo (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
SurveyMonkey (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
Zoomerang (commercial, hosted, re-reviewed 25 July 2008)
Checkbox (commercial, server installed or hosted, re-reviewed 24 September 2008, version 4.4)
LimeSurvey (open-source, server installed, re-reviewed 24 September 2008, version 1.71+)
Snap Survey Professional Edition (commercial, survey configuration via desktop application (Windows only), manual publishing to web for data collection, reviewed 25 July 2008)
For our tests, we composed a survey in each tool. The first seven questions in each survey are either identical or as close to identical as we could muster, given the idiosyncrasies of the tools and question types. We then imagined 10 survey-takers and had “them” fill in each of the five surveys overlapping questions identically. We did this to get a sense of how the statistics collected by each tool stack up head to head.
Question Types
We are listing only those features available at all package levels and try to constrain our choices to question types that are common across more than one survey tool. All of the remotely managed (non-locally installed) survey tools provide more question types and, in some cases, greater flexibility in collection of data (uploads of data files, for instance) at the higher cost package levels.
paid survey
A paid or incentivized survey is a type of statistical survey where the participant is rewarded through an incentive program, generally entry into a sweepstakes program or a small cash reward, for completing one or more surveys.
A paid survey is used to collect quantitative information about the participants' personal and economic habits set against their particular demographic. Incentivized surveys are considered to be more likely to catch a wider and more representative range of respondents compared to unincentivised surveys. YouGov in the United Kingdom say“ Respondents receive a small incentive for completing YouGov surveys. The purpose is to ensure that samples are as representative as possible, and that responses are not tilted towards those passionately interested in the subject of the particular survey.[1] ”
Legitimate surveys are usually unpaid (as with Gallup poll) or incentivized (as with YouGov); surveys where the respondent must pay or purchase products to join a panel are generally scams, as are sites that disappear before paying the participants. Legitimate surveys do not need credit card information from respondents.
In the last few years most U.S. market research companies have developed online panels to recruit participants and gather information. With the power of the internet thousands of respondents can be contacted instantly rather than the weeks and months it used to take to conduct interviews through telecommunication and/or mail. By conducting research online, a research company can reach out to demographics they may not have had access to when using other methods.
When a research company needs respondents from a demographic they cannot reach they can easily reach out to a worldwide or specialty panel. By offering a cash incentive to respondents in return for feedback these companies are able to quickly fill quotas and collect the information being sought by the client.
[edit]
References
^ YouGov: Panel methodology - Recruitment & Incentives, accessed 18 March 2008
A paid survey is used to collect quantitative information about the participants' personal and economic habits set against their particular demographic. Incentivized surveys are considered to be more likely to catch a wider and more representative range of respondents compared to unincentivised surveys. YouGov in the United Kingdom say“ Respondents receive a small incentive for completing YouGov surveys. The purpose is to ensure that samples are as representative as possible, and that responses are not tilted towards those passionately interested in the subject of the particular survey.[1] ”
Legitimate surveys are usually unpaid (as with Gallup poll) or incentivized (as with YouGov); surveys where the respondent must pay or purchase products to join a panel are generally scams, as are sites that disappear before paying the participants. Legitimate surveys do not need credit card information from respondents.
In the last few years most U.S. market research companies have developed online panels to recruit participants and gather information. With the power of the internet thousands of respondents can be contacted instantly rather than the weeks and months it used to take to conduct interviews through telecommunication and/or mail. By conducting research online, a research company can reach out to demographics they may not have had access to when using other methods.
When a research company needs respondents from a demographic they cannot reach they can easily reach out to a worldwide or specialty panel. By offering a cash incentive to respondents in return for feedback these companies are able to quickly fill quotas and collect the information being sought by the client.
