Independent University, Bangladesh

Assignment on Survey Research

Assignment: 02 Program: MBA

MBA 504: Business Research Methods Section: 03, Spring 2012

Coordinator Prof. Dr. Serajul Hoque Course Instructor Name of Student Mohammad Nazmul Hossen Student ID: 1221580

Date of Submission: March 20, 2012

1. Introduction
Survey research is one of the most important areas of measurement in applied social research. The broad area of survey research encompasses any measurement procedures that involve asking questions of respondents. A "survey" can be anything form a short paper-and-pencil feedback form to an intensive one-on-one in-depth interview. Based on the survey results, management can reach a decision on the objective of specific matter. The survey is a non-experimental, descriptive research method. Surveys can be useful when a researcher wants to collect data on phenomena that cannot be directly observed (such as opinions on library services). Surveys are used extensively in library and information science to assess attitudes and characteristics of a wide range of subjects, from the quality of user-system interfaces to library user reading habits. 2. Definition of Survey Research A survey is a systematic method of collecting data from a population of interest. It tends to be quantitative in nature and aims to collect information from a sample of the population such that the results are representative of the population within a certain degree of error. The purpose of a survey is to collect quantitative information, usually through the use of a structured and standardized questionnaire. 3. Advantages of Surveys Can complete structured questions with many stakeholders within a relatively short time frame. Can be completed by telephone, mail, fax, or in-person. It is quantifiable and generalizable to an entire population if the population is sampled appropriately. Standardized, structured questionnaire minimizes interviewer bias. Tremendous volume of information can be collected in short period of time. Can take less time to analyze than qualitative data. 4. Disadvantages of Surveys More difficult to collect a comprehensive understanding of respondents perspective (in-depth information) compared to in-depth interviews or focus groups. Can be very expensive. Requires some statistical knowledge, sampling and other specialized skills to process and interpret results.
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1. Types of Survey
Three frequently used types of surveys are face-to-face interview, telephone interview, and written questionnaire. 1.1.Face-to-face interviews Face-to-face interviews are the most costly in terms of time and money. However, the interviewers can explain complex issues and explore unanticipated responses. Consider the question ``Do you have any suggestions for university administrators about how to improve the college experience of WMU students?" A response like ``Improve dormitory facilities'' may be too vague. The interviewer can then explore the issue further "Do you mean better rooms, better study facilities, more computers, better food?" Another advantage is the interviewers' ability to personally observe the respondent/s and the surrounding environment. This is particularly useful for, say, surveys about work conditions or workplace interaction. 1.2.Phone interviews Phone interviews are cheaper and quicker than face-to-face interviews. They also allow the interviewer to explain questions and react to responses. However, personal observation is not possible. Furthermore some respondents may feel that the survey call, like a telemarketer's call, is an invasion of personal time. This would inhibit honest, thoughtful answers. 1.3.Written questionnaire Written questionnaire is the cheapest way to reach a lot of people. It also allows respondents to remain anonymous, probably the questionnaire's strongest advantage. However, response rate may be low ("another dumb survey") and this can lead to biased results. Furthermore, poorly constructed questions can lead to inaccurate results. Table: Explanation of the types of Surveys
Type of Survey Face-to-face Interview Advantages Explain questions, explore issues, make observations, use visual aids. - at home or work - in public places Telephone survey Written questionnaire - by mail - by e-mail - web survey Accuracy, better sampling Cheaper, more people in less time Accurate, cheap Cheapest per respondent Allows anonymity Cheaper, quicker results Quicker data processing Disadvantages Expensive, need interviewer training Expensive Less representative sample No personal observations Bias from low response rate Slow Less representative sample Need computing expertise

