Survey Research Methods

by Babbie, Earl R.

• ISBN13: 9780534126728
• ISBN10: 0534126723
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1990-02-05
• Publisher: Cengage Learning

Summary

PART I. THE SCIENTIFIC CONTEXT OF SURVEY RESEARCH. 1. The Logic of Science. The Traditional Perspective. The Debunking of Science. Science in Practice. What is Science? 2. Science and Social Science. The Search for Social Regularities. The Characteristics of Social Science. Methods of Social Scientific Research. 3. Survey Research as a Method of Social Science. A Brief History of Survey Research. The Scientific Characteristics of Survey Research. A Comparison of Survey and Other Methods. Is Survey Research Really Scientific? PART II. SURVEY RESEARCH DESIGN. 4. Types of Study Design. Purposes of Survey Research. Units of Analysis. Basic Survey Designs. Variations on Basic Designs. Choosing the Appropriate Design. 5. The Logic of Survey Sampling. The Logic of Probability Sampling. Sampling Concepts and Terminology. Probability Sampling Theory and Sampling. Distribution. Populations and Sampling Frames. Types of Sampling Designs. Disproportionate Sampling and Weighting. Nonprobability Sampling. Nonsurvey Uses of Sampling Methods. 6. Examples of Sample Designs. Sampling University Students. Sampling Medical School Faculty. Sampling Episcopal Churchwomen. Sampling Oakland Households. 7. Conceptualization and Instrument Design. Logic of Conceptualization. An Operationalization Framework. Types of Data. Levels of Measurement. Guides to Question Construction. Measurement Quality. General Questionnaire Format. Ordering Questions in a Questionnaire. Instructions. Reproducing the Questionnaire. 8. Index and Scale Construction. Indexes Versus Scales. Index Construction. Scale Construction. Typologies. PART III. DATA COLLECTION. 9. Self-Administered Questionnaires. Mail Distribution and Return. Postal Options and Relative Costs. Monitoring Returns. Follow-up Mailings. Acceptable Response Rates. A Case Study. 10. Interview Surveys. Imporance of Interviewer. General Rules for Interviewing. Interviewer Training. The Interviewing Operation. 11. Data Processing. Computers in Survey Research. Coding. Codebook Construction. Coding and Data Entry Options. Precoding for Data Entry. Data Cleaning. 12. Pretests and Pilot Studies. Conducting Pretests. Conducting Pilot Studies. Evaluating Pretests and Pilot Studies. PART IV. SURVEY RESEARCH ANALYSIS. 13. The Logic of Measurement and Association. The Traditional Image. The Interchangeability of Indexes. Implications. 14. Constructing and Understanding Tables. Univariate Analysis. Subgroup Descriptions. Bivariate Analysis. Multivariate Analysis. 15. The Elaboration Model. History of the Elaboration Model. The Elaboration Paradigm. Elaboration and Ex Post Facto Hypothesizing. 16. Social Statistics. Descriptive Statistics. Inferential Statistics. 17. Advanced Multivariate Techniques. Regression Analysis. Path Analysis. Factor Analysis. Analysis of Variance. Discriminant Analysis. Log-Linear Models. 18. The Reporting of Survey Research. Some Basic Considerations. Organization of the Reports. Guidelines for Reporting Analysis. PART V. SURVEY RESEARCH IN SOCIAL CONTEXT. 19. The Ethics of Survey Research. Voluntary Participation. No Harm to Respondents. Anonymity and Confidentiality. Identifying Purpose and Sponsor. Analysis and Reporting. A Professional Code of Ethics. Ethics -- Relevant Illustrations. 20. The Informed Survey Research Consumer. Research Design. Measurement. Sampling. Data Analysis. Data Reporting. APPENDICES. Appendix A. Table of Random Numbers. Appendix B. Estimated Sampling Error for a Binomial (95% Confidence Level). Appendix C. Distribution of Chi Square. Appendix D. Normal Curve Areas.

