Designing Surveys

A Guide to Decisions and Procedures

Johnny Blair, Ronald F. Czaja, Edward A. Blair

• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Year: 2013
• Edition: 0
• eBook ISBN:
  9781483315805
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Science Research & Methodology
• Index: Social Sciences

Written with the needs and goals of a novice researcher in mind, this fully updated Third Edition provides an accurate account of how modern surveys are actually designed and conducted. Much more than a "how-to" guide, this up-to-date and accessible book presents the material in a social science context and teaches readers to think through decisions about sample design, questionnaire development, and data collection, rather than simply following prescriptive advice that may not be appropriate to particular practical situations. In addition to providing examples of alternative procedures, Designing Surveys shows how classic principles and recent research guide decision-making—from setting the basic features of the survey design to implementing instrument development, testing, and data collection. The new edition covers new developments in data collection technologies, provides a more comprehensive treatment of questionnaire development and pretesting, and includes completely new chapters on sample design and selection.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Dedication
• Title Page
• Copyright
• BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Preface
• About the Authors
• 1. Survey Practice
• 2. Survey Error
• 3. Planning the Survey: The Hierarchy of Decisions
• 4. Data Collection I: Selecting a Method
• 5. Sampling I: Concepts of Representation and Sample Quality
• 6. Sampling II: Population Definition and Sampling Frames
• 7. Sampling III: Sample Size and Sample Design
• Methodology Appendix 1: Using Models in Sampling
• 8. Questionnaire Development I: Measurement Error and Question Writing
• 9. Questionnaire Development II: Questionnaire Structure
• Methodology Appendix 2: Questionnaire Evaluation Workshop
• 10. Questionnaire Development III: Pretesting
• Methodology Appendix 3: Cognitive Interviewing Workshop
• 11. Data Collection II: Controlling Error in Data Collection
• Methodology Appendix 4: An Overview of Organization Surveys
• 12. Postsurvey Statistical Adjustments and the Methodology Report
• Appendix A: University of Maryland Undergraduate Student Survey
• Appendix B: Maryland Crime Survey
• Appendix C: AAPOR Code of Professional Ethics
• Appendix D: Internet Resources
• References
• Index