[edit]
References
^ YouGov: Panel methodology - Recruitment & Incentives, accessed 18 March 2008
Statistical surveys
Statistical surveys are used to collect quantitative information about items in a population. Surveys of human populations and institutions are common in political polling and government, health, social science and marketing research. A survey may focus on opinions or factual information depending on its purpose, and many surveys involve administering questions to individuals. When the questions are administered by a researcher, the survey is called a structured interview or a researcher-administered survey. When the questions are administered by the respondent, the survey is referred to as a questionnaire or a self-administered survey.Contents [hide]
1 Structure and standardization
1.1 Serial surveys
2 Advantages and disadvantages of surveys
2.1 Advantages
2.2 Disadvantages
2.3 Characteristics of researcher-administered surveys
2.4 Characteristics of self-administered surveys
3 Questions and Response Formats
4 Modes of Data Collection
4.1 Telephone
4.2 Mail
4.3 Online surveys
4.4 Personal in-home survey
4.5 Personal mall intercept survey
5 Methods used to increase response rates
6 Sampling
7 Survey Methodology and Research Institutes
8 See also
8.1 On line surveys
8.2 Examples of on line surveys
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
[edit]
Structure and standardization
The questions are usually structured and standardized. The structure is intended to reduce bias; (see questionnaire construction). For example, questions should be ordered in such a way that a question does not influence the response to subsequent questions. Surveys are standardized to ensure reliability, generalizability, and validity (see quantitative marketing research). Every respondent should be presented with the same questions and in the same order as other respondents.
In organizational development (OD), carefully constructed survey instruments are often used as the basis for data gathering, organizational diagnosis, and subsequent action planning. Some OD practitioners (e.g. Fred Nickols) even consider survey guided development as the sine qua non of OD.
[edit]
Serial surveys
Serial surveys are those which repeat the same questions at different points in time, producing repeated measures data. There are three basic designs for a study with more than one measurement occasion: cross-sectional design, longitudinal design, and time-series design.
Cross-sectional surveys use different units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, by drawing a new sample each time. The time intervals may be different between measurement occasions, but they are the same for all units (respondents). A study in which a survey is administered once is also considered to be cross-sectional.
Longitudinal surveys use the same units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, by recontacting the same sample from the initial survey for the following measurement occasion(s), and asking the same questions at every occasion. The time intervals may be different between measurement occasions, but they are the same for all units (respondents).
Time-series surveys also use the same units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, but the difference with longitudinal study designs is that in time-series designs both the number of measurement occasions and the time intervals between occasions may be different between units (respondents).
[edit]
Advantages and disadvantages of surveys
[edit]
Advantages
It is an efficient way of collecting information from a large number of respondents. Very large samples are possible. Statistical techniques can be used to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance.
Surveys are flexible in the sense that a wide range of information can be collected. They can be used to study attitudes, values, beliefs, and past behaviors.
Because they are standardized, they are relatively free from several types of errors.
They are relatively easy to administer.
There is an economy in data collection due to the focus provided by standardized questions. Only questions of interest to the researcher are asked, recorded, codified, and analyzed. Time and money is not spent on tangential questions.
Cheaper to run.
[edit]
Disadvantages
They depend on subjects’ motivation, honesty, memory, and ability to respond. Subjects may not be aware of their reasons for any given action. They may have forgotten their reasons. They may not be motivated to give accurate answers, in fact, they may be motivated to give answers that present themselves in a favorable light.
Structured surveys, particularly those with closed ended questions, may have low validity when researching affective variables.
Although the chosen survey individuals are often a random sample, errors due to nonresponse may exist. That is, people who choose to respond on the survey may be different from those who do not respond, thus biasing the estimates.
Survey question answer-choices could lead to vague data sets because at times they are relative only to a personal abstract notion concerning "strength of choice". For instance the choice "moderately agree" may mean different things to different subjects, and to anyone interpreting the data for correlation. Even yes or no answers are problematic because subjects may for instance put "no" if the choice "only once" is not available.
