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Understanding Explicit Reports in Scientific Research | Geography Methods

Learn about types, formatting, and administering explicit reports in scientific research methods in geography. Explore survey types, major instruments, closed-ended items, and more.

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Understanding Explicit Reports in Scientific Research | Geography Methods

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  1. Chapter 4:Explicit Reports An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography As Reviewed by: Michelle Guzdek GEOG 4020 Prof. Sutton 2/1/2010

  2. Learning Objectives & Discussion Questions • What are general properties and specific types of explicit reports? • What are options for formatting explicit-report items? • What are options for administering explicit reports, and what are some consequences of the different options? • What are some ways to design and generate explicit-report instruments? • What are characteristics fo the U.S. census and the data it produces? • What are basic limitations of explicit reports as a type of research data?

  3. Explicit Reports • Explicit reports are one of the most flexible and popular types of data collection in human geography. • Includes surveys, interviews, and tests. • Can request different types of beliefs: • Behaviors • Knowledge • Opinions • Attitudes • Expectations • Intentions • Experiences • Demographic Characteristics.

  4. Explicit Reports (cont.) • Request responses that cannot readily be judged as right or wrong • Responses are personal opinions or preferences • Can be characterized as common or unusual • Can be related to other variables such as demographics

  5. Major Types of Explicit Report Instruments • Surveys, questionnaires • Interviews • Sociometric ratings • Activity diaries, logs • Contingent valuation • Focus groups • Protocol analysis • Tests

  6. Survey • Require respondents to answer questions about their opinions, attitudes and preferences

  7. Interview • Collect the same types of information as surveys but are administered and responded to orally

  8. Sociometric Ratings • Subtype of survey • Opinions or beliefs expressed by members of small groups, such as families or carpool groups, about each of the other members of the group • Particularly valuable for studying small-group structure and dynamics

  9. Activity Diary or Log • Subtype of survey • Requires respondents to record what they do on a regular basis • Transportation survey • Shopping survey

  10. Contingent Valuation • Subtype of survey • Requires people to rate or rank how much they value something • Commonly used in studies of how people value particular landscapes or environmental actions • Ratings of values are expressed in dollars or units such as hours or miles

  11. Focus Groups • Unstructured interviews carried out with a small group of respondents • Discuss a particular topic and led by a facilitator or moderator

  12. Protocol Analysis • Open-ended interview in which people “think aloud” about the contents of their conscious mind while reasoning about some problem or issue

  13. Tests • Require participants to respond to questions that can be assessed as right or wrong • Typically scored for accuracy, including number or size of errors, in order to generate the data

  14. Format of Explicit Reports • All explicit reports ask people to respond to something • A specific survey, interview or test is called an instrument • The specific questions or statements that make it up are called items • Closed-ended items – finite number of answers • Open-ended items – do not provide specific response options for respondents

  15. Major Types of Closed-Ended Items • Rating scales • Forced-choice alternatives • Ranking of alternatives • Adjective or activity checklist • Paired or triadic comparisons • Sorting task

  16. Rating Scales • Respondents provide a number or mark a line to indicate the amount or extent of something, including degree of belief they have in something • Generic • Semantic differential • Likert scales • Paired comparison ratings

  17. Which Type to Use

  18. Rating Scale Example Image Source: http://gravitasfreezone.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/happy-sad-faces.jpg

  19. Forced-Choice Alternatives Examples

  20. Administration of Explicit Reports • Considerations for determining best way to administer explicit reports • Cost • Number and nature of items • Response rate • Potential for follow-up • Nature of respondents • Possible interviewer artifacts

  21. Designing and Generating Explicit Instruments • Avoid confusing, biased, and ambiguous wording by using clear and unambiguous language, understood consistently by all respondents • Items need to be unidimensional – they need to only ask one thing • Avoid biased and emotionally charged wording • Avoid unnecessary questions • Don’t make survey too long

  22. U.S. Census Image Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8497275.stm

  23. An Important Secondary Source of Explicit Report Data • A census is a count of the number of people in a country and an assessment of their characteristics • Carried out by national governments • Provide an important source of explicit-report data for geographers • Answers to census questions vary both spatially and temporally

  24. U.S. Census Questions

  25. Hierarchy of standard geographic units for dissemination • 2006 Census of Canada

  26. Obtaining Census Data - ESRI • http://arcdata.esri.com/data/tiger2000/tiger_download.cfm

  27. Limitations of Explicit Reports • To believe that all explicit report data are completely true and accurate would be naïve • Limits of memory are clearly important • People forget! • Language limitations

  28. References • AlterNetRides (2010). http://alternetrides.com/Home_Rides.asp?width=1280&height=772 • Ride Share Program where you can log your daily commute • Statistics Canada (2010). Hierarchy of standard geographic units for dissemination, 2006 Censushttp://geodepot.statcan.ca/2006/180506051805140305/03150707/1908151820_181905_05-eng.jsp;jsessionid=D747B9C5B71264376CF206316F497AB6?GEO_LEVEL=null&ABBRV=null&REFCODE=10&LANG=E&FILENAME=HierarchyFigure&TYPE=null • Survey Monkey (2010). http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurveys.aspx • U.S. Census Bureau 2010. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php • U.S. Census Bureau (2010). Census 2000 Geographic Definitions.http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html • Waddington, H. (2000). Types of survey questions. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/start.htm

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