King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Department of Management and Marketing MKT 345 Marketing Research Dr. A - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation Transcript

King Fahd University of Petroleum & MineralsDepartment of Management and MarketingMKT 345 Marketing ResearchDr. Alhassan G. Abdul-Muhmin

Communication Methods in Survey Research Reference: Chapter 9

Learning Objectives

At the end of this discussion you should be able to:

list the different communication methods available for data gathering in survey research
identify and explain the key characteristics of each communication method
compare the advantages and disadvantages of the different communication methods
identify key issues in the choice of survey communication method
explain the concept of “response rate” in surveys and list the approaches to increasing survey response rates

Dr. Alhassan G. Abdul-Muhmin

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Broad Classification of Communication Methods in Survey Research

Interviewer-administered survey methods

Personal Interviews.
Telephone Interviews.

(Respondent) Self-administered survey methods.

Paper-based
Electronic

Mixed-mode surveys.

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS

Personal Interview – A form of direct communication in which an interviewer asks respondents questions face-to-face.

Door-to-Door Interviews – Interviews conducted at respondents’ doorsteps (in their homes)
Mall Intercept Interviews (Shopping Center Sampling) – Interviews conducted by intercepting respondents at a central location in a shopping mall
Pre-arranged Meetings – Interviewing respondents at other mutually agreed upon places

Advantages of Personal Interviews

Opportunity for feedback.
Opportunity to probe complex questions.
Willingness of respondents to spend longer time on interview.
Reduction in rate of item nonresponse (completeness of questionnaire).
Possibility of using visual aids & props.
High response rate / willingness of respondents to participate.

Disadvantages of Personal Interviews

Interviewer influence.
Respondent cannot be anonymous.
There may be a need for several callbacks (attempts to re-contact individuals who have been selected for a sample but who were not available during the earlier visit)
High cost.

TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS

Interviewer-administered interviews that are conducted over the telephone.
Telephone interviews are the most widely used method in commercial survey research

Telephone Interviewing Systems

Central Location Interviewing.
Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview.
Computerized Voice-Activated Telephone Interviewing.

Central Location Interviewing:

Conducting telephone interviews from a single central location from which all interviewers work

Usually through WATS (Wide Area Telecommunications Service) contracts that provide fixed long-distance rates, and allow unlimited calls within a specific geographic area
Allows Supervision and control.

Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI):

Telephone interviewing system in which the interviewer reads questions from a computer screen and enters the answers directly into the computer

Usually incorporate telephone management systems that handle:

Phone number selection.
Automatic dialing.
Sample selection.
Automatic callback scheduling.
Reporting on number of completed interviews.

Computerized Voice-Activated Telephone Interviews
Computer assumes responsibility for all aspects of the interview administration
It dials the respondent, asks the questions, and records the responses.

Used mainly for short, simple questionnaires.

Advantages of Telephone Interviews

Relatively high speed of data collection.
Inexpensive compared to personal interviews.
Better respondent anonymity than personal interviews.
Relatively higher respondent cooperation  lower nonresponse compared to personal interviews.

Disadvantages of Telephone Interviews

Problems in getting representative samples; unlisted phone numbers; random digit dialing as solution.
Problem of answering machines & faxes.
Need for callbacks.
Respondent can easily hang up.
Inability to use visual aids.
Need for shorