Survey research IISurvey research II

InterviewingInterviewing

In person surveysIn person surveys

► Instead of respondents reading Instead of respondents reading questionnaires and recording their own questionnaires and recording their own responses,responses,

► Interviewers ask the questions orally Interviewers ask the questions orally and record the answersand record the answers

►Small scale study might use one Small scale study might use one interviewerinterviewer

►Larger studies have a staff of Larger studies have a staff of interviewers interviewers

InterviewerInterviewer

►More personal, higher response rates More personal, higher response rates (80-85%)(80-85%)

►Usually decreases no answers and don’t Usually decreases no answers and don’t knowsknows

►Can clarify questions (control of Can clarify questions (control of clarifications)clarifications)

►Make observations about surroundings, Make observations about surroundings, nonverbal, reactions to questionsnonverbal, reactions to questions

InterviewersInterviewers

►Use of probesUse of probes►Reliability of interviewers a potential Reliability of interviewers a potential

problem—will different interviewers problem—will different interviewers get different answers?get different answers?

► Interviewers must be trainedInterviewers must be trained

Training interviewersTraining interviewers

►Appearance: depends on the target Appearance: depends on the target populationpopulation

►Norm: middle class standardsNorm: middle class standards►Businesses: business attireBusinesses: business attire►More casual for street people, More casual for street people,

incarcerated individualsincarcerated individuals►May want to ask members of target May want to ask members of target

populationpopulation

TrainingTraining

►Pleasant nonjudgmental demeanor, Pleasant nonjudgmental demeanor, put participants at easeput participants at ease

►Be familiar with the questionnaire, Be familiar with the questionnaire, understand itunderstand it

► use of laminated responses sheets as use of laminated responses sheets as a guidea guide

►Some example interviewsSome example interviews

ProbesProbes

►Silence, pencil poisedSilence, pencil poised►How is that? In what ways? Anything How is that? In what ways? Anything

else?else?►Must be neutral, must not lead the Must be neutral, must not lead the

intervieweeinterviewee►Probes should be indicated next to the Probes should be indicated next to the

questionquestion

Conducting the studyConducting the study

►TrainingTraining► Interviewers should understand the Interviewers should understand the

questionnaire, what the study is about questionnaire, what the study is about to the degree that they can properly to the degree that they can properly ask the questionsask the questions

►Practice sessionsPractice sessions►Conducting interviews and feedbackConducting interviews and feedback

SupervisionSupervision

►Verifying that interviews have been Verifying that interviews have been completedcompleted

►Random checks, verify with Random checks, verify with participantsparticipants

►Reviewing questionnaires as Reviewing questionnaires as completed to ensure that questions completed to ensure that questions are understoodare understood

Computer assistedComputer assisted

►Computer-based self-administrationComputer-based self-administration►Faxes, webFaxes, web►Disk-based or CD at a computerDisk-based or CD at a computer

In person computer assisted In person computer assisted

► Interviewers might read questions from Interviewers might read questions from a computer screen and then key in a computer screen and then key in respondent’s answersrespondent’s answers

►Or, interviewers might hand computers Or, interviewers might hand computers over to subjects who then key in the over to subjects who then key in the responses themselves (might seem responses themselves (might seem more confidential)more confidential)

► studies indicate that subjects admit to studies indicate that subjects admit to more with this techniquemore with this technique

Advantages of computersAdvantages of computers

►Data analysisData analysis►Complex contingency questions can be Complex contingency questions can be

automatedautomated►Less monotonous, especially when Less monotonous, especially when

combined with face to facecombined with face to face►Different languages Different languages

DisadvantagesDisadvantages

►CostsCosts►More programmingMore programming►Computer problemsComputer problems

Specialized interviewsSpecialized interviews

►Unstructured interviews, open endedUnstructured interviews, open ended►Rather than very specific questions, a Rather than very specific questions, a

list of general questions or topics with list of general questions or topics with each subjecteach subject

►Directed conversation rather than a Directed conversation rather than a formal interviewformal interview

