Types of Surveys free essay sample

In the following situations, decide whether you would use a personal interview, telephone survey, or self-administered questionnaire. Give your reasons. a A survey of the residents of a new subdivision on why they happened to select that area in which to live. You also wish to secure some information about what they like and do not like about life in the subdivision. For this group we can use a focus group which is used as a preliminary research technique to explore peoples ideas and attitudes. It is often used to test new approaches (such as products or advertising), and to discover customer concerns. A group of 6 to 20 people meet in a conference-room-like setting with a trained moderator. The room usually contains a one-way mirror for viewing, including audio and video capabilities. The moderator leads the groups discussion and keeps the focus on the areas you want to explore. Focus groups can be conducted within a couple of weeks and cost between two and three thousand dollars. We will write a custom essay sample on Types of Surveys or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their disadvantage is that the sample is small and may not be representative of the population in general. For this survey I would recommend a self-administered survey since the people are in a central location that can be studied via paper or computerized instrument without interviewer assistance. For this group we can have comment cards such as the ones restaurants and hotels give. This survey gives fast access to the computer literate, allows for rapid data collection and allows for visuals to be used. Incentives may be used to increase response rates. The disadvantage is that there is a need for low-distraction environment for survey completion. b. A poll of students at Metro University on their preferences among three candidates who are running for president of the student government. Intercept interview is a survey that target’s participants in centralized locations such as the University. Intercept interviews reduce costs associated with the need for several interviewers, training and travel. Or a self-administered survey where the people in this scenario the students are intercepted in a central location and studied via paper or computerized assistance. Its advantages is that it will get rapid data collection, access participants that may not be reached via phone, and it gives a sample frame list from viable locations rather than prospective participants. The disadvantage is that there might be skewed responses. In this particular situation a telephone interview may be feasible also because it has lower costs than personal interview. Furthermore, it gives better access to hard to reach participants through repeated callbacks. CATI-allows for responses to be entered directly into a computer file to reduce error and cost. The disadvantage is that there is a lower response rate than for personal interviewing. Interview length must be limited. c A survey of 58 wholesale grocery companies, scattered over the eastern United States, on their personnel management policies for warehouse personnel. Mail surveys are a cost effective method of gathering information. They are ideal for large sample sizes, or when the sample comes from a wide geographic area. They cost a little less than telephone interviews, however, they take over twice as long to complete (eight to twelve weeks). Because there is no interviewer, there is no possibility of interviewer bias. The main disadvantage is the inability to probe respondents for more detailed information. The telephone survey is good since the people to be selected are a sample that are to be interviewed by a trained interviewer. Lower costs than personal interview, it allows for expanded geographic coverage without dramatic increase in cost. It also reduces interview bias. The disadvantage of this type of survey is that there are higher costs if interviewing geographically dispersed sample, interview length must be limited and many phone numbers are unlisted or are not working making directory listings unreliable. Responses may be less complete. d A survey of financial officers of the Fortune 500 corporations to learn their predictions for the economic outlook in their industries in the next year. Talking with people is a good way to get information during the initial stages of a research project. It can be used to gather information that is not publicly available, or that is too new to be found in the literature. Examples might include meetings with prospects, customers, suppliers, and other types of business conversations at trade shows, seminars, and association meetings. Although often valuable, the information has questionable validity because it is highly subjective and might not be representative of the population. Personal interviews are a way to get in-depth and comprehensive information. They involve one person interviewing another person for personal or detailed information. Personal interviews are very expensive because of the one-to-one nature of the interview ($50+ per interview). Typically, an interviewer will ask questions from a written questionnaire and record the answers verbatim. Sometimes, the questionnaire is simply a list of topics that the research wants to discuss with an industry expert. Personal interviews (because of their expense) are generally used only when subjects are not likely to respond to other survey methods. A study of applicant requirements, job tasks, and performance expectations as part of a job analysis of student work-study jobs on a college campus of 2,000 students, where 1,500 are involved in the work-study program The best type of survey in my opinion is a self-administered survey via computer-delivered via intranet, internet and online services. It allows participants time to think about questions, and it is perceived more anonym ous. The disadvantages are that there are no interviewer interventions available for probing or explanation, it cannot be long or complex. This can also be addressed via a personal interview since people selected to be part of the sample are interviewed by a trained interviewer. The advantages are good cooperation from participants, interviewer can answer questions about survey, probe for questions, use follow-up questions, and gather information by observation. Illiterate and functionally illiterate participants can be reached. Some of the disadvantages are that high costs, need for highly trained interviewers, and longer time needed in the field collecting the data.