By Obaid Pervaiz Gill

Google Forms A New Player in the Survey Industry?

Google Forms provide a fast way

to create an online survey, with responses collected in an online spreadsheet. Create your survey and invite respondents by email. People answer your questions from almost any web browser including mobile smartphone and tablet browsers. You view each response in a single row of a spreadsheet, with each question shown in a column. Google Forms is free

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Discussion Question
We need to research

Candy Eating behavior among children. What kind of Survey should be used? [None; Use a Focus Group Instead]

Survey Research
A survey can either be an Interview or

Questionnaire A survey is ephemeral, hence metaphorically referred to as a Snapshot Respondents generally provide answers to verbal or written questions It is formally referred to as a Sample Survey as it emphasizes contacting respondents who are a representative sample of the target population.
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Using Surveys
Survey Describe What is happening (Pakistans Economic Outlook) What people believe (Election Polls) What they are like (Metro-sexuality) Reasons for a particular business activity (Nokia Microsoft Tie-Up) Survey research is classically a Descriptive

Research

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Discussion Question
Is Survey associated with quantitative or qualitative

findings? [eBay Gift Returns & Star Wars Assessment]

Population Census Survey: A Case of Pakistan

A- Population and Housing Census: Assessing Human resources and their living conditions at one point of time. It provides basic data on demographic, social and economic variables about each person and each housing unit. Serves as bench mark for all socio-economic development plans, administrative activities, demographic research and projection of population to meet future needs. B- Scope of Census: i) Area to be covered. Entire territory of Pakistan. ii) Population to be covered. All Pakistani and Foreigner except diplomatic personnel and their families. iii) Questionnaire Three types of questionnaires will be used. Form -1 will be used for house Listing , Form - 2 will be used for main census operation while Form -2A will be used on sample basis for detail questions.

C- Census Methodology: Enumeration Method: Canvasser Method to be used in which information is collected and recorded by the enumerator through door to door visit. Population Count: Population to be counted at usual place of residence (De-jure method) for comparison over the past. Population by district of birth also to be counted and published. Field Operation: Census is usually held in two phases: House Listing and Population & Housing Census. House Listing is usually carried out a few months before the main census.
D- Major Problems: Socio Demographic, Education, Economic, Fertility, Housing Questions etc.
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Errors in Survey Research: Consider Pakistan Population Census

Random Sampling Error A statistical fluctuation that occurs because of chance variation in the elements selected for a sample. (Theoretically None!) Systematic Error or Non Sampling Error Error resulting from some imperfect aspect of the research design that causes respondent error or from a mistake in the execution of the research called administrative error. (Birth Region Identification!, Inputting wrong digits!) Sample Bias A persistent tendency for the results of a sample to deviate in one direction from the true value of the population parameter. (Results show greater well being, economically per capita is low)
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EXHIBIT 9.1

Categories of Survey Errors

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Respondent Error
Respondent Error A category of sample bias resulting from some respondent action or inaction such as non-response or response bias. A-Non-response Error The statistical differences between a survey that includes only those who responded and a perfect survey that would also include those who failed to respond. Consider a survey of Fashion Trends in Teenagers, not all may be those
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Respondent Error
a- Non-respondents People who are not contacted or who refuse to cooperate in the research.

No contacts: people who are not at home or who are otherwise inaccessible on the first and second contact. Refusals: People who are unwilling to participate in a research project.

b- Self-Selection Bias A bias that occurs because people who feel strongly about a subject are more likely to respond to survey questions than people who feel indifferent about it. A person who received a complimentary dessert is much likely to give a feedback
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Respondent Error
B- Response Bias
People consciously or unconsciously misrepresent the truth

a-Deliberate Falsification
Occasionally people deliberately give false answers.