► Interview guide more like a checklistInterview guide more like a checklist

Focus groupsFocus groups

►8-15 people8-15 people►Assembled to engage in a guided group Assembled to engage in a guided group

discussiondiscussion►Used originally by market researchersUsed originally by market researchers►Ask some open ended questions, specific Ask some open ended questions, specific

questions or issues, somewhat controlledquestions or issues, somewhat controlled►Example: determining market Example: determining market

acceptability of a new programacceptability of a new program

Focus groupsFocus groups

►GeneralizabilityGeneralizability►Selecting the right participants to be Selecting the right participants to be

representative of a larger grouprepresentative of a larger group►Hopefully the members will bounce Hopefully the members will bounce

ideas off each other that will provide ideas off each other that will provide useful information for the researchersuseful information for the researchers

TelephoneTelephone

►Structured interviewsStructured interviews►Still need trainingStill need training►Dress not an issue, nor demeanorDress not an issue, nor demeanor►Pleasant telephone voicePleasant telephone voice►Need to state purpose quickly, Need to state purpose quickly,

because of telemarketing (do not call because of telemarketing (do not call lists)lists)

►Structured introductionStructured introduction

TelephoneTelephone

►94% of household have telephones, 94% of household have telephones, which means that representative which means that representative samples are likely to be obtainedsamples are likely to be obtained

►Exceptions: very poor, transient, Exceptions: very poor, transient, homeless, unlisted numbers (RDD)homeless, unlisted numbers (RDD)

►Will cell phones change telephone Will cell phones change telephone surveying?surveying?

►Potential language problemsPotential language problems

Computer assisted telephone Computer assisted telephone interviewinginterviewing

►Computers can generate and dial Computers can generate and dial phone numbersphone numbers

► Interviewers wear headsets at Interviewers wear headsets at computer stationscomputer stations

►Program dials numbersProgram dials numbers► Interviewer reads questions from Interviewer reads questions from

computer screen, records responsescomputer screen, records responses

Computers Computers

►Software formats responses into a data Software formats responses into a data filefile

►Nationwide opinion polls typically use Nationwide opinion polls typically use such a techniquesuch a technique

►Some simple polls can be automated so Some simple polls can be automated so that an interviewer is not needed (i.e., that an interviewer is not needed (i.e., how people will vote in an electionhow people will vote in an election

►There could be a privacy issueThere could be a privacy issue

Which method to useWhich method to use

►1. Self-administered cheapest and 1. Self-administered cheapest and fastest, but only works if groups can fastest, but only works if groups can assemble and can read reasonably assemble and can read reasonably well (with offender populations—might well (with offender populations—might want to tape record or read the want to tape record or read the questions)questions)

Four methodsFour methods

► Interviews get more in-depth Interviews get more in-depth information, and are better for less information, and are better for less educated populations who might not educated populations who might not be able to manage written be able to manage written questionnaires (again particularly questionnaires (again particularly relevant to offender populations), relevant to offender populations), because interviewers can read and because interviewers can read and explain the questionsexplain the questions

Four methodsFour methods

► Interview studies get good response Interview studies get good response ratesrates

►However, face to face interview However, face to face interview studies will be more expensive and studies will be more expensive and time-consuming than other types of time-consuming than other types of studiesstudies

Four methodsFour methods

►Mailed surveys can reach large Mailed surveys can reach large numbers of people relatively quickly, numbers of people relatively quickly, and the costs are relatively low—but and the costs are relatively low—but return rates are problematicreturn rates are problematic

►More structured and more impersonalMore structured and more impersonal►Best when the answers to closed Best when the answers to closed

ended questions are soughtended questions are sought

Four methodsFour methods

►Telephone surveys are best for short Telephone surveys are best for short questionnaires when the results are questionnaires when the results are needed quicklyneeded quickly

►Also better than mailedif literacy is Also better than mailedif literacy is problematicproblematic

►Return rates better than mailed, not as Return rates better than mailed, not as good as face to face, but acceptablegood as face to face, but acceptable

Surveys in generalSurveys in general

►People might not be truthful or might People might not be truthful or might not know the truthnot know the truth

►Somewhat superficial, do not give us Somewhat superficial, do not give us the social context of field researchthe social context of field research