surveys

• What is a survey?

  A method to snapshot current situations
• What forms can a survey take?

  Questionnaires and structured interviews
• What type of data do surveys gather?

  Quantitative data
• Why is quantitative data easier to analyze?

  It allows for easier pattern recognition
• What are the advantages of surveys?

  • Relatively cheap compared to other methods
  • Large-scale quantitative data collection
  • Easily identified patterns and trends
  • Reliable and easily replicable
  • Representative of a larger population
• How does being representative benefit surveys?

  It allows for easy generalizations
• What are the disadvantages of surveys?

  • Low validity compared to in-depth methods
  • Can feel tedious for participants
  • Participants may feel pressured to conform
  • Lies can distort social perceptions
  • Time-consuming to conduct
  • Low response rates can skew results
• What is a common issue with postal and online questionnaires?

  They have a low response rate
• Why do postal and online questionnaires have low response rates?

  People must give up free time to respond
• What are the characteristics of telephone surveys?

  • Large-scale surveys
  • Cheap and quick to conduct
  • May lack representativeness
  • Mobile phones help reach more people
• What is the purpose of opinion polls?

  To gauge voter intentions
• Are opinion polls always reflective of actual vote results?

  No, they aren’t always reflective
• Compare the advantages and disadvantages of surveys.

  Advantages:

  • Cost-effective
  • Large-scale data
  • Identifiable patterns
  • Reliable and replicable
  • Representative

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Low validity
  • Tedious for participants
  • Pressure to conform
  • Time-consuming
  • Low response rates