[edit]
Characteristics of researcher-administered surveys
Fewer misunderstood questions and inappropriate responses.
Fewer incomplete responses.
Generally higher response rates and better information on nonresponse, but...
Respondents may be unwilling to discuss sensitive topics with a stranger.
Greater control over the environment that the survey is administered in.
Additional information can be collected from respondent.
Subject to interviewer bias (e.g. answers influenced by desire to impress interviewer).
Generally expensive/time-consuming to run.
[edit]
Characteristics of self-administered surveys
Respondents are more likely to stop participating mid-way through the survey (drop-offs).
Respondents cannot ask for clarification.
Low response rate in some modes.
Often respondents returning survey represent extremes of the population - skewed responses (consequence of low response rates).
Allows shy respondents to answer sensitive questions in private.
No interviewer intervention available for probing or explanation.
Respondents can read the whole questionnaire before answering any questions.
Free of interviewer bias.
[edit]
Questions and Response Formats
Usually, a survey consists of a number of questions that the respondent has to answer in a set format. A distinction is made between open-ended and closed-ended questions. An open-ended question asks the respondent to formulate his own answer, whereas a closed-ended question has the respondent pick an answer from a given number of options. The response options for a closed-ended question should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Four types of response scales for closed-ended questions are distinguished:
Dichotomous, where the respondent has two options
Nominal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two unordered options
Ordinal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two ordered options
(bounded)Continuous, where the respondent is presented with a continuous scale
A respondents answer to an open-ended question is coded into a response scale afterwards.
[edit]
Modes of Data Collection
There are several ways of administering a survey, including:
[edit]
Telephone
use of interviewers encourages sample persons to respond, leading to higher response rates.[1]
interviewers can increase comprehension of questions by answering respondents' questions.
fairly cost efficient, depending on local call charge structure
good for large national (or international) sampling frames
some potential for interviewer bias (e.g. some people may be more willing to discuss a sensitive issue with a female interviewer than with a male one)
cannot be used for non-audio information (graphics, demonstrations, taste/smell samples)
unreliable for consumer surveys in rural areas where telephone penetration is low[2]
three types:
traditional telephone interviews
computer assisted telephone dialing
computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)
[edit]
Mail
the questionnaire may be handed to the respondents or mailed to them, but in all cases they are returned to the researcher via mail.
cost is very low, since bulk postage is cheap in most countries
long time delays, often several months, before the surveys are returned and statistical analysis can begin
not suitable for issues that may require clarification
respondents can answer at their own convenience (allowing them to break up long surveys; also useful if they need to check records to answer a question)
no interviewer bias introduced
large amount of information can be obtained: some mail surveys are as long as 50 pages
response rates can be improved by using mail panels
members of the panel have agreed to participate
panels can be used in longitudinal designs where the same respondents are surveyed several
[edit]
Online surveys
can use web or e-mail
web is preferred over e-mail because interactive HTML forms can be used
often inexpensive to administer
very fast results
easy to modify
response rates can be improved by using Online panels - members of the panel have agreed to participate
if not password-protected, easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results
data creation, manipulation and reporting can be automated and/or easily exported into a format which can be read by PSPP, DAP or other statistical analysis software
data sets created in real time
some are incentive based (such as Survey Vault or YouGov)
may skew sample towards a younger demographic compared with CATI
often difficult to determine/control selection probabilities, hindering quantitative analysis of data
use in large scale industries.
