How are you going to
collect the information?
There
are many ways to collect information:
·
Previously collected information: using data from different sources.
A whole industry devoted to data-mining has been developed in the last few
years to extract previously collected information.
·
Focus groups: getting a group of six to twelve people in one room
to discuss the issue. A moderator
will guide the group, but leave much of the discussion free-flowing. The results are not generalizable to a
larger group, but often proven anecdotal information that is very
helpful. Focus groups are valuable
as a first step toward a larger study.
·
Surveys: asking a set of people a standardized set of
questions.
Surveys
have many different methods (called modes) for collecting the data:
·
Internet surveys
·
Mail surveys
·
Telephone interviewing
·
In-person interviewing
There
is not a best mode for all situations. Selection of the mode requires
consideration of many factors. One
factor is the appropriateness of the mode for the target population. For
example, a telephone survey would be inappropriate for a study of poverty
or means-tested programs where a significant portion of the target
population does not a phone or often has phone service interruptions due to
non-payment of bills. An Internet survey might well be the best mode for a
study of the growth or decline of jobs in the high-tech industry. Consider the following four statistical
and three non-statistical issues when selecting a mode of collection:
Statistical
Issues in mode selection:
·
Sample coverage: Who may be missed in the design?
·
Nonresponse bias: How different are respondents expected to be
from nonrespondents?
·
Interviewer bias: What might be the interviewer effect on
individual responses?
·
Completeness of response: What factors may affect the completeness
of responses?
Non-statistical
issues in mode selection:
·
Timeliness
·
Cost
·
Questionnaire content, complexity and length
The
links below look at the advantages and disadvantages of the various modes:
What are the
advantages and disadvantages of Internet surveys?
What are the
advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys?
What are the
advantages and disadvantages of telephone interviewing?
What
are the advantages and disadvantages of in-person interviewing?
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