Survey Research (1)
Page 1: Introduction
Survey Research: A method for collecting information through questions.
Page 2: Components of Survey Research
Main Focus Areas:
Behaviors
Opinions/Attitudes
Facts
Beliefs
Modes of Asking:
Telephones
Interviews
Mail
Internet
Page 3: Purpose of Surveys
Interest In:
Individuals
Aggregation of Views
Recent & Current Events
Large Groups
Page 4: Survey Functions
Uses:
Descriptive: Summarizing data.
Explanatory: Understanding relationships.
Exploratory: Investigating new areas.
Respondents: Individual respondents or informants required for analysis.
Page 5: Importance of Survey Research
Key Methodology:
Ideal for collecting original data from large populations.
Probability Sampling: Ensures sample characteristics reflect the population.
Standardized Questionnaires: Uniform data collection across respondents.
Page 6: Steps in Survey Research
Research Design
Select Sample
Construct Questions
Ask Questions
Analyze Data
Report Results
Page 7: Response Rate
Definition: Percentage of surveys returned.
Significance:
High response rate = reduced response bias.
Low response rate indicates potential biases in non-respondents.
Page 8: Acceptable Response Rates (According to Babbie)
50%: Adequate for analysis
60%: Good
70%: Very Good
Page 9: Non-attitudes in Surveys
Common Assumptions:
Survey research is akin to archeology, uncovering existing opinions.
Challenges the notion that people constantly have formed attitudes.
Page 10: Addressing Non-attitudes
Strategies:
Screen respondents for knowledge on issues.
Develop a "Mushiness Index" for vague opinions.
Offer a middle ground or a "Don't Know" option in questions.
Page 11: Strengths of Survey Research
Capabilities:
Access to opinions from large groups.
Flexibility across fields such as medical, educational, political, and business.
Facilitates hypothesis testing and encourages systematic comparisons.
Page 12: Weaknesses of Survey Research
Limitations:
Standardization may oversimplify complexity.
Surveys may miss "why" behind opinions.
Risks of disengaged respondents or dishonest answers.
Page 13: Political Polling Insights
Polling Errors in U.S. Elections:
2020 polls overestimated Biden's advantage by 3.9 points.
Visualization of average signed error for various election years (1936-2020).
Page 14: Accuracy in Political Polling
Historical Accuracy:
2016 had low national polling errors; contrasted with 2000's overestimation.
Error Comparisons: 2000 vs. 2016 polling accuracies.
Page 15: Election Polling Misses
State-level Poll Errors:
Overview of polling inaccuracies during elections in several states (e.g., Wisconsin, Florida).
Page 16: Survey Sampling Concepts
Population vs. Sample:
Definitions and distinctions between the broader population and the sampled subset.
Sampling Methods: Importance of approach (e.g., simple random vs. convenience).
Page 17: Margin of Error
Formula: ME = X Z
Understanding how margin of error reflects sampling reliability.
Page 18: Trends in Response Rates
Declining Telephonic Survey Responses:
Data on response rate trends from 1997 to 2018 showing significant drops.
AAPOR RR3 response rate specifications and their implications.