[edit]
Personal in-home survey
respondents are interviewed in person, in their homes (or at the front door)
very high cost
suitable when graphic representations, smells, or demonstrations are involved
often suitable for long surveys (but some respondents object to allowing strangers into their home for extended periods)
suitable for locations where telephone or mail are not developed
skilled interviewers can persuade respondents to cooperate, improving response rates
potential for interviewer bias
[edit]
Personal mall intercept survey
shoppers at malls are intercepted - they are either interviewed on the spot, taken to a room and interviewed, or taken to a room and given a self-administered questionnaire
socially acceptable - people feel that a mall is a more appropriate place to do research than their home
potential for interviewer bias
fast
easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results
[edit]
Methods used to increase response rates
brevity - single page if possible
financial incentives
paid in advance
paid at completion
non-monetary incentives
commodity giveaways (pens, notepads)
entry into a lottery, draw or contest
discount coupons
promise of contribution to charity
preliminary notification
foot-in-the-door techniques - start with a small inconsequential request
personalization of the request - address specific individuals
follow-up requests - multiple requests
claimed affiliation with universities, research institutions, or charities
emotional appeals
bids for sympathy
convince respondent that they can make a difference
guarantee anonymity
legal compulsion (certain government-run surveys)
[edit]
Sampling
Main article: Sampling (statistics)
Sample selection is critical to the validity of the information that represents the populations that are being studied. The approach of the sampling helps to determine the focus of the study and allows better acceptance of the generalizations that are being made. Careful use of biased sampling can be used if it is justified and as long as it is noted that the resulting sample may not be a true representation of the population of the study. There are two different approaches to sampling in survey research:
There is nonprobability sampling approach. In this approach the researcher does not know each element's probability of selection in the sample. The most commonly used nonprobability sampling method is the convenience sampling approach. With this method, it only samples those who are available and willing to participate in the survey. The use of this approach allows for convenience for the researcher while possibly losing data validity due to the lack of representation.
The probability sampling approach for research methods gives each element a known chance of being included in the sample. This method is closer to a true representation of the population. It can be difficult to use due to cost of a rigorous sampling method, and difficulty in obtaining full coverage of the target population, but the generalizations that come from it are more likely to be closer to a true representation of the population. Different forms of probability sampling are designed to achieve various benefits - e.g. theoretical simplicity, operational simplicity, detailed information on subpopulations, or minimal cost. Some common forms:
Equal probability of selection designs (EPS), in which each element of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample. This uniformity makes EPS surveys relatively simple to interpret. Forms of EPS include Simple random sampling (SRS) and systematic sampling.
Probability-proportional-to-size designs (PPS), in which 'larger' elements (according to some known measure of size) have a higher chance of selection. This approach is common in business surveys where the object is to determine sector totals (e.g. "total employment in manufacturing sectors"); compared to EPS, concentrating on larger elements may produce better accuracy for the same cost/sample size.
Stratified random sampling approach, in which the population is divided into subpopulations (called strata) and random samples are then drawn separately from each of these strata, using any probability sampling method (sometimes including further sub-stratification). This may be done to provide better control over the sample size (and hence, accuracy) within each subpopulation; when the variable/s of interest are correlated with subpopulation, it can also improve overall accuracy. Another use for stratification is when different subpopulations require different sampling methods - for instance, a business survey might use EPS for businesses whose 'size' is not known and PPS elsewhere.
[edit]
Survey Methodology and Research Institutes
European Survey Research Association
Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association
Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) - University of Maryland-College Park and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Survey Research and Methodology - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Program in Survey Methodology - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Social Statistics - University of Southampton
UK Longitudinal Studies Centre - University of Essex
Graduate Certificate in Survey Research - University of Connecticut
Diploma in Official Statistics - Hebrew University, Israel
The Social Science Research Laboratory (SSRL) - San Diego State University.
