Surveys

Survey – an attempt to collect data from members of a

population in order to determine the current status of that
population with respect to one or more variables
(Gay, 1988). It can be used for all purposes of research
but is mainly utilised fro descriptive studies.
Examples of social surveys – electoral and public opinion
polls, market research, demographic (census) surveys
and attitudinal studies.
 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Surveys
Advantages:
 It is an efficient way of collecting information from a large
number of respondents. Large samples are
possible. Statistical techniques can be used to
determine validity, reliability and statistical significance.
 Surveys are flexible in the sense that a wide range of
information can be collected. They can be used to study
attitudes, values, beliefs, and past behaviours.
 Because they are standardised, they are relatively free
from several types of errors.
 They are relatively easy to administer.
 Time and money are not spent on tangential questions,
since only questions of interest to the researcher are
asked, recorded, codified and analyzed.
Disadvantages:
 They depend on subjects’ motivation, honesty, memory
and ability to respond.
 Surveys are not appropriate for studying complex social
phenomena.
 Structured surveys, particularly those with closed ended
questions, may have low validity when researching
affective variables.
 Surveys require that the questionnaire remain unchanged
through-out the study. Hus, relevant data may be omitted.
 Survey Methods
There are two main way of gathering data for a survey and they rely on
the use of the questionnaire (instrument of data collection).
1. Self-administered e.g. mail survey, on-line survey.
Advantages:
- Does not require a large staff of skilled interviewer
- Can be administered in large numbers all at one place and time
- Anonymity and privacy encourage more honest and candid
responses
- Lack of interviewer bias
- Speed of administration and analysis
- less pressure on respondents
- Less expensive than other methods
Disadvantages:
- Response rate may be low
- Questions have to be simple and straight-forward
- Answers have to be accepted as final
- Researcher cannot be sure that the right person
answered
2. Researcher administered interviews e.g.
face-to-face and telephone.
Advantages:
 Fewer misunderstood questions and inappropriate
responses.
 Fewer incomplete responses.
 Higher response rates
 Greater control over the environment in which the survey
is administered (face-to-face).
 Interviewer bias eliminated (telephone)
Disadvantages
Face-to-face:
 Time and cost intensive
 People not always willing to talk to strangers
 Interviewer may introduce bias into the interview
 Respondents may be too widely scattered for interview
to be feasible
Telephone
Disadvantages:
 Respondents can end calls
 Inappropriate where most people do not have telephones
 Interviewer unable to observe environment (if important
to the study)
 Very difficult to establish rapport between interviewer
and respondent.