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Survey Methodology

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SURVEY METHODOLOGY
What is a Survey?
What about Methodology?
Where is this methodology applicable?
When is it applicable?
What are the problems of this
methodology?

What Is a Survey?
Survey is a means to get a prompt and accurate flow of
information on preferences, needs, and behavior. It is
in response to this critical need for information on the
part of the government, business, and social
institutions that so much reliance is placed on surveys.
"Survey" is used most often to describe a method
of gathering information from a sample of
individuals. This "sample" is usually just a fraction
of the population being studied.

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For example,
A sample of voters is questioned in advance of an
election to determine how the public perceives the
candidates
A manufacturer does a survey of the potential
market before introducing a new product
A government entity commissions a survey to
gather the factual information it needs to evaluate
existing legislation or to draft proposed new
legislation.

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Census v/s Survey
The sample is not selected haphazardly or only
from persons who volunteer to participate. It is
scientifically chosen so that each person in the
population will have a measurable chance of
selection.

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In order to decide which research methodology
to use
The nature of the problem involved
The theoretical stance
The preferred methods of the researcher are
important (for example, symbolic inter-actionists are
likely to prefer direct observation, and are less likely
to operate with standardized variables).
It is needless to say that the theoretical stance and the
preference often influence the kind of research
problem that is chosen.

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In other words, they are often closely interrelated. In
order to determine the research problem or research
question, a lot of preparation has to be done.
The most common way is review of the existing
literature. It is important here to say that this review is
not an end on itself, but rather a means to an end. It is
through the review that questions will be asked, and
not answered.

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How Large Must The Sample Size Be?
The sample size required for a survey partly
depends on the statistical quality needed for survey
findings
Much depends on the professional and financial
resources available.
For example, the well-known national polls frequently
use samples of about 1,000 persons to get reasonable
information about national attitudes and opinions

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Z
2
pq * DE
n
E
n = sample size
E = Margin of Error
DE = Design Factor
p = 0.5
q = 0.5
Surveys provide a speedy and economical means
of determining facts about our economy and about
people's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs,
expectations, and behaviors.

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Who Conducts Surveys?
Major TV networks rely on surveys to tell them
how many and what type of people are watching
their programs
Auto manufacturers use surveys to find out how
satisfied people are with their cars

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The RBI/Department of Economic Affairs conducts a
survey each month to obtain information on employment
and unemployment in the nation
Local transportation authorities conduct surveys to
acquire information on commuting and travel habits
Magazine and trade journals use surveys to find out what
their subscribers are reading
Surveys are conducted to ascertain who uses our national
parks and other recreation facilities.

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What Are Some Common Survey Methods?
Personal Interviews
in a respondent's home or office are much more expensive
than mail or telephone surveys. They may be necessary,
however, especially when complex information is to be
collected.
Mail surveys
can be relatively low in cost. As with any other survey,
problems exist in their use when insufficient attention is given
to getting high levels of cooperation. Mail surveys can be most
effective when directed at particular groups, such as
subscribers to a specialized magazine or members of a
professional association.

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Telephone interviews
Is an efficient method of collecting some types of data and
are being increasingly used. They lend themselves
particularly well to situations where timeliness is a factor
and the length of the survey is limited.
Some surveys combine various methods. For instance,
a survey worker may use the telephone to "screen" or
locate eligible respondents (e.g., to locate older
individuals eligible for Medicare) and then make
appointments for an in-person interview.

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The recommended policy for survey organizations
to safeguard such confidentiality includes
Using only number codes to link the respondent to a
questionnaire and storing the name-to-code linkage
information separately from the questionnaires
Refusing to give the names and addresses of survey
respondents to anyone outside the survey organization,
including clients

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Destroying questionnaires and identifying information
about respondents after the responses have been
entered into the computer
Omitting the names and addresses of survey
respondents from computer files used for analysis
Presenting statistical tabulations by broad enough
categories so that individual respondents cannot be
singled out

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Conditions for good Survey
Sample size is significant
Sample is representative of the population
Principles of good estimation is followed
(unbiased, efficient, consistent, sufficient)
All respondents are sincere in their responses
Biases in the responses get normalized due to
proper sampling

Survey Methodology

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