Methodology and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences - Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma/M.Sc. in Social Research Skills with Specialisms - University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Survey Design and Measurement Initiative
1 Structure and standardization
1.1 Serial surveys
2 Advantages and disadvantages of surveys
2.1 Advantages
2.2 Disadvantages
2.3 Characteristics of researcher-administered surveys
2.4 Characteristics of self-administered surveys
3 Questions and Response Formats
4 Modes of Data Collection
4.1 Telephone
4.2 Mail
4.3 Online surveys
4.4 Personal in-home survey
4.5 Personal mall intercept survey
5 Methods used to increase response rates
6 Sampling
7 Survey Methodology and Research Institutes
8 See also
8.1 On line surveys
8.2 Examples of on line surveys
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
[edit]
Structure and standardization
The questions are usually structured and standardized. The structure is intended to reduce bias; (see questionnaire construction). For example, questions should be ordered in such a way that a question does not influence the response to subsequent questions. Surveys are standardized to ensure reliability, generalizability, and validity (see quantitative marketing research). Every respondent should be presented with the same questions and in the same order as other respondents.
In organizational development (OD), carefully constructed survey instruments are often used as the basis for data gathering, organizational diagnosis, and subsequent action planning. Some OD practitioners (e.g. Fred Nickols) even consider survey guided development as the sine qua non of OD.
[edit]
Serial surveys
Serial surveys are those which repeat the same questions at different points in time, producing repeated measures data. There are three basic designs for a study with more than one measurement occasion: cross-sectional design, longitudinal design, and time-series design.
Cross-sectional surveys use different units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, by drawing a new sample each time. The time intervals may be different between measurement occasions, but they are the same for all units (respondents). A study in which a survey is administered once is also considered to be cross-sectional.
Longitudinal surveys use the same units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, by recontacting the same sample from the initial survey for the following measurement occasion(s), and asking the same questions at every occasion. The time intervals may be different between measurement occasions, but they are the same for all units (respondents).
Time-series surveys also use the same units (respondents) at each of the measurement occasions, but the difference with longitudinal study designs is that in time-series designs both the number of measurement occasions and the time intervals between occasions may be different between units (respondents).
[edit]
Advantages and disadvantages of surveys
[edit]
Advantages
It is an efficient way of collecting information from a large number of respondents. Very large samples are possible. Statistical techniques can be used to determine validity, reliability, and statistical significance.
Surveys are flexible in the sense that a wide range of information can be collected. They can be used to study attitudes, values, beliefs, and past behaviors.
Because they are standardized, they are relatively free from several types of errors.
They are relatively easy to administer.
There is an economy in data collection due to the focus provided by standardized questions. Only questions of interest to the researcher are asked, recorded, codified, and analyzed. Time and money is not spent on tangential questions.
Cheaper to run.
[edit]
Disadvantages
They depend on subjects’ motivation, honesty, memory, and ability to respond. Subjects may not be aware of their reasons for any given action. They may have forgotten their reasons. They may not be motivated to give accurate answers, in fact, they may be motivated to give answers that present themselves in a favorable light.
Structured surveys, particularly those with closed ended questions, may have low validity when researching affective variables.
Although the chosen survey individuals are often a random sample, errors due to nonresponse may exist. That is, people who choose to respond on the survey may be different from those who do not respond, thus biasing the estimates.
Survey question answer-choices could lead to vague data sets because at times they are relative only to a personal abstract notion concerning "strength of choice". For instance the choice "moderately agree" may mean different things to different subjects, and to anyone interpreting the data for correlation. Even yes or no answers are problematic because subjects may for instance put "no" if the choice "only once" is not available.
[edit]
Characteristics of researcher-administered surveys
Fewer misunderstood questions and inappropriate responses.
Fewer incomplete responses.
Generally higher response rates and better information on nonresponse, but...
Respondents may be unwilling to discuss sensitive topics with a stranger.
Greater control over the environment that the survey is administered in.
Additional information can be collected from respondent.
Subject to interviewer bias (e.g. answers influenced by desire to impress interviewer).
Generally expensive/time-consuming to run.
[edit]
Characteristics of self-administered surveys
Respondents are more likely to stop participating mid-way through the survey (drop-offs).
Respondents cannot ask for clarification.
Low response rate in some modes.
Often respondents returning survey represent extremes of the population - skewed responses (consequence of low response rates).
Allows shy respondents to answer sensitive questions in private.