Source: http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/survey

5. Steps in Conducting a Survey

Clarify purpose Assess Resources Decide on Methods Write Questionnaire Pilot test/Revise questionnaire Prepare Sample Train interviewers Collect data Process data Analyze the Results Interpret and Disseminate Results Take Action 5.1.Objectives/purpose of survey A successful survey program starts with a firm foundation. Without a clearly articulated Statement of Research Objectives the survey project is likely to meander with disagreements among the players during the project especially about the questions to create for the survey instrument. Failure is more likely. This article outlines the critical elements that should be part of this first step in a survey project and how to reverse engineer the research statement from a currently used survey questionnaire. Perhaps the most common and important mistake a surveyor (or researcher) can make lies at the very onset of the project: good project planning. A customer feedback program is composed of a series of projects, and good project management skills should be exerted. I won't get into budgeting and scheduling here, but instead focus on what should be the first section of any project plan: a statement of project objectives. What's in a good statement of research objectives? I like to use the Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why metaphor, sometimes called the 5 Ws (and an H) in the journalism profession.
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Who: Is our group - and subgroups - of interest? What: Are we trying to understand about those groups' views? Will we do with the results? That is, Why are we doing the survey? When: Are we going to send out the survey invitations and reminders? Are we closing the administration period and start the data analysis?

How (& Where): Will we develop the questionnaire? Will we administer the survey? (What method, sampling procedure, incentive) The when, how, and where are mostly logistical planning issues. The who (aside from being a bunch of aging rock and rollers) is critical. It makes us think about exactly who is the target audience for our research. That sounds simple on its face, but it can actually be an area of discussion and disagreement on the project team. Is our target population all customers, customers who have purchased from us in the past year, customers who have purchased a certain set of products, customers who have contacted us for service, etc., and who in the customer organization should be completing the survey?

The what and why strike to the heart of the matter. If you can't articulate what you're going to do with the findings, then how can you justify wasting some customers' time filling out this poorly conceived survey? One of my workshop alumni runs the customer survey program office for a major technology company, and if someone who wants to survey customers can't answer the what and why, then she won't execute the survey. Period. A good discussion with the sponsors of the survey research may bring out the hidden agenda for the goals of the research. As an outsider doing a project for a client, I always need to know those agenda so that I can properly position the actual findings, but even as an insider doing a survey for your own company, those agenda need to be known.

5.2 Select the Method Which Is Most Appropriate

Cost and the best way to communicate with potential respondents are the two main factors that are considered when choosing the most appropriate method. However, skills of staff, the availability of internal resources and time available may also influence your decision. The key is to choose a method that will: give you the highest response rate with your particular target population be the most convenient for them fit your time line (mail surveys take much longer) fit within your budget fit your staff and resources

5.3. Write the Questionnaire

The first step in writing a questionnaire is to determine if there is an existing questionnaire that can be used to collect the information you want. Access to many questionnaires is possible through various publications of survey questions or from researchers in the field. The first place to look for an existing questionnaire is through the published literature and through other organizations similar to your own. A list of current resources containing this type of information is available from the Health Communications Unit. If there are no existing questionnaires available, then it will be necessary to design a new instrument to collect the data for your survey. When writing a questionnaire, it is important to remember that the quality and usefulness of the information collected will depend on how the questions are worded. Well constructed questionnaire items will: motivate respondents to answer facilitate recall keep respondents interested

5.4. Deciding on What Questions to Ask

Focus on the need to knows Each question should have an explicit rationale. Why is it being asked and what will be done with the information? Determine sections based on purpose of the interview. Sections should flow logically. The questionnaire should begin with an introduction and end with a closing. The following is an example of some of the sections you may include. Introduction Awareness of program Health Behaviours Evaluation of program services Interests in other services Demographics Closing

To begin writing the questionnaire, list the issues that we want to know about under each section. We have to remember that only need to ask questions that answer our original research objectives.