Misrepresent answers to appear intelligent (Education) Conceal personal information (Number of Females)
Avoid embarrassment (Income) Individuals may prefer to be viewed as average, so they alter their responses to conform more closely to their perception of the average person. (Ownership of a non-owned property)

Average-person hypothesis:

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Response Bias
b- Unconscious Misrepresentation When a respondent is consciously trying to be truthful and cooperative, response bias can arise from the question format, the question content, or some other stimulus that affects their response to a question. Sources of misrepresentation:

Misunderstanding the question (material used for house) Unable to recall details (birthplaces of children) Unprepared response to an unexpected question (number of times married) Inability to translate feelings into words (Reason for migration) After-event underreporting due to time lapse (Occupation 10+ years)
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Types of Response Bias

Acquiescence Bias
A tendency to agree with all or most questions. (For New Products

consider Owsum)

Extremity Bias
The tendency of some Individuals to use extremes when responding to

questions.

Interviewer Bias
The presence of the interviewer influences respondents answers.

(Female to Male responses are generally biased)

Social Desirability Bias

Bias in responses caused by respondents desire, either conscious or

unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role. (Employment Status)

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Administrative Error
An error caused by the improper administration or

execution of the research task.

Data-processing error: incorrect data entry, incorrect

computer programming, or other procedural errors during data analysis. (BISP Classic Example)
Sample selection error: improper sample design or

sampling procedure execution. (University students considered as representative consumers by students)

Interviewer error: mistakes made by interviewers failing to

record survey responses correctly. (No short-hand skills)

Interviewer cheating: filling in fake answers or falsifying

questionnaires by an interviewer. (Incentive based filling)

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Classifying Survey Research Methods

Structured/Unstructured Questionnaires Structured question: imposes a limit on the number of allowable responses. Unstructured question: does not restrict respondents answers. Disguised/Undisguised Questionnaires Undisguised questions: assume the respondent is willing to answer. (Which cold drink do you like?) Disguised questions: assume the purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent. (Which cold drink comes to your mind?)

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Discussion Question
What would you rather take a 10

minute questionnaires or a 20 minute interview? [Research suggests interview are more successful in terms of longer time duration]

The Mere-Measurement Effect

Will you eat High-Fat Food?

Will you Floss your Teeth? Questions about intentions are likely to increase the desirable behavior and referred to as Mere-Measurement Effect In case of manipulative and loaded surveys towards desirable behavior, the meremeasurement effect is lessened and sometimes even generates the opposite behavior due psychological guard.

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Classifying Survey Research Methods

Temporal Classification Cross-sectional study: various segments of a population are sampled and data are collected at a single moment in time. A Harris Interactive Survey for November 2008 found that Women (74%) more likely than Men (58%) to keep a new years resolution but Men (22%) are more like compared to Women (14%) at keeping it Characteristics are;
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Takes place at a single point in time; snapshot Does not involve manipulating variables Allows researchers to look at numerous things at once (age, income, gender) Often used to look at the prevalence of something in a given population Is Descriptive in nature

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Categorizing Survey Research Methods

Temporal Classification
Longitudinal study: A survey of respondents at different

times, thus allowing analysis of response continuity and changes over time.

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in US has

analyzed the same sample who were youth in 1979 and in a recent report suggested that people who stay with the same spouse are likely to accumulate twice the wealth compared to Divorcees.

Tracking study: uses successive samples to compare trends and identify changes in variables such as consumer satisfaction, brand image, or advertising awareness. (reducing brand effect) Consumer panel: a survey of the same sample of individuals or households to record (in a diary) their attitudes, behavior, or purchasing habits over time. (assessing economic variable)

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Major Difference in Cross versus Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal studies involve taking multiple measures

over an extended period of time, while cross-sectional research is focused on looking at variables at a specific point in time.

Exercise: Develop a Survey

Using the reading that I have given you

regarding Google Forms develop a Survey, here is the online link It should look like this

Popular Survey Tools

http://www.surveymonkey.com/ https://wbs.qualtrics.com/