Introduction to survey methodology

Module items¶

Assignment¶

• Designing a national survey
  • See: [[How to submit an assignment]]

Sample assignment¶

• Sample Designing a national survey

Reading¶

Learning outcomes¶

1. Learn the definition of survey
2. Identify the uses of surveys
3. Examine ongoing surveys
4. Design a national survey

What is survey? (1)¶

• A "survey" is a systematic method for gathering information from a sample of entities for the purposes of constructing quantitative descriptors of the attributes of the larger population of which the entities are members.
• Surveys are used to collect information from or about people to describe, compare, or explain their knowledge, feelings, values, and behavior.

What is survey? (2)¶

• Information derived from a relatively small number of people to be an accurate representation of a significantly larger number of people.
• The strategy involved in a survey is that we collect the same information about all the cases in a sample.

Characteristics of surveys¶

• Surveys have the following characteristics: 1. Information is gathered primarily by asking people questions. 2. Information is collected either by having interviewers ask questions and record answers or by having people read or hear questions and record their own answers. 3. Information is collected from only a subset of the population to be described-a sample-rather than from all members.

The uses of surveys¶

• Surveys are perceived as a reflection of opinions.
• Politicians rely on surveys for popular guidance in mapping out campaign strategies.
• Commercial enterprises use survey findings to formulate market strategies.
• Television and radio programs are evaluated and scheduled largely in accordance with the results of consumer surveys.
• Government programs designed to provide assistance to various communities often rely on the results of surveys to determine program effectiveness.

Are surveys reliable? (1)¶

• Those who conduct surveys realize that the way questions are worded affects results and, if they are dishonest, they can frame their questions in a way that advances their personal agendas (Best, 2021).

Are surveys reliable? (2)¶

• When evaluating a survey, ask,
  • Was the sample truly representative? That is, did all members of the total population surveyed have an equal chance of being selected?
  • Were the questions clear and unambiguous?
  • In the case of a mailed survey, did a significant number fail to respond?
  • If so, how might non-respondents differ from respondents?
  • Also, do other surveys corroborate the survey’s findings?

Are surveys reliable? (3)¶

• Drug Policy Alliance, 2016. Public Policy Polling (Link)
• Q1 Every day, 125 Americans die as a result of a drug overdose, most of them involving prescription painkillers or heroin. The problem is particularly severe in Maine. How important to you is addressing prescription drug and other drug abuse in Maine and the recent surge in overdose deaths: very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all?
  • Very important 70%
  • Somewhat important 19%
  • Not too important 7%
  • Not important at all 4%
  • Not sure 0%

Ongoing surveys¶

1. The National Crime Victimization Survey
2. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health

The National Crime Victimization Survey (1)¶

• Sponsor
  • U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics
• Collector
  • U.S. Census Bureau
• Purpose
  • Develop detailed information about the victims and consequences of crime
• Year Started
  • 1973
• Sampling Frame
  • U.S. households
• Sample Size
  • About 41,800 households (78,600 persons)
• Mode of Administration
  • Paper questionnaire for 70% of the interviews, both face-to face and telephone interviews; computer assistance for 30% of the interviews
• Frequency
  • Monthly data collection

The National Crime Victimization Survey (2)¶

• Four measures of serious violent crime
  • Total serious violent crime (NCVS)
  • Serious victimizations reported to the police (NCVS)
  • Crimes recorded by the police (UCR)
  • Arrests (UCR)

The National Crime Victimization Survey (3)¶

• I'm going to read some examples that will give you an idea of the kinds of crimes this study covers.
• As I go through them, tell me if any of these happened to you in the last 6 months, that is since __ (MONTH) __ (DAY), 20 __ .
• Was something belonging to YOU stolen, such as:
  • a) Things that you carry, like luggage, a wallet, purse, briefcase, or book
  • b) Clothing, jewelry, or calculator
  • c) Bicycle or sports equipment
  • d) Things in your home, like a TV, stereo, or tools
  • e) Things from a vehicle, such as a package, groceries, camera, or cassette tapes
• [Click here to see the codebook]

The National Crime Victimization Survey (4)¶

• Figure 1.1 Percentage of U.S. households experiencing a crime by type, 1994–2005 National Crime Victimization Survey.
• Source: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/.
• Property crimes
• Vandalism
• Violent crime

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (1)¶

• Sponsor
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Collector
  • RTI International
• Purpose
  • Provide estimates of rates of use, number of users, and other measures related to illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use at the state and national level
• Year Started
  • 1971
• Sampling Frame
  • U.S. households
• Sample Size
  • 141,487 housing units; 67,870 persons
• Mode of Administration
  • Face-to-face interview in respondent's home, with portions completed by respondent alone
• Frequency
  • Yearly data collection

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2)¶

• On the one day you smoked cigarettes during the past 30 days, how many cigarettes did you smoke? 1. Less than one cigarette 2. 1 cigarette 3. 2 to 5 cigarettes 4. 6 to 15 cigarettes (about ½ pack) 5. 16 to 25 cigarettes (about 1 pack) 6. 26 to 35 cigarettes (about 1 ½ packs) 7. More than 35 cigarettes (about 2 packs or more)
• [Click here to see the questionnaire]

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (3)¶

• 12th, 10th and 8th graders who used any illicit drug within the last year, % 2023
  • 12th grade
  • 10th grade
  • 8th grade

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (4)¶

• YouTube link
• Alternative link