Table of Contents

Preface	x
Preface to First Edition	xvi
PART ONE The Scientific Context of Survey Research	1	(48)
The Logic of Science	3	(16)
The Traditional Perspective	3	(2)
The Debunking of Science	5	(2)
Science in Practice	7	(2)
What Is Science?	9	(8)
Summary	17	(1)
Additional Readings	18	(1)
Science and Social Science	19	(17)
The Search for Social Regularities	20	(4)
The Characteristics of Social Science	24	(3)
Methods of Social Scientific Research	27	(7)
Summary	34	(1)
Additional Readings	35	(1)
Survey Research as a Method of Social Science	36	(13)
A Brief History of Survey Research	36	(4)
The Scientific Characteristics of Survey Research	40	(4)
A Comparison of Survey and Other Methods	44	(1)
Is Survey Research Really Scientific?	45	(3)
Additional Readings	48	(1)
PART TWO Survey Research Design	49	(126)
Types of Study Design	51	(14)
Purposes of Survey Research	51	(2)
Units of Analysis	53	(3)
Basic Survey Designs	56	(4)
Variations on Basic Designs	60	(1)
Choosing the Appropriate Design	61	(2)
Summary	63	(1)
Additional Readings	63	(2)
The Logic of Survey Sampling	65	(37)
The Logic of Probability Sampling	69	(2)
Sampling Concepts and Terminology	71	(4)
Probability Sampling Theory and Sampling Distribution	75	(5)
Populations and Sampling Frames	80	(3)
Types of Sampling Designs	83	(10)
Disproportionate Sampling and Weighting	93	(4)
Nonprobability Sampling	97	(3)
Nonsurvey Uses of Sampling Methods	100	(1)
Summary	101	(1)
Additional Readings	101	(1)
Examples of Sample Designs	102	(16)
Sampling University Students	102	(2)
Sampling Medical School Faculty	104	(1)
Sampling Episcopal Churchwomen	105	(2)
Sampling Oakland Households	107	(10)
Summary	117	(1)
Additional Readings	117	(1)
Conceptualization and Instrument Design	118	(29)
Logic of Conceptualization	118	(3)
An Operationalization Framework	121	(2)
Types of Data	123	(2)
Levels of Measurement	125	(2)
Guides to Question Construction	127	(5)
Measurement Quality	132	(3)
General Questionnaire Format	135	(5)
Ordering Questions in a Questionnaire	140	(2)
Instructions	142	(2)
Reproducing the Questionnaire	144	(1)
Summary	145	(1)
Additional Readings	146	(1)
Index and Scale Construction	147	(28)
Indexes Versus Scales	148	(3)
Index Construction	151	(14)
Scale Construction	165	(5)
Typologies	170	(3)
Summary	173	(1)
Additional Readings	173	(2)
PART THREE Data Collection	175	(62)
Self-Administered Questionnaires	176	(11)
Mail Distribution and Return	177	(1)
Postal Options and Relative Costs	178	(1)
Monitoring Returns	179	(1)
Follow-Up Mailings	180	(2)
Acceptable Response Rates	182	(1)
A Case Study	183	(3)
Summary	186	(1)
Additional Readings	186	(1)
Interview Surveys	187	(15)
Importance of Interviewer	187	(2)
General Rules for Interviewing	189	(4)
Interviewer Training	193	(3)
The Interviewing Operation	196	(5)
Summary	201	(1)
Additional Readings	201	(1)
Data Processing	202	(18)
Computers in Survey Research	202	(7)
Coding	209	(2)
Codebook Construction	211	(2)
Coding and Data Entry Options	213	(3)
Precoding for Data Entry	216	(2)
Data Cleaning	218	(1)
Summary	219	(1)
Additional Readings	219	(1)
Pretests and Pilot Studies	220	(17)
Conducting Pretests	220	(5)
Conducting Pilot Studies	225	(3)
Evaluating Pretests and Pilot Studies	228	(6)
Summary	234	(3)
PART FOUR Survey Research Analysis	237	(100)
The Logic of Measurement and Association	239	(8)
The Traditional Image	239	(4)
The Interchangeability of Indexes	243	(2)
Implications	245	(1)
Summary	246	(1)
Additional Readings	246	(1)
Constructing and Understanding Tables	247	(20)
Univariate Analysis	247	(6)
Subgroup Descriptions	253	(4)
Bivariate Analysis	257	(7)
Multivariate Analysis	264	(2)
Summary	266	(1)
Additional Readings	266	(1)
The Elaboration Model	267	(16)
History of the Elaboration Model	267	(5)
The Elaboration Paradigm	272	(8)
Elaboration and Ex Post Facto Hypothesizing	280	(2)
Summary	282	(1)
Additional Readings	282	(1)
Social Statistics	283	(22)
Descriptive Statistics	283	(8)
Inferential Statistics	291	(11)
Summary	302	(2)
Additional Readings	304	(1)
Advanced Multivariate Techniques	305	(22)
Regression Analysis	305	(6)
Path Analysis	311	(2)
Factor Analysis	313	(3)
Analysis of Variance	316	(3)
Discriminant Analysis	319	(4)
Log-Linear Models	323	(1)
Summary	324	(2)
Additional Readings	326	(1)
The Reporting of Survey Research	327	(10)
Some Basic Considerations	327	(3)
Organization of the Report	330	(4)
Guidelines for Reporting Analyses	334	(1)
Summary	335	(1)
Additional Readings	335	(2)
PART FIVE Survey Research in Social Context	337	(30)
The Ethics of Survey Research	338	(14)
Voluntary Participation	339	(1)
No Harm to Respondents	340	(1)
Anonymity and Confidentiality	341	(2)
Identifying Purpose and Sponsor	343	(1)
Analysis and Reporting	344	(1)
A Professional Code of Ethics	345	(3)
Ethics---Relevant Illustrations	348	(2)
Summary	350	(1)
Additional Readings	350	(2)
The Informed Survey Research Consumer	352	(15)
Research Design	353	(1)
Measurement	353	(1)
Sampling	354	(1)
Data Analysis	355	(1)
Data Reporting	356	(1)
Additional Readings	356	(2)
Appendixes
A Table of Random Numbers	358	(4)
B Estimated Sampling Error for a Binomial (95% Confidence Level)	362	(2)
C Distribution of Chi Square	364	(2)
D Normal Curve Areas	366	(1)
Glossary	367	(15)
Bibliography	382	(6)
Index	388