No interviewer intervention available for probing or explanation.
Respondents can read the whole questionnaire before answering any questions.
Free of interviewer bias.
[edit]
Questions and Response Formats
Usually, a survey consists of a number of questions that the respondent has to answer in a set format. A distinction is made between open-ended and closed-ended questions. An open-ended question asks the respondent to formulate his own answer, whereas a closed-ended question has the respondent pick an answer from a given number of options. The response options for a closed-ended question should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Four types of response scales for closed-ended questions are distinguished:
Dichotomous, where the respondent has two options
Nominal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two unordered options
Ordinal-polytomous, where the respondent has more than two ordered options
(bounded)Continuous, where the respondent is presented with a continuous scale
A respondents answer to an open-ended question is coded into a response scale afterwards.
[edit]
Modes of Data Collection
There are several ways of administering a survey, including:
[edit]
Telephone
use of interviewers encourages sample persons to respond, leading to higher response rates.[1]
interviewers can increase comprehension of questions by answering respondents' questions.
fairly cost efficient, depending on local call charge structure
good for large national (or international) sampling frames
some potential for interviewer bias (e.g. some people may be more willing to discuss a sensitive issue with a female interviewer than with a male one)
cannot be used for non-audio information (graphics, demonstrations, taste/smell samples)
unreliable for consumer surveys in rural areas where telephone penetration is low[2]
three types:
traditional telephone interviews
computer assisted telephone dialing
computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)
[edit]
the questionnaire may be handed to the respondents or mailed to them, but in all cases they are returned to the researcher via mail.
cost is very low, since bulk postage is cheap in most countries
long time delays, often several months, before the surveys are returned and statistical analysis can begin
not suitable for issues that may require clarification
respondents can answer at their own convenience (allowing them to break up long surveys; also useful if they need to check records to answer a question)
no interviewer bias introduced
large amount of information can be obtained: some mail surveys are as long as 50 pages
response rates can be improved by using mail panels
members of the panel have agreed to participate
panels can be used in longitudinal designs where the same respondents are surveyed several
[edit]
Online surveys
can use web or e-mail
web is preferred over e-mail because interactive HTML forms can be used
often inexpensive to administer
very fast results
easy to modify
response rates can be improved by using Online panels - members of the panel have agreed to participate
if not password-protected, easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results
data creation, manipulation and reporting can be automated and/or easily exported into a format which can be read by PSPP, DAP or other statistical analysis software
data sets created in real time
some are incentive based (such as Survey Vault or YouGov)
may skew sample towards a younger demographic compared with CATI
often difficult to determine/control selection probabilities, hindering quantitative analysis of data
use in large scale industries.
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Personal in-home survey
respondents are interviewed in person, in their homes (or at the front door)
very high cost
suitable when graphic representations, smells, or demonstrations are involved
often suitable for long surveys (but some respondents object to allowing strangers into their home for extended periods)
suitable for locations where telephone or mail are not developed
skilled interviewers can persuade respondents to cooperate, improving response rates
potential for interviewer bias
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Personal mall intercept survey
shoppers at malls are intercepted - they are either interviewed on the spot, taken to a room and interviewed, or taken to a room and given a self-administered questionnaire
socially acceptable - people feel that a mall is a more appropriate place to do research than their home
potential for interviewer bias
fast
easy to manipulate by completing multiple times to skew results
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Methods used to increase response rates
brevity - single page if possible
financial incentives
paid in advance
paid at completion
non-monetary incentives
commodity giveaways (pens, notepads)
entry into a lottery, draw or contest
discount coupons
promise of contribution to charity
preliminary notification
foot-in-the-door techniques - start with a small inconsequential request
personalization of the request - address specific individuals
follow-up requests - multiple requests
claimed affiliation with universities, research institutions, or charities
emotional appeals
bids for sympathy
convince respondent that they can make a difference
guarantee anonymity
legal compulsion (certain government-run surveys)
[edit]
Sampling
Main article: Sampling (statistics)
Sample selection is critical to the validity of the information that represents the populations that are being studied. The approach of the sampling helps to determine the focus of the study and allows better acceptance of the generalizations that are being made. Careful use of biased sampling can be used if it is justified and as long as it is noted that the resulting sample may not be a true representation of the population of the study. There are two different approaches to sampling in survey research:
There is nonprobability sampling approach. In this approach the researcher does not know each element's probability of selection in the sample. The most commonly used nonprobability sampling method is the convenience sampling approach. With this method, it only samples those who are available and willing to participate in the survey. The use of this approach allows for convenience for the researcher while possibly losing data validity due to the lack of representation.
