1. Data Collection Methods In Transportation Planning Part 2

2. Writing Questions Three parts to writing questions: The kind of information sought The question structure Word choice

3. The Kinds of Information Sought What people say they want: their attitudes What people think is true: their beliefs What people do: their behavior What people are: their attributes

4. Questions About Respondents’ Attitudes Attitudes describe how people feel about something Attitude questions require respondents to show positive or negative feelings about the “attitude object”

5. Examples of Attitude Questions A.In general, how do you feel about making high emission autos illegal in the USA? 1.Strongly oppose 2.Mildly oppose 3.Neither oppose nor favor B.Should all older than 1975 automobiles be outlawed? 1.Yes 2.No C.Do you tend to agree or disagree with the following statement? “Anyone who wants an auto should be able to get one.” 1.Agree 2.Disagree

6. Questions About Respondents’ Beliefs Beliefs are assessments of what a person thinks is true or false. There is no implied goodness or badness in beliefs These questions only assess what a person thinks exists or does not exist

7. Examples of Belief Questions A.Is this statement true or false? “Last year more autos were purchased in the US than bicycles.” 1.True 2.False B.In your opinion does owning an auto prevent someone from having better health? 1.Always yes 2.Usually yes 3.Sometimes 4.Seldom 5.Almost never 6.Never

8. Questions About Respondents’ Behaviors Asks the respondents to report on their behavior What they have done in the past What they are currently doing What they plan to do in the future

9. Examples of Action Questions A.Have you ever driven an automobile? 1.Yes 2.No B.Do you currently have a valid driver’s license? 1.Yes 2.No C.Are you planning to buy a bicycle? 1.No 2.Probably no 3.Probably yes 4.Yes

10. Questions About Respondents’ Attributes Demographics: –Age –Education –Occupation –Income –Gender Purpose is to explore how the other types of information differ for people with various attributes

11. Examples of Attribute Questions A.Are you currently married? 1.Yes 2.No B.What is your present age? years C.How many children do you have? 1.None 2.One 3.Two 4.Three 5.Four 6.______(specify)

12. Types of Question Structure Open-ended Close-ended with ordered choice Close-ended with unordered response choices Partially close-ended

13. Open-ended Questions Respondents must “create” their own answers and state them in their own words Uses: –Stimulate free thought –Solicit suggestions –Clarify positions –May offer richer understanding Allows people to vent frustrations and state strong positions Disadvantages –Questions can be very demanding –Require substantial labor to ensure coding consistency by different coders –Difficult to construct meaningful variables for statistical analysis

14. Close-ended Questions With Ordered Choice Ideal for determining: –Intensity of feelings –Degree of involvement –Frequency of participation Usually very specific Use graduations of a scale Only appropriate when there is a well-defined issue with precise dimensions

15. Close-ended Questions With Unordered Response Choices Do not limit respondents to choosing among graduations of a single concept Each choice is an independent alternative Useful in establishing priorities among issues

16. Partially Close-ended Questions Combine open- and close-ended questions Allows respondent to provide additional responses Used with unordered, close-ended questions

17. Word Choice Write for the population under study Write for the particular purpose of the study Consider how the questions will be placed in the questionnaire

18. Where are we at??? Page 6 from Richardson, Ampt and Meyburg… –Survey Instrument Design Type of survey- self completion survey Question content- where, why and how people travel and how that correlates to attitudes, personality traits etc. of a person within an environmental awareness/ altruistic context. Trip recording technique- activity diary Physical nature of forms- paper/ possibly internet based Question types- demo, attitudes, personality, activities Question format Question wording Question ordering Question instructions