Descriptive Research & Questionnaire Design

1. Descriptive Research & Questionnaire Design

2. Descriptive Research • Survey versus Observation • Survey • Primary data collection method based on communication with a representative sample of individuals • Observation • Systematic process of recordingbehavioral patterns of people, objects, and occurrences without questioning or communicating with them • Involves recording -- someone (something) has to do the recording • Deals with behaviors -- can’t observe attitudes, emotions, etc. • Broad-based -- may observe, people, objects, occurrences

3. Survey Research • Methods of Administration • Personal Interview -- face-to-face communication between an interviewer and respondent • Telephone Interview -- information is gathered over the telephone • Mail Questionnaire -- self-administered survey sent via the mail • Electronic Questionnaire -- survey distributed and gathered via e-mail or the Internet

4. Survey Research • Personal interviews • Advantages • Probing ability • Longer survey instruments • Completeness • Use visual aids • Disadvantages • Interviewer bias • Not anonymous • Expense • Ability to set up specific times for call backs

5. Survey Research • Telephone interviews • Advantages • Efficiency • Probing ability • Ability to have “pure random samples” • Ability to set up specific times for call backs • Direct data entry (CATI) • Disadvantages • Limited reach (not all have telephones) • Cell phone issues • Annoyance • Limited duration • No visuals

6. Survey Research • Mail questionnaires • Advantages • Low in cost • Respondent convenience & anonymity • No interviewer bias • Longer surveys • Disadvantages • Lack of speed • Low response rates (usually below 50%; often much lower) • No interviewer • Cost can get high

7. Survey Research • Electronic Questionnaires • E-mail surveys • Convenient • Limited reach • Best used in conjunction with another method (i.e., mail or telephone) • Web-based surveys • Convenient • Limited reach • Some visual aids may be used • Best application: • In conjunction with another method • Panels

8. Primary Data • When to use communication versus observation? • When data collection needs to be versatile • Have a wide range of data needs • Want to know needs, ideas, descriptions of customers, for example • Able to gather by “communicating” with a respondent • Some data cannot be observed (e.g., attitudes)

9. Primary Data • When to use observation versus communication? • When a respondent’s willingness to provide information is low • When the potential for interviewer bias is high • Certain types of data points can only be observed (e.g., behaviors)

10. Survey Research • Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Designs • Cross-sectional -- snapshot of population at one point in time • Longitudinal -- fixed sample of population elements repeatedly measured over time • Allows for tracking of certain changes over time (e.g., brand switching, brand loyalty)

11. Observation-Based Research • Nature of observation • No interaction • No non-response do to unwillingness to participate • Little social desirability • Characteristics of observation • Objectivity • Accuracy

12. Questionnaire Design • What is a questionnaire? • Formalized schedule for collecting data from respondents • Outlines information to be gathered • Key criteria of a good questionnaire • Relevance to the problem at hand • Accuracy in terms of its measures

13. Questionnaire Design • Components of a Questionnaire • ID data • Request for cooperation • Instructions • Information sought • Classification data

14. Questionnaire Design • Procedure for developing a questionnaire • More of an art than a science (We will cover the following steps) • Specify the information to be sought • Determine the type of questionnaire and method of administration • Determine content of individual questions • Determine response form to each question • Determine specific wording of each question

15. Questionnaire Design • Procedure for developing a questionnaire (cont’d) • Determine question sequence • Determine physical characteristics of the questionnaire • Re-examine the above steps and revise (if necessary) • Pretest questionnaire and revise

16. Questionnaire Design • Information sought • Guided by the problem definition and the hypotheses • Be careful to focus on the problem at hand and the necessary hypotheses • “Interesting” information will only make the questionnaire longer which will likely contribute to non-sampling error

17. Questionnaire Design • Type of questionnaire and method of administration • Depends on the problem at hand • Structured versus unstructured depends on the problem definition

18. Questionnaire Design • Determine content of individual questions • Is a question necessary? • Are several questions necessary, or just one? • Do typical respondents have the necessary information to answer the question? • Example -- Opinion Metallic Metals Act of 1947 • If they don’t they will still answer it

19. Questionnaire Design • Determine content of individual questions (cont’d) • Will respondents provide the information? • Options for sensitive questions • Hide the question • State the question using terms that suggest the behavior or attitude in question is not unusual • Phase the questions in terms of others • State the question with response categories (easy to check a response box) • Randomized Response Model

20. Questionnaire Design • Form of the response • Open-ended • Fixed alternative • Dichotomous • Yes/No • Multi-chotomous • Strongly Agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

21. Questionnaire Design • Question wording • Simple words • Avoid ambiguous words • Avoid leading questions • Avoid implicit alternatives • Avoid estimates • Avoid double-barreled questions

22. Questionnaire Design • Question Sequence • Simple & interesting opening questions • Funnel approach • Start broad and get narrow • Difficult or sensitive questions late • Classification information last

23. Questionnaire Design • Determine physical characteristics • Securing response – this is most important • Facilitate handling and control • Re-examination and revision • Pretests