Quantitative- surveys

Question 1

2 important aspects of surveys

Answer 1

1. sampling
2. structuring the questions

(also response rate)

Question 2

Probability sampling

Answer 2

• Each person has an equal chance of being chosen to be in the sample
• Used whenever you want to learn something specific about an identifiable group of individuals (generalise back to the population)
• We need a representative sample in order to generalise about the population, otherwise the sample is biased

Question 3

Random sampling (3 types)

Answer 3

1. Simple random sampling
2. stratified sampling
3. Cluster sampling

Question 4

Simple random sampling

Answer 4

• effective and practical except:
  1. when you want to look at systematic features of the population (eg. gender, old people)
  2. when the population is very large

Question 5

Stratified sampling

Answer 5

Proportions of important subgroups in the population are represented precisely in the sample

suppose we have 5000 students and 4000 are women: we would randomly sample within the women and randomly sample within the men.
you slice you population by a variant like gender

Question 6

Cluster sampling

Answer 6

A “cluster” is a sampling unit (a required class, a school) within which one samples randomly

Question 7

Non-probability sampling

Answer 7

Can be used when generalisability is not the goal, but the relationship between two variables is.

2 types:

1. convenience sampling
2. purposive sampling

Question 8

Convenience sampling

Answer 8

Requesting volunteers from a group of available people who meet the general requirements of the study (SRPP)

Question 9

Purposive sampling

Answer 9

Recruiting a specific type of person

Question 10

Survey methods (3 types)

Answer 10

1. interview
2. written survey
3. phone surveys

Question 11

Advantages of interview method

Answer 11

• Comprehensive, yields lots of information

- Usually don’t get problems with unclear information or missing data (Good for illiterate population in SA)

Question 12

Disadvantages of interview method

Answer 12

• people refuse to be interviewed, cant be found, or interviewer refuses to go there
• costs, logistics
• interviewer bias

Question 13

Written surveys

Answer 13

-Use either open or closed questions
-Often use Likert-like scales
-Can be sent through the post or online or administered in a group setting
(bad for illiterate people)

Question 14

Phone surveys

Answer 14

• Use random digit dialing (to avoid missing unlisted numbers)
• Do exclude that portion of the population that doesn’t have a phone
• Non-response rate can be high

Question 15

Evaluating survey research: was the sampling frame bias?

Answer 15

• was everyone included?

- was the response rate high?

Question 16

Evaluating survey research: was there a social desirability bias?

Answer 16

were they influenced by interviewers?

what they think the answer should be

Question 17

Evaluating survey research: problems with questions

Answer 17

1. Ambiguous
2. 2-part questions
3. leading questions