Designing surveys : a guide to decisions and procedures

Author(s)

    • Czaja, Ronald
    • Blair, Johnny

Bibliographic Information

Designing surveys : a guide to decisions and procedures

Ronald Czaja, Johnny Blair

Pine Forge Press, an imprint of Sage Publications, c2005

2nd ed

  • : pbk

Available at  / 5 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. 285-293) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

The technologies used to conduct surveys have changed dramatically since the mid-90s when the First Edition appeared. The Second Edition takes into account these changes, building on the material provided in the original book. The result is an accurate account of how modern survey research is actually conducted, compiled with the needs and goals of the novice researcher in mind. It presents the design and conduct of a survey as a process of closely related decision points, the goal of which is to make optimum use of resources that are typically very limited, while ensuring that the final product - the data - is of high reliability and validity.Key features include: a comprehensive section on internet surveys, their methodology, summary of experiences and practices to date and how internet surveys interface with more traditional methods; changes in telephone survey design and data collection procedures due to rising nonresponse rates (this will include combined methods of data collection and the use of respondent incentives) and call screening (and other) technologies; and, the increase use of web sites and package programs for variance estimation, data analysis and data dissemination.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Preface Chapter 1. An Introduction to Surveys and to This Book The Practice of Survey Research The Uses of Surveys Overview of the Survey Process A Brief Summary of This Book Chapter 2. Stages of a Survey Stage 1: Survey Design and Preliminary Planning Stage 2: Pretesting Stage 3: Final Survey Design and Planning Stage 4: Data Collection Stage 5: Data Coding, Data-File Construction, Analysis, and Final Report Example of a Time Schedule for a Study Chapter 3. Selecting the Method of Data Collection Evaluating the Advantages and Disadvantages of the Four Survey Methods Mail Surveys Internet Surveys Telephone Surveys Face-to-Face Surveys Combinations of Methods Chapter 4. Questionnaire Design: Writing the Questions Questionnaire Design as Process Factors in Questionnaire Development Writing Questions Chapter 5. Questionnaire Design: Organizing the Questions Introducing the Study What Questions Should the Questionnaire Begin With? Grouping Questions into Sections Questionnaire Length and Respondent Burden Avoiding Other Flaws in Mail Questionnaire Design Chapter 6. Questionnaire Design: Testing the Questions Importance of Respondents' Comprehension of and Ability to Answer Questions Conventional Pretests and Interviewer Debriefings Post-Interview Interviews Behavior Coding A Note on Intercoder Reliability Cognitive Interviews Respondent Debriefing Expert Panel Examining Interviewer Tasks Revising and Retesting: Deciding Which Pretest Problems to Address Deciding How Much Testing Is Enough Pilot Tests Combined Methods Some Last Advice Chapter 7. Designing the Sample The Basics Defining the Population Constructing a Sampling Frame Matching Defined Populations and Sampling Frames Recognizing Problems with Sampling Frames Determining Sample Size Hypothesis Testing and Power Using Census Data Chapter 8. Selecting a Sample Example 1: A Community List-Assisted Telephone Sample Example 2: A Directory-Based Community Telephone Sample Example 3: Other RDD Telephone Samples Selecting Respondents within Households Example 4: A List Sample of Students Example 5: A Sample of University Classes Chapter 9. Reducing Sources of Error in Data Collection The Origins of Error Chapter 10. Special Topics Ethical Issues in Survey Research The Methodology Report The Utility of the Methodology Report What to Include in the Methodology Report Costs and Contingencies: Planning for the Unexpected For Further Study: Suggested Readings Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Glossary/Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

  • NCID
    BA72554577
  • ISBN
    • 0761927468
  • LCCN
    2004014521
  • Country Code
    us
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Thousand Oaks, Calif. ; London
  • Pages/Volumes
    xii, 301 p.
  • Size
    23 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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