A Companion To Survey Research

A Companion to Survey Research provides a critical overview and guide to survey methods. Rather than a set of formulas, survey design is understood as a craft where the translation of research questions into a questionnaire, sample design and data collection strategy is based on understanding how respondents answer questions and their willingness to complete a survey. Following an account of the invention of survey research in the 1930s, a synthesis of research on question design is followed by a practical guide to designing a questionnaire. Chapters on sampling, which deal with the statistical basis of survey sampling and practical design issues, are followed by extensive discussions of survey pretesting and data collection. The book concludes with a discussion of the extent and implications of falling response rates. This book is written for researchers, analysts and policy makers who want to understand the survey data they use, for researchers and students who want to conduct a survey, and for anyone who wants to understand contemporary survey research.

This go-to guide covers both the historical background to the emergence of survey research and the practical tools necessary to write survey questions, design a questionnaire, use probability sampling and to understand both pretesting and data collection.

This book is an ideal companion for students looking to undertake survey research. Anchored by lots of case studies of real research and expert interviews to strengthen your understanding, it provides guidance on: Selecting the best sampling method for your research Designing questionnaires to ensure you gather valuable data Collecting your data to represent populations well Piloting questionnaires to ensure quality research Part of The SAGE Quantitative Research Kit, this book will give you the know-how and confidence needed to succeed on your quantitative research journey

Covers all major facets of survey research methodology, from selecting the sample design and the sampling frame, designing and pretesting the questionnaire, data collection, and data coding, to the issues surrounding diminishing response rates, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent and other ethical issues, data weighting, and data analyses--Publisher's website.

Taking into account both traditional and emerging modes, this comprehensive new Handbook covers all major methodological and statistical issues in designing and analyzing surveys. With contributions from the world's leading survey methodologists and statisticians, this invaluable new resource provides guidance on collecting survey data and creating meaningful results. Featuring examples from a variety of countries, the book reviews such things as how to deal with sample designs, write survey questions, and collect data on the Internet. A thorough review of the procedures associated with multiple modes of collecting sample survey information and applying that combination of methods that fit the situation best is included. The International Handbook of Survey Methodology opens with the foundations of survey design, ranging from sources of error, to ethical issues. This is followed by a section on design that reviews sampling challenges and tips on writing and testing questions for multiple methods. Part three focuses on data collection, from face-to-face interviews, to Internet and interactive voice response, to special challenges involved in mixing these modes within one survey. Analyzing data from both simple and complex surveys is then explored, as well as procedures for adjusting data. The book concludes with a discussion of maintaining quality. Intended for advanced students and researchers in the behavioral, social, and health sciences, this "must have" resource will appeal to those interested in conducting or using survey data from anywhere in the world, especially those interested in comparing results across countries. The book also serves as a state-of-the-art text for graduate level courses and seminars on survey methodology. A companion website contains additional readings and examples.

"This Fourth Edition of Floyd J. Fowler's bestselling Survey Research Methods presents the very latest methodological knowledge on surveys. It provides students and researchers who want to collect, analyze, or read about survey data with a sound basis for evaluating how each aspect of a survey can affect its precision, accuracy, and credibility. Offering a concise overview of the entire survey research process in clear and easy-to-understand language, the book is well suited to a wide range of readers, including those without strong statistical backgrounds." "Survey Research Methods is appropriate for undergraduate courses in research methods in the social sciences, as well as for master degree level research methods courses."--BOOK JACKET.

Covers problem formulation, planning, questionnaire design, sampling, the conduct of interviews, statistical analysis and the presentation of the results.

Textbook on survey research methods for use in social research - covers data collecting, samples, mail surveys, questionnaires, interviewing, data processing, ethics, errors, etc. References.