Business

Research Methods
William G. Zikmund

Chapter 10:
Survey Research: Basic
Communication Methods

Communicating with
Respondents
Personal interviews
Door-to-door
Shopping mall intercepts

Telephone interviews
Self-administered questionnaires

Personal Interviews

Good Afternoon, my name is

_________. I am with _________
survey research company. We are
conducting a survey on_________

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Speed of data collection
Low to Moderate

Geographical flexibility
Limited to moderate

Respondent cooperation
Excellent

Versatility of questioning
Quite versatile

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Questionnaire length
Long

Item nonresponse
Low

Possibility of respondent misunderstanding

Lowest

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Degree of interviewer influence of answer
High

Supervision of interviewers
Moderate

Anonymity of respondent
Low

Door-to-Door Personal Interview

Ease of follow-up
Difficult

Cost
Highest

Special features
Visual materials may be shown or demonstrated

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Speed of data collection
Fast

Geographical flexibility
restricted, urban bias

Respondent cooperation
Moderate to low
Versatility of questioning
Extremely versatile

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Questionnaire length
Moderate to long

Item nonresponse
Medium

Possibility of respondent misunderstanding

Lowest

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Degree of interviewer influence of answers
Highest

Supervision of interviewers
Moderate to high

Anonymity of respondent
Low

Mall Intercept Personal Interview

Ease of call back or follow-up
Difficult

Cost
low

Special features
Taste test, viewing of TV commercials
possible

Telephone Surveys

Telephone Surveys
Speed of Data Collection
Very fast

Geographical Flexibility
High

Respondent Cooperation
Good

Versatility of Questioning
Moderate

Telephone Surveys
Questionnaire Length
limited

Item Nonresponse
Medium

Possibility of RespondentMisunderstanding
Average

Degree of Interviewer Influence of Answer

Moderate

Telephone Surveys
Supervision of interviewers
High, especially with central location WATS
interviewing

Anonymity of respondent
Moderate

Ease of call back or follow-up

Easy

Telephone Surveys
Cost
Low to moderate

Self-Administered
Questionnaires
Electronic
Questionnaire

Paper
Questionnaire

Mail

In-person
drop-of

Fax

Email

Intern
et
websit
e

Mail Surveys

Mail Surveys
Speed of data collection
slow

Geographical flexibility
High

Respondent cooperation
Moderate--poorly designed questionnaire will
have low response rate

Mail Surveys
Versatility of questioning
Highly standardized format

Questionnaire length
Varies depending on incentive

Item nonresponse
High

Mail Surveys
Possibility of respondent misunderstanding
Highest--no interviewer present for clarification

Degree of interviewer influence of answer

None--interviewer absent

Supervision of interviewers
Not applicable

Mail Surveys
Anonymity of respondent
High

Ease of call back or follow-up

Easy, but takes time

Cost
Lowest

How to Increase Response Rates

for Mail Surveys
Write a sales oriented cover letter
Money helps
- As a token of appreciation
- For a charity
Stimulate respondents interest with interesting questions
Follow Up
Advanced notification
Sponsorship by a well-known and prestigious institution

E-Mail Questionnaire Surveys

Speed of data collection
Instantaneous

Geographic flexibility
worldwide

Cheaper distribution and processing costs

E-Mail Questionnaire Surveys

Flexible, but
Extensive differences in the capabilities of
respondents computers and e-mail software
limit the types of questions and the layout

E-mails are not secure and spying can

possibly occur
Respondent cooperation
Varies depending if e-mail is seen as spam

Internet Surveys
A self-administered questionnaire posted on
a Web site.
Respondents provide answers to questions
displayed online by highlighting a phrase,
clicking an icon.

Internet Surveys
Speed of data collection
Instantaneous

Cost effective
Geographic flexibility
worldwide

Visual and interactive

Internet Surveys
Versatility of questioning
Extremely versatile

Item nonresponse
Software can assure none

Respondent cooperation
Varies depending on web site
Varies depending on type of sample

Internet Surveys
1) not all individuals in the general public
have internet access
2) many respondents lack powerful
computers with high-speed connections to
the internet
3) many respondents computer skills will
be relatively unsophisticated.

Internet Surveys
Possibility for respondent misunderstanding
High

Interviewer influence of answers

None

Supervision of interviewers
not required

Internet Surveys
Anonymity of Respondent
Respondent can be anonymous or known

Ease of Callback or Follow-up

difficult unless e-mail address is known

Special Features
allows graphics and streaming media

Welcome Screen
Welcome Screen like a cover letter
It contains the name of the research company and
how to contact the organization if there is a
problem or concern.

There is no best form of

survey; each has advantages
and disadvantages.

Selected Questions to Determine

the Appropriate Technique
Is the assistance of an interviewer
necessary?
Are respondents interested in the issues
being investigated?
Will cooperation be easily attained?

Selected Questions to Determine

the Appropriate Technique
How quickly is the information needed?
Will the study require a long and complex
questionnaire?
How large is the budget?

Pretesting
A trial run with a group of respondents to
iron out fundamental problems in the
instructions of survey design