1. Survey Research Questionnaire construction Types of surveys
Wording
Ordering
Layout/format
Types of surveys
Self administered
Interview
Strengths and weaknesses

2. Question Wording Ask questions R’s can answer
Make questions clear and unambiguous
Make questions relevant to topic
Avoid negative items
Avoid biased items, leading questions
Avoid double-barreled questions
Short items usually better

3. Question Ordering Goal: To get R to answer the questions
Self-Administered
Begin with interesting, non-threatening items
Less interesting middle to end
Most personal information at the end
Interview
Begin with least threatening items
Most personal items in the middle
Finish with less sensitive items

4. Format/ Layout Neat, uncluttered Easy for R to follow
One question per line
Answers marked in boxes or circles:
( )
[ ]

5. Contingency Questions
Apply to only some of the respondents
Set off with boxes and arrows or use instructions to skip questions:
Do you have children under 18 at home? No
Yes
If yes: please list ages_____________
_______________________________

6. Alternative format for contingency questions
4. Do you have children under 18 at home?
No please skip to question 15
Yes please go on to question 5
5. How old is your youngest child?
6. What child care arrangements do you use while at work? (Check all that apply)…..
7………

7. Matrix Questions Set of questions with identical answer choices
Example:
Strongly agree
Agree
Don’t know
Dis-agree
Strongly Disagree
Husbands and wives should be equally responsible for financial support of their families. 5 4 3 2 1
A woman should take care of her family first, then her career.
Preschool children may be harmed if their mothers work.
A father can care for young children just as well as a mother can.

8. Using matrix questions
Easy to follow
Efficient use of space
May foster “response set” – solution is to alternate points of view occasionally
Answer choices should be appropriate for all items

9. Self-Administered Questionnaire
Mail, , web page, or handed out
May not produce high response rate
May be good for sensitive topics
Less costly than interviews

10. Insuring quality Use probability sample Precede with cover letter.
Include letter of explanation
Monitor returns, use follow-ups if needed
Always pay return postage!

11. Follow-ups on mail surveys
Maintain confidentiality – use ID numbers
Keep list of returns
After reasonable time, send another questionnaire
May follow up with phone call
Improves response rate
May allow conclusions about nonrespondents

12. Interviews Questions read by researcher Answers recorded by researcher
May be face-to-face or telephone
Higher response rate than mail surveys
More accurate responses – interviewer may ask for clarification
Better for more complex topics
Interviewer can observe and record without asking directly (but is it ethical?)

13. Two main rules for interviewers
Get R’s confidence: Good listener, non-judgmental, non-intimidating, appear interested in R’s opinions, dress appropriately, may be same gender as R
Don’t affect the results: Don’t volunteer own opinion, don’t appear as authority or expert, don’t judge R.

14. Interviewer preparation
Know purpose of study, sponsor, researcher
Know how much to reveal to R
Questionnaire must include interviewer instructions
Follow wording and instructions exactly.
Record responses exactly.
Use probes only as instructed.
Interviewers should be supervised.

15. Example of interviewer instructions:

16. Telephone Interviews Use for short, uncomplicated topics
Saves money and time
May precede with cover letter – avoid being seen as “nuisance call”
Raises sampling issues – cell phones, unlisted numbers, people without phones

17. Computer Assisted Survey Research:
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
Like regular telephone interview, but interviewer types respondent’s answers directly into computer
Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)
Like CATI, except used in face-to-face interview
Computer Assisted Self Interviewing (CASI)
Research worker brings a computer to the respondent’s home
Respondent answers on the computer
Computerized Self-Administered Questionnaire (CSAQ)
The respondent receives electronic copy of the questionnaire
Respondent returns the data file
Also: TDE (touch-tone data entry), VR (voice recognition)

18. Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys
Good for describing large populations; statistical inference
Can handle large data sets and samples
Standardization = easy analysis
Can have multiple indicators of concepts
Relatively inexpensive
Disadvantages
Can be overstandardized; categories may be artificial
May create opinion