The probability sampling approach for research methods gives each element a known chance of being included in the sample. This method is closer to a true representation of the population. It can be difficult to use due to cost of a rigorous sampling method, and difficulty in obtaining full coverage of the target population, but the generalizations that come from it are more likely to be closer to a true representation of the population. Different forms of probability sampling are designed to achieve various benefits - e.g. theoretical simplicity, operational simplicity, detailed information on subpopulations, or minimal cost. Some common forms:
Equal probability of selection designs (EPS), in which each element of the population has an equal chance of being included in the sample. This uniformity makes EPS surveys relatively simple to interpret. Forms of EPS include Simple random sampling (SRS) and systematic sampling.
Probability-proportional-to-size designs (PPS), in which 'larger' elements (according to some known measure of size) have a higher chance of selection. This approach is common in business surveys where the object is to determine sector totals (e.g. "total employment in manufacturing sectors"); compared to EPS, concentrating on larger elements may produce better accuracy for the same cost/sample size.
Stratified random sampling approach, in which the population is divided into subpopulations (called strata) and random samples are then drawn separately from each of these strata, using any probability sampling method (sometimes including further sub-stratification). This may be done to provide better control over the sample size (and hence, accuracy) within each subpopulation; when the variable/s of interest are correlated with subpopulation, it can also improve overall accuracy. Another use for stratification is when different subpopulations require different sampling methods - for instance, a business survey might use EPS for businesses whose 'size' is not known and PPS elsewhere.
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Survey Methodology and Research Institutes
European Survey Research Association
Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association
Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) - University of Maryland-College Park and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Survey Research and Methodology - University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Program in Survey Methodology - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Social Statistics - University of Southampton
UK Longitudinal Studies Centre - University of Essex
Graduate Certificate in Survey Research - University of Connecticut
Diploma in Official Statistics - Hebrew University, Israel
The Social Science Research Laboratory (SSRL) - San Diego State University.
Methodology and Statistics for the Social and Behavioral Sciences - Utrecht University, the Netherlands
Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma/M.Sc. in Social Research Skills with Specialisms - University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Survey Design and Measurement Initiative
Survey
Survey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Look up survey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Contents [hide]
1 Quantitative research
2 Geography
3 Earth Sciences
4 Construction and Mining
5 Archaeology
6 Astronomy
7 Academia
8 Organizations
Survey may refer to:
[edit]
Quantitative research
Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population
Paid survey, a method for companies to collect consumer opinions about a product by offering them money as rewards
[edit]
Geography
Surveying, the technique and science of measuring positions and distances on Earth
Aerial survey, a method of collecting information using aerial photography
Cadastral survey, used to document land ownership, by the production of documents, diagrams, plats, and maps
Dominion Land Survey, the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes
Public Land Survey System, a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels
Survey township, a square unit of land, six miles (~9.7 km) on a side, used by the U.S. Public Land Survey System
[edit]
Earth Sciences
Geological survey, an investigation of the subsurface of the ground to create a geological map or model
Geophysical survey, the systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies
Soil survey, the mapping of the properties and varieties of soil in a given area
Hydrographic survey, the gathering of information about navigable waters for the purposes of safe navigation of vessels
Cave survey, the three-dimensional mapping of underground caverns; the resulting map is also referred to as a survey
[edit]
Construction and Mining
