Why surveys are useful

As with any research approach, a choice of methods is available and the one most appropriate to the individual project should be used. This paper will discuss the most popular methods employed in survey research, with an emphasis upon difficulties commonly encountered when using these methods. The aim is to examine a situation by describing important factors associated with that situation, such as demographic, socio-economic, and health characteristics, events, behaviours, attitudes, experiences, and knowledge.

Descriptive studies are used to estimate specific parameters in a population e. Analytical studies go beyond simple description; their intention is to illuminate a specific problem through focused data analysis, typically by looking at the effect of one set of variables upon another set. These are longitudinal studies, in which data are collected at more than one point in time with the aim of illuminating the direction of observed associations. Data may be collected from the same sample on each occasion cohort or panel studies or from a different sample at each point in time trend studies.

This form of research collects data to ascertain the effects of a planned change. The research produces data based on real-world observations empirical data. The breadth of coverage of many people or events means that it is more likely than some other approaches to obtain data based on a representative sample, and can therefore be generalizable to a population.

Surveys can produce a large amount of data in a short time for a fairly low cost. Researchers can therefore set a finite time-span for a project, which can assist in planning and delivering end results. The significance of the data can become neglected if the researcher focuses too much on the range of coverage to the exclusion of an adequate account of the implications of those data for relevant issues, problems, or theories.

The data that are produced are likely to lack details or depth on the topic being investigated. Securing a high response rate to a survey can be hard to control, particularly when it is carried out by post, but is also difficult when the survey is carried out face-to-face or over the telephone.

Good research has the characteristic that its purpose is to address a single clear and explicit research question; conversely, the end product of a study that aims to answer a number of diverse questions is often weak. This is a trap novice researchers in particular fall into.

Therefore, in developing a research question, the following aspects should be considered [ 4 ]:. Widen the base of your experience, explore related areas, and talk to other researchers and practitioners in the field you are surveying.

Consider using techniques for enhancing creativity, for example brainstorming ideas. Avoid the pitfalls of: allowing a decision regarding methods to decide the questions to be asked; posing research questions that cannot be answered; asking questions that have already been answered satisfactorily. The survey approach can employ a range of methods to answer the research question. Common survey methods include postal questionnaires, face-to-face interviews, and telephone interviews.

This method involves sending questionnaires to a large sample of people covering a wide geographical area. As response rates are low, a large sample is required when using postal questionnaires, for two main reasons: first, to ensure that the demographic profile of survey respondents reflects that of the survey population; and secondly, to provide a sufficiently large data set for analysis.

The researcher then asks the respondent a series of questions and notes their responses. The response rate is often higher than that of postal questionnaires as the researcher has the opportunity to sell the research to a potential respondent. Face-to-face interviewing is a more costly and time-consuming method than the postal survey, however the researcher can select the sample of respondents in order to balance the demographic profile of the sample.

Telephone surveys, like face-to-face interviews, allow a two-way interaction between researcher and respondent. Telephone surveys are quicker and cheaper than face-to-face interviewing.

Whilst resulting in a higher response rate than postal surveys, telephone surveys often attract a higher level of refusals than face-to-face interviews as people feel less inhibited about refusing to take part when approached over the telephone. Whether using a postal questionnaire or interview method, the questions asked have to be carefully planned and piloted. The design, wording, form, and order of questions can affect the type of responses obtained, and careful design is needed to minimize bias in results.

When designing a questionnaire or question route for interviewing, the following issues should be considered: 1 planning the content of a research tool; 2 questionnaire layout; 3 interview questions; 4 piloting; and 5 covering letter.

The topics of interest should be carefully planned and relate clearly to the research question. It is often useful to involve experts in the field, colleagues, and members of the target population in question design in order to ensure the validity of the coverage of questions included in the tool content validity. Researchers should conduct a literature search to identify existing, psychometrically tested questionnaires.

A well designed research tool is simple, appropriate for the intended use, acceptable to respondents, and should include a clear and interpretable scoring system. A research tool must also demonstrate the psychometric properties of reliability consistency from one measurement to the next , validity accurate measurement of the concept , and, if a longitudinal study, responsiveness to change [ 5 ]. The development of research tools, such as attitude scales, is a lengthy and costly process.

It is important that researchers recognize that the development of the research tool is equal in importance—and deserves equal attention—to data collection. If a research instrument has not undergone a robust process of development and testing, the credibility of the research findings themselves may legitimately be called into question and may even be completely disregarded.

Researchers who are unable or unwilling to undertake this process are strongly advised to consider adopting an existing, robust research tool. Questionnaires used in survey research should be clear and well presented. The use of capital upper case letters only should be avoided, as this format is hard to read. Questions should be numbered and clearly grouped by subject. Clear instructions should be given and headings included to make the questionnaire easier to follow.

Questions may be open where the respondent composes the reply or closed where pre-coded response options are available, e.

Closed questions with pre-coded response options are most suitable for topics where the possible responses are known. Closed questions are quick to administer and can be easily coded and analysed. Open questions should be used where possible replies are unknown or too numerous to pre-code. Open questions are more demanding for respondents but if well answered can provide useful insight into a topic. Open questions, however, can be time consuming to administer and difficult to analyse.

Whether using open or closed questions, researchers should plan clearly how answers will be analysed. Open questions are used more frequently in unstructured interviews, whereas closed questions typically appear in structured interview schedules. A structured interview is like a questionnaire that is administered face to face with the respondent. When designing the questions for a structured interview, the researcher should consider the points highlighted above regarding questionnaires.

The interviewer should have a standardized list of questions, each respondent being asked the same questions in the same order. If closed questions are used the interviewer should also have a range of pre-coded responses available. How to use original research in digital content marketing. Effective recruitment questionnaire screening. We use cookies to improve your experience on our website and to show you personalised content.

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In one method known as a structured interview, the researcher asks each participant with the questions. In the other method known as a questionnaire, the participant fills out the survey on his or her own. You have probably taken many different surveys in the past, although the questionnaire method tends to be the most common. Surveys are generally standardized to ensure that they have reliability and validity.

Standardization is also important so that the results can be generalized to the larger population. One of the big benefits of using surveys in psychological research is that they allow researchers to gather a large quantity of data relatively quickly and cheaply. A survey can be administered as a structured interview or as a self-report measure, and data can be collected in person, over the phone, or on a computer. One potential problem with written surveys is the nonresponse bias.

Experts suggest that return rates of 85 percent or higher are considered excellent, but anything below 60 percent might have a severe impact on the representativeness of the sample. Surveys can be implemented in a number of different ways. The chances are good that you have participated in a number of different market research surveys in the past. Some of the most common ways to administer surveys include:. Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter.

National Science Foundation. Section III. Data collection methods: Some tips and comparisons. Arlington, Va. A quick guide to survey research. Ann R Coll Surg Engl.

Best research practices in psychology: Illustrating epistemological and pragmatic considerations with the case of relationship science. J Adv Pract Oncol. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Winona State University, Rochester, Minnesota. E-mail: jponto winona. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is for non-commercial purposes.

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