5.4.1. Using Open End Questions Vs Closed Questions

Open-ended questions are asked without specific response options. Respondents need to create their own answer. The questions are great for depth and unbiased opinions Open-ended questions are best used when having multiple response options may be too leading and result in biased answers (e.g., types of services they would like). Sometimes you can pre-code an open ended question if you know the type of responses you will get. In closed questions, response categories are provided and interviewers/respondents simply have to circle or choose an option

5.4.1.2. Validity, Reliability and Responsiveness

Validity. Whether you are measuring what you intended to measure. Face Validity. The extent to which your questionnaire is measuring what it appears to be measuring 7

 Content Validity. The extent to which items on the questionnaire are representative of the domain under study. Construct Validity. The extent to which an instrument measures the construct or trait under study. Regardless of the trait under study you can identify some theoretical constructs about that trait which your questionnaire should be able to measure and you can test by administering your questionnaire in situations where you know those constructs to be true. Criterion Validity. The extent to which the questionnaire is measuring similar to a gold standard, another measure that has been used and accepted in the field. There are two types concurrent and predictive validity. Internal Reliability. Questions measuring the same construct are correlated to each other and not to other constructs. Test-retest Reliability. If you were to do the survey exactly the same way, under the same conditions you would get the same results. Responsiveness. The questions can detect change.

5.4.1.3.

Pilot Testing

A pilot test is an evaluation of the specific questions, format, question sequence and instructions prior to use in the main survey. Questions answered by the pilot test include: Is each of the questions measuring what it is intended to measure? Are questions interpreted in a similar way by all respondents? Do close-ended questions have a response which applies to all respondents? Are the questions clear and understandable? Is the questionnaire too long? How long does the questionnaire take to complete? Are the questions obtaining responses for all the different response categories or does everyone respond the same? Pilot testing is a crucial step in conducting a survey. Even modest pretesting can avoid costly errors. 5.5. Prepare the Sample

Sampling is used to cut costs and effort while still obtaining information from a representative sample of the target population. It is essential that the number of individuals participating in the survey be large enough to produce results that are reliable and valid and truly represent the target population. The main questions in selecting your sampling design are: How many will be included?
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 How the survey respondents be selected? Some questions to consider in deciding on the size of your sample include: What is the size of your target population? What can the budget allow? How confident do you need to be with the results? Do you need to look at any subgroups? Deciding on the sample size is primarily driven by the budget (how much can you afford?) and the size of the subgroups you wish to analyze. You want to ensure that you have sampled enough people to obtain in an adequate number of respondents in your subgroups so you can accurately draw conclusions about that group. If your target population is relatively small you should probably consider doing an audit (including everyone). If your target population is very large (i.e millions) you will not improve the accuracy of your results by interviewing more and more people. Once you get up to a thousand interviews the improvement in accuracy is minimal and the cost is very high. 5.6. Collect Data

This step describes how the information is collected for the different survey methods. This is an important step, that must be done right in order to ensure the integrity of the information collected. 5.6.2. Procedures for the 3 Main Methods Face to face interviews Select location(s) to conduct interviewsThe most appropriate location to conduct a face to face interview is a place where members of your population frequent and is comfortable for them to participate at that location. If you are randomly selecting respondents for a face to face intercept interview it is important to utilize more than one location in order to ensure a better representation of the population. Train interviewers in how to conduct a structured questionnaire face to face and how to intercept respondents if they are doing intercept interviews. It is quite difficult to ensure the interviewers randomly select people to participate in intercept interviews. Interviewer an respondent biases may influence the people who are selected to participate and those who agree to. Interviewers should follow a standardized and systematic approach to selecting people who pass by to be interviewed.

