Mass Communication Research Survey Research

Types of Surveys

1. Descriptive surveys describe what exists at the moment.

   Examples:

   1. Polls to learn who is leading a political race;
   2. Surveys by TV stations to determine which programs people watch.
   
   
2. Analytic surveys explain why certain situations exist. Variables are used to test hypotheses.

   Examples:

   1. Is amount of TV viewing related to aggressive behavior?
   2. What presidential candidate do people concerned with the environment prefer?

Constructing Questions Depends on Collection Technique

1. A mail survey is easy to read;
2. In a telephone survey, response time and list are short;
3. Interviewing a group is a concise method;
4. You may influence a respondent's answer in a personal interview, so questions must be sensitive.

Types of Questions

1. With open-ended questions, people generate their own answers, allowing unexpected results to be reported.
2. With closed-ended questions, respondents simply select from a predetermind set of options, allowing for easier analysis.

General Guidelines

1. Be clear. This goes with the general guidelines of good writing;
2. Be brief. This also goes with the general guidelines of good writing;
3. Retain research focus: Ask questions about only what you are studying;
4. Avoid double-barreled questions, which contain two or more questions in one question;
5. Avoid biased words and terms.
6. Avoid leading questions. This is the "Do you still beat your wife?" type of question;
7. Avoid highly detailed questions. Keep it simple.
8. Avoid embarrassing questions. People are not likely to respond.

Question Types

1. Dichotomous questions provide two choices: yes or no/agree or disagree;
2. Multiple choice questions should provide an exhaustive list of mutually exclusive choices;
3. Rating scales; Review Research Elements. A scale represents a composite measure of variable. A Likert scale looks like this: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree;
4. The Semantic Differential Technique measures the meaning of an item for an individual using bipolar adjectives;
5. Rank-ordered categories;
6. Checklists;
7. Fill in the blank;
8. Forced choice;
9. Feeling thermometers, where you rate something on a scale of 0 to 100.

Questionnaire Design

1. Introduction
2. Instructions
3. Question order
4. Layout

Designing a Successful Survey

1. Think English Composition 101: Introduction, Body, Conclusion;
2. Begin with general, non-threatening/easy questions;
3. The introduction sets the stage for what's to come;
4. Think flow-chart. Each question should flow with the next;
5. Plan (organize): Think about how your respondent will see the question;
6. Save the most sensitive and/or 'taboo' subjects for the conclusion;
7. Demographic questions are usually placed at the end.