Construction surveying Locating of structures relative to a reference line, used in the construction of buildings, roads, mines and tunnels
Deviation survey, used in the oil industry to measure a borehole's departure from the vertical
[edit]
Archaeology
Archaeological field survey, the collection of information by archaeologists prior to excavation
[edit]
Astronomy
Astronomical survey, imaging or mapping regions of the sky
Durchmusterung, a German word for a systematic survey of objects or data, generally used in astronomy
Redshift survey, an astronomical survey of a section of the sky to calculate the distance of objects from Earth
[edit]
Academia
Survey article, a scholarly publication to summarize an area of research
[edit]
Organizations
The Institut Géographique National, a French state establishment which produces and maintains geographical information for France and its territories
The Survey of India, India's central agency in charge of mapping and surveying
The Zoological Survey of India studies the fauna of India
The British Geological Survey, a body which carries out geological survey and monitoring of the UK landmass
The Ordnance Survey, national mapping agency for Great Britain
The British Antarctic Survey, conducts scientific research in and around Antarctica for the United Kingdom
The United States Geological Survey, government scientific research agency which studies the landscape of the United States
The U.S. National Geodetic Survey, performs geographic surveys as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Look up survey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Contents [hide]
1 Quantitative research
2 Geography
3 Earth Sciences
4 Construction and Mining
5 Archaeology
6 Astronomy
7 Academia
8 Organizations
Survey may refer to:
[edit]
Quantitative research
Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population
Paid survey, a method for companies to collect consumer opinions about a product by offering them money as rewards
[edit]
Geography
Surveying, the technique and science of measuring positions and distances on Earth
Aerial survey, a method of collecting information using aerial photography
Cadastral survey, used to document land ownership, by the production of documents, diagrams, plats, and maps
Dominion Land Survey, the method used to divide most of Western Canada into one-square-mile sections for agricultural and other purposes
Public Land Survey System, a method used in the United States to survey and identify land parcels
Survey township, a square unit of land, six miles (~9.7 km) on a side, used by the U.S. Public Land Survey System
[edit]
Earth Sciences
Geological survey, an investigation of the subsurface of the ground to create a geological map or model
Geophysical survey, the systematic collection of geophysical data for spatial studies
Soil survey, the mapping of the properties and varieties of soil in a given area
Hydrographic survey, the gathering of information about navigable waters for the purposes of safe navigation of vessels
Cave survey, the three-dimensional mapping of underground caverns; the resulting map is also referred to as a survey
[edit]
Construction and Mining
Construction surveying Locating of structures relative to a reference line, used in the construction of buildings, roads, mines and tunnels
Deviation survey, used in the oil industry to measure a borehole's departure from the vertical
[edit]
Archaeology
Archaeological field survey, the collection of information by archaeologists prior to excavation
[edit]
Astronomy
Astronomical survey, imaging or mapping regions of the sky
Durchmusterung, a German word for a systematic survey of objects or data, generally used in astronomy
Redshift survey, an astronomical survey of a section of the sky to calculate the distance of objects from Earth
[edit]
Academia
Survey article, a scholarly publication to summarize an area of research
[edit]
Organizations
The Institut Géographique National, a French state establishment which produces and maintains geographical information for France and its territories
The Survey of India, India's central agency in charge of mapping and surveying
The Zoological Survey of India studies the fauna of India
The British Geological Survey, a body which carries out geological survey and monitoring of the UK landmass
The Ordnance Survey, national mapping agency for Great Britain
The British Antarctic Survey, conducts scientific research in and around Antarctica for the United Kingdom
The United States Geological Survey, government scientific research agency which studies the landscape of the United States
The U.S. National Geodetic Survey, performs geographic surveys as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce
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