978-0135078228 Chapter 6 Lecture Note

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CHAPTER 6

Data Collection Methods

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

To learn the four basic alternative modes for gathering survey data

To understand the advantages and disadvantages of each of the alternative data

gathering modes

To become knowledgeable about the details of different types of survey data

collection methods such as personal interviews, telephone interviews, and

computer-assisted interviews, including online surveys

To comprehend the factors researchers consider when choosing a particular survey

method

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Four Alternative Data Collection Modes

Person-Administered Surveys

Advantages of Person-Administered Surveys

Feedback

Rapport

Quality Control

Adaptability

Disadvantages of Person-Administered Surveys

Humans Error

Slowness

Cost

Interview Evaluation

Computer-Assisted Surveys

Advantages of Computer-Administered Surveys

Speed

Error-Free Interviews

Pictures, Videos, and Graphics

Real-Time Capture of Data

Reduced Interview Evaluation

Disadvantages of Computer-Administered Surveys

Technical Skills Required

High Setup Costs

Self-Administered Surveys

Advantages of Self-Administered Surveys

Reduced Cost

Respondent Control

No Interview-Evaluation Apprehension

Disadvantages of Self-Administered Surveys

Respondent Errors

Lack of Supervision

Stand-alone Questionnaire

Mixed-Mode Surveys

Advantage of Mixed-Mode Surveys

Disadvantage of Mixed-Mode Surveys

Descriptions of Data Collection Methods

Person-Administered Surveys

In-Home Interviews

Mall-Intercept Interviews

In-Office Interviews

Central Location Telephone Interviews

Computer-Assisted Surveys

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATIs)

Fully Computerized Interviews (Not Online)

Online Interviews

Self-Administered Surveys

Mail Surveys

Group-Administered Surveys

Drop-Off Surveys

Deciding Which Survey Method to Use

How Much Time Do I Have for Data Collection?

How Much Money Do I Have for Data Collection?

What Type of Respondent Interaction Is Required?

Are There Special Considerations to Take into Account?

KEY TERMS

Central location telephone interviewing

Completely automated telephone survey (CATS)

Computer-administered survey

Computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI)

Drop-off survey

Fully computerized interviews

Group self-administered survey

Incidence rate

In-home interview

In-office interviews

Internet-based questionnaire

Interview evaluation

Mail survey

Mall-intercept interview

Mixed-mode survey

Nonresponse

Person-administered survey

Self-administered survey

Self-selection bias

Survey

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

1. A field trip to a local telephone interview company does a great deal in the way of

illustrating how this survey mode operates. If there is an interview service in your

city, consider such a field trip, or if this is not feasible, have a representative from the

company speak to the class about the company’s operations.

2. It is possible to illustrate self-selection bias in students with a quick exercise. Give

students the following set of topics and have them indicate how they would respond

to a mail survey request in each case. Use a show of hands or actual count of the

responses to illustrate that some topics are inherently interesting and garner more

response than uninteresting topics.

Instructions: You pick up your mail, and you find a mail survey in it. How likely

would you be to take 15 minutes to fill out the questionnaire and return it if it

concerned each of the following topics?

Would you fill out the survey and send it back?

Topic Definitely Definitely Unsure

Would Would Not

Automobile maintenance _____ _____ _____

Dental hygiene _____ _____ _____

Personal safety on campus _____ _____ _____

Baby care _____ _____ _____

Recycling _____ _____ _____

Foreign trade with Chile _____ _____ _____

3. A large number of studies have addressed mail survey response rates. Have each

student select a single incentive tactic such as an advance postcard or monetary

incentive, and perform research on it, ideally, with some database search service

maintained by your university library or otherwise available to your students. Instruct

students to prepare a 3–5 minute summary class presentation on their topics.

4. Incidence rates can be illustrated with students’ families. With a show of hands,

determine the percent of students whose parents now own each of the following: (1) a

cat, (2) a Ford pickup truck, (3) a digital video camera, (4) a riding mower, and (5) an

American Automobile Association membership. The percentages will be analogous to

incidence rates.

5 . Ask students what creative approaches can be taken when a researcher requires a

large amount of information from respondents. Suppose, for instance, that a

researcher is investigating attitudes toward the preservation of natural habitats, and

the survey includes a battery of lifestyle questions, many attitude questions on

wildlife and habitat preservation, extensive demographics, plus many opinion

questions on specific state parks, national parks, public lands, and recreational areas.

The questionnaire takes 60 minutes to complete when self-administered, and 1 hour

and 30 minutes to complete when administered by an interviewer. What approaches

can be used to overcome this amount of information difficulty?

Some suggestions that may arise from class discussion include:

Divide the questions into three or four surveys and administer them at separate

times to the same respondents

Provide a very large incentive (say, a lottery of $500)

Pay respondents for their time

Send out a huge number of mail surveys and see what comes back

Pay interviewers extra compensation for completing over a certain number

6. Describe the survey method selection phase of a recent survey with which you have been

involved. Describe the survey’s circumstances, what modes were considered, and how the

final selection was made.

7. Privacy issues continually challenge marketing researchers who conduct surveys. Students

protect their privacy just as do typical consumers. Ask students to identify the various ways

they protect their telephone privacy (such as answering machines, caller identification, etc.),

and for each one have them discuss the challenge(s) posed to marketing researchers. What

can researchers do to entice consumers to take part in surveys? This topic can quickly

degenerate to telemarketer bashing, so be prepared to divert the discussion toward what

strategies ethical marketing researchers might consider in order to increase response rates.

Related to this topic is the National “Do Not Call” Registry (www.donotcall.gov). Ask how

many students are registered and whether or not they have noticed a decrease in

telemarketing phone calls. Most students will mistakenly believe that marketing research

calls are blocked by the Do Not Call system; however, they will be mistaken as bona fide

marketing research companies are not blocked.

8. Computer-assisted interview and web-based formats are steadily advancing and evolving.

There may be articles in the Marketing News, Quirk’s Marketing Research Review, or other

marketing research practitioner literature that describe variations or the pros and cons of the

various types. Alternatively, students can do a simple Internet search and find companies

with these products and services. Most have extensive descriptions of their capabilities and

many offer trial usage. Have students share their findings either with short presentations or in

a discussion format.

9. In this edition, we did not include “traditional telephone interview” as this method is rarely

used. If students inquire about the omission, this is the answer. Alternatively, you might ask

them to add traditional telephone interviews. The key advantage is fast turnaround relative to

face-to-face or mail alternatives, whereas the key disadvantage is control as interviewers

cannot be monitored or supervised while working. A comment is that traditional telephone

interviewing is an option when other telephone data collection methods are unavailable or

too expensive.