market research
Marketing Research
13 Conducting Surveys
Contributors: Bonita Kolb
Print Pub. Date: 2008
Print ISBN: 9781412947978
Online ISBN: 9780857028013
DOI: 10.4135/9780857028013
Print pages: 212-226
This document has been generated from SAGE Research Methods Online.
13.1.1 Researcher-administered surveys
When conducting researcher-administered surveys researchers or their assistants ask the questions and complete the questionnaire forms. The primary methods of conducting researcher-administered surveys are personal face-to-face surveys and phone surveys.
There are three important advantages to conducting researcher-administered surveys. First, if a research participant does not understand the meaning of a question, the researcher can help to clarify the misunderstanding. This will ensure that the question is understood correctly and will, therefore, result in more accurate research data. For example, a college student taking a survey might wonder if a question on yearly income refers to their own or their family's income.
A second advantage of this surveying method is that a researcher can encourage a participant to answer all the questions and complete the questionnaire. Research participants may initially agree to take a survey because they do not want to seem rude when asked to participate. However, once they have the questionnaire they may remember that they are in a hurry to get dinner on the table or to meet friends to see a movie. Because they are in a hurry, participants may skip any confusing questions or just neglect to turn over the survey to finish the second page. Using a researcher-administered method a researcher will notice these omissions and prompt the participants to answer all the questions on the form. In fact choosing helpful and encouraging administrators can increase response rates (Blohm et al., 2007).
There are some groups of people who may distrust any form of marketing research. This would include those groups who may
13 Conducting Surveys
Contributors: Bonita Kolb
Print Pub. Date: 2008
Print ISBN: 9781412947978
Online ISBN: 9780857028013
DOI: 10.4135/9780857028013
Print pages: 212-226
This document has been generated from SAGE Research Methods Online.
13.1.1 Researcher-administered surveys
When conducting researcher-administered surveys researchers or their assistants ask the questions and complete the questionnaire forms. The primary methods of conducting researcher-administered surveys are personal face-to-face surveys and phone surveys.
There are three important advantages to conducting researcher-administered surveys. First, if a research participant does not understand the meaning of a question, the researcher can help to clarify the misunderstanding. This will ensure that the question is understood correctly and will, therefore, result in more accurate research data. For example, a college student taking a survey might wonder if a question on yearly income refers to their own or their family's income.
A second advantage of this surveying method is that a researcher can encourage a participant to answer all the questions and complete the questionnaire. Research participants may initially agree to take a survey because they do not want to seem rude when asked to participate. However, once they have the questionnaire they may remember that they are in a hurry to get dinner on the table or to meet friends to see a movie. Because they are in a hurry, participants may skip any confusing questions or just neglect to turn over the survey to finish the second page. Using a researcher-administered method a researcher will notice these omissions and prompt the participants to answer all the questions on the form. In fact choosing helpful and encouraging administrators can increase response rates (Blohm et al., 2007).
There are some groups of people who may distrust any form of marketing research. This would include those groups who may