Using Telephone Surveys It is important to supervise interviewers when they are calling respondents to monitor whether they are following the interviewing protocol. It is important to verify a sample of completed interviews by calling a sample of respondents who completed interviews to ensure they did complete the interview. Do not distribute your sample to interviewers all at once; give each interviewer chunks of sample as needed. Use a 3-5 call back design in telephone interviews Conclusion: Using Mail Surveys Use the Dillman Method Send out the 1st mailing (Usually results in a 40% response) Send a reminder card 10 days after the 1st mailing to thank those participants who have already responded and to remind those who have not of the importance of the study. The card should also indicate where people can obtain another copy of the questionnaire if they have mislaid their original copy Three to four weeks later, send a second mailing emphasizing the importance of receiving responses. Also include a new questionnaire and return envelope. (has been found to increase response rate by an additional 20%) 5.7. Process Data

Processing the data involves preparing and translating the data for analysis. It involves taking the completed questionnaires and putting them into a format that can be summarized and interpreted. There are many errors that can be made during this step and it is essential that the quality of the data is preserved. Coding The following are the steps involved in coding respondents answers to the questionnaire: Familiarize yourself with the questionnaire and topic area. Divide open ended questions into groups that can share a code list (not always possible). For each question (or group) read through at least 15% of the questionnaires writing down all the unique responses (this is a rough code list). When no new responses are found, rewrite codes and assign a number to each code (master code list)

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5.8.

Analyse and Interpret Results

Once the data has been entered into your statistical package, the analyses required to answer your research questions can be performed. Analyzing the survey results is done in order to answer the original questions that were posed for the evaluation. It allows you to draw conclusions. Analyzing the results is one of the most crucial steps in the process of ensuring useful findings which accurately reflect the opinions and views of the participants involved and answers the original questions Use of Statistical Analysis For most surveys simple descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, ranges, etc) may be all that is needed to be able to interpret your results. This involves determining how many of the respondents answered a particular way for each of the questions. More complex analyses may be required when comparisons are needed between subgroups of the population or for measurements taken at different times. Statistical analysis aims to show that your results are not just due to chance or the luck of the draw. It provides a way to determine the repeatability of any differences observed. If the same outcome is found when a study is repeated over and over again, we really dont need a statistical analysis. 5.9. Interpret and Disseminate Results

The results of a survey should be provided back to the stakeholders of the survey through written reports, and/or presentations. It is important to feed back the results of the survey to management, staff, interested participants and other stakeholders in order to keep them informed and establish buy-in for implementing any changes resulting from the survey. 5.10. Take Action

Taking action refers to implementing the changes suggested by the results of your survey. It is important to take action and implement changes in order to make improvements to your program/service/product. Involve your stakeholders in interpreting and taking action on your results. Revisit your original goals of data collection. Your data should provide answers to your original questions.

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6. Conclusion
Surveys represent one of the most common types of quantitative, social science research. In survey research, the researcher selects a sample of respondents from a population and administers a standardized questionnaire to them. The questionnaire, or survey, can be a written document that is completed by the person being surveyed, an online questionnaire, a face-to-face interview, or a telephone interview. Using surveys, it is possible to collect data from large or small populations (sometimes referred to as the universe of a study). Different types of surveys are actually composed of several research techniques, developed by a variety of disciplines. For instance, interview began as a tool primarily for psychologists and anthropologists, while sampling got its start in the field of agricultural economics. Survey research does not belong to any one field and it can be employed by almost any discipline.

7. References
Zikmund, William G., Business Research Method, 8th Edition. Vollmer, WM., Osborne, ML., et.al. Recruiting hard-to-reach subjects: Is it worth the effort? Controlled Clinical Trials. 15(2):154-9 1994. Nutbeam, D., Smith, C. et.al. Maintaining evaluation designs in long term community based health promotion programmes: Heartbeat Wales Case Study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. 47(2):127-33, 1993. Anker, M. Guidotti, R.J. et.al. Rapid evaluation methods (REM) of health services performance: Methodological observations. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 71(1):15-21, 1993. Harlow, B.L., Crea, E.C., et.al. Telephone answering machines: The influence of leaving messages on telephone interviewing response rates. Epidemiology. 4(4):380-3 1993. http://www.socialresearchmethods.net http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survey_research

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