Survey research : definition

• Broad-based, qualitative and/or quantitative research which collects data through pre-formulates question in a structured questionnaire to a representative sample of individuals drawn from a defined population
• main advantage is number of participants processed
• response / data can be recorded verbatim or coded for statistical analysis

Survey research : use

• Research intangibles
  • as with interviews and focus group
• Research material objects
  • • necessary when no other source of data available (e.g. new rapidly changing technology very fast moving trends)
    • major assumptions:
      • 1) individual or group is representative of entire population
      • 2) intangible qualities of individual or group are representative of entire population
      • 2) knowing something about individual or group tells us something about entire population
  • Organizational studies
    • provides view of organization from the perspective of employees rather than management
    • survey can ensure anonymous and thus confidential responses from people concerned about speaking truthfully

Survey research: Advantage

• Contact period with each participant is brist
  • speed- faster than focus groups
• 2) can be conducted by assistants
  • speed- faster than focus group
  • cost – less expensive
• 3) can fit method to participants
  • access – easier to recruit volunteers

Survey Research: Disadvantages

• Reliability – data be superficial, inconclusive
• Lack of historical perspective. “snapshot”

Process

1. define the research problem
2. review the literature
3. design your research problem

Treatment of Human Subjects

• Ethical consideration
  • do not place your participants at any risk
  • propriety and modesty
  • treat your participants with dignity and respect

Sample strategy

• participants must be able to answer your research question for representative sample, must know entire populatin
• set sample guidelines in relation to analytical categories (i.e. quota for each demographic you need for sample)
• recruit participants until each quota is filled
• result will be a stratified random sample

Sample size

• Considerations
  • nature of research question
  • number of analytical categories

Setting and Timing

• Location of response can affect quality of data collected
• Timing of response can affect quality of data collected
  • Considerations
  • Comfort of participants (including ethical issues)
  • Access to communication
  • Distractions
• Establish an interpretive context
  • a) specific participants used
  • b) mode of interpretation
  • as always, justify your research decision
• Draft a questionnaire
  • Questionnaire- pre-determined list of questions to be answered by each participant (resembles coding schedule for content analysis)
    • brevity is important
    • typically, identify questions first
  • analytical questions follow
    • closed questions: all possible answers listed
    • open questions: black space for expected answers
    • research question: why science fiction a popular genre?
  • be cautious regarding the order of questions
  • don’t lead your respondents to provide specific responses, doing so will taint data, make it less reliable solution. Arrange the same questions in two or more ways, this reduces and/or guages the effect of bias in the order
• Collect Data
  • use your sampling method and questionnaire
• Data preparation and analysis
  • organization answers in most appropriate way
  • can count responses, as in content analysis
    • can create time line, as in historical research
    • can group data into themes, as in policy research
    • look for signposts and patterns
    • explain the patterns