Advances in Survey Research

by Braverman, Marc T.; Slater, Jana Kay

• ISBN13: 9780787999049
• ISBN10: 0787999040
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-08-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub

Summary

Surveys are a fundamental mode of research across all the social science. This volume focuses on recent lines of theory and research related to survey design, implementation, analysis, and interpretation. The chapters address a variety of methodologically oriented topics. including the types of survey error, cognitive research on survey responding, response effects due to survey mode differences, theories pertinent to survey nonresponse, Rasch applications to survey data quality, and issues of questionnaire translation. The volume also includes an analysis of how surveys can be used to involve the public in program and policy evaluation. All survey modes--mail, telephone, and personal interview--are discussed. Our intent is to help evaluators imporve the quality of surveys they conduct and to stimulate evaluators to use surveys in new contexts. This is the 70th issue in the journal series New Directions for Evaluation.

Author Biography

MARC T. BRAVERMAN is a Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Human and Community Development and director of the 4-H Center for Youth Development at the University of California, Davis. JANA KAY SLATER is a research and evaluation consultant with the California Department of Education.

Table of Contents

EDITORS' NOTES	1	(2)
Marc T. Braverman
Jana Kay Slater
1. Does the Public Have a Role in Evaluation? Surveys and Democratic Discourse Evaluators could profitably explore the benefits of obtaining information from the public--which could be used in framing evaluation questions--and of communicating survey results to the public.	3	(14)
Gary T. Henry
2. Sources of Survey Error: Implications for Evaluation Studies Evaluations that use surveys can benefit from design elements aimed at reducing various forms of survey error.	17	(12)
Marc T. Braverman
3. Satisficing in Surveys: Initial Evidence Understanding the ways survey respondents arrive at their answers will allow evaluators to design more effective surveys.	29	(16)
Jon A. Krosnick
Sowmya Narayan
Wendy R. Smith
4. Understanding Differences in People's Answers to Telephone and Mail Surveys A Conceptual framework of survey mode effects described in the literature suggests that these effects can sometimes influence survey results but that further investigation is needed to understand them more thoroughly.	45	(18)
Don A. Dillman
Roberta L Sangster
John Tarnai
Todd H Rockwood
5. Household-Level Determinants of Survey Nonresponse A set of vaiables involving household-level sociodemographic characteristics contributes to a theoretical model of survey participation.	63	(18)
Mick P. Couper
Robert M. Groves
6. Applications of the Rasch Model to Evaluation of Survey Data Quality Use of the Rasch model yields rich information about the value of individual survey items, individual respondents' answers, and subgroup responses.	81	(12)
Kathy E. Green
7. Translating Survey Questionnaires: Lessons Learned Three case studies illustrate the theoretical and logistical issues associated with different translation approaches.	93	(12)
Ruth B. McKay
Martha J. Breslow
Roberta L. Sangster
Susan M. Gabbard
Robert W. Reynolds
Jorge M. Nakamoto
John Tarnai
INDEX	105