Survey Methods and Types: Choosing the Right Approach for Effective Data Collection

1. Survey Methods

2. Types of surveys • Telephone • Postal • Internet • Face to face • Written questionnaires

3. General points • All methods have pros and cons • Method selected will depend on things like time and cost • Written questionnaires allow greater privacy • Face to face / person to person allows dialogue / clarification • Quality of questions is paramount – must be precise and unambiguous: “rubbish in equals rubbish out!” • The larger the sample size the better

4. Pilot Studies – advantages • A brief trial study • Checks that questions are understood / elicit the information you are looking for • Avoids time / money being wasted on a survey which does not ‘work’ • Improves the design / sharpens the questions • Results could be ‘added’ to final survey

5. Pilot Studies - disadvantages • Sample size likely to be smaller than final survey so results could be misleading • Time taken – the intention of the survey could be out of date by the time the sample is completed

6. Face to face - advantages • Higher response rate • Responses can be elaborated on • Skilled interviewer can get good information by further questions • Questions can be further clarified if not fully understood

7. Face to face - disadvantages • Embarrassment factor – respondents may ‘lie’ / modify answers • Quality depends on the skill and commitment of the interviewer • Time consuming if large enough sample size to be achieved

8. Postal questionnaires - advantages • Quite cheap / straightforward • Access to wide range of people / geographical areas • Respondents less likely to be ‘embarrassed’ • Answers likely to be longer that ‘in the street’ surveys • Results can be coded, analysed, presented in different formats

9. Postal questionnaires - disadvantages • Time consuming waiting to receive replies • Low response rate, reduces sample size • No opportunity to further explain questions • May not sample certain groups – e.g. homeless. • Response rate will vary by social class • Unless questions are asked about ethnic group / age / social class of the respondents, the sample might not be representative • Some respondents will not take it seriously – don’t consider answers etc.

10. Postal Surveys - examples • Lancashire County Council • Hillingdon Annual Public Health Report

11. Internet Surveys - advantages • Fairly cheap option • Anonymous – reduces embarrassment factor • People have time to consider their answers • Can access a very wide sample • Answers can be entered in a form which allows them to be codified, analysed • Programmes available allow internet surveys to be quickly made up

12. Internet Surveys - disadvantages • Sample restricted to those with computers / internet access • People may not take it seriously • Age profile likely to be younger • Multiple responses can affect results

13. Examples • Hampshire Constabulary

14. Telephone Surveys – advantages