In addition to hundreds of new references features new to this edition include: a comprehensive introduction to qualitative methods including a review of existing computer applications for collecting and analyzing data; the latest information about the use of computers and online research techniques, including the use of the Internet to locate actual research instruments and journal articles; updated coverage on new scales, internal and external validity, and new analytic techniques with extensive references on each; abstracts, citations and subject groupings by measurement tool of the last five years of the American Sociological Review, Social Psychology Quarterly, and the American Journal of Sociology; extensive coverage of how to prepare manuscripts for publication, including a list of all journals covered by Sociological Abstracts along with the editorial office address and URL for each entry; new coverage of ethical issues; expansion of social indicators to include international coverage; discussion of the importance of policy research with presentation and discussion of specific models as an adjunct to both applied and basic research techniques; and the addition of an index to facilitate the reader's ability to quickly locate a topic.

Choosing Among the Mail Questionnaire, Personal Interview, and Telephone Survey

Choosing Among the Mail Questionnaire, Personal Interview, and Telephone Survey

The choice of a mode of collecting data involves many factors. The projection of results expected is speculative, because in one sense every sample and the conditions surrounding it are unique. Even changes in world events during administration can make adifference. If the researcher is prepared to utilize many follow-ups or a combination of methods, then a higher response rate can be expected.

Table 5.9 presents an evaluation of the modes of data collection, covering eight important factors. The researcher must determine which among these factors are most important in choosing ...

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