Summary
Contents
Subject index
Written with the needs and goals of a novice researcher in mind, this fully updated Third Edition provides an accurate account of how modern surveys are actually designed and conducted. Much more than a “how-to” guide, this up-to-date and accessible book presents the material in a social science context and teaches readers to think through decisions about sample design, questionnaire development, and data collection, rather than simply following prescriptive advice that may not be appropriate to particular practical situations. In addition to providing examples of alternative procedures, Designing Surveys shows how classic principles and recent research guide decision-making—from setting the basic features of the survey design to implementing instrument development, testing, and data collection. The new edition covers new developments in data collection technologies, provides a more comprehensive treatment of questionnaire development and pretesting, and includes completely new chapters on sample design and selection.
Postsurvey Statistical Adjustments and the Methodology Report
Postsurvey Statistical Adjustments and the Methodology Report
After data collection has been completed and the data file is in hand, the last activities are to (a) examine the data to assess possible weaknesses or the need for caveats about its use, (b) judge whether it may be possible to improve the quality of the estimates with statistical adjustments to reduce the bias or variance, and finally (c) document the survey procedures in a methodology report. We discuss each in turn, beginning with a consideration of possible nonresponse bias.
We finish the chapter—and this book—with a final word on surveys conducted in other nations and/or cultures.
Nonresponse Bias
Nonresponse, as we have noted, is a major potential source of bias in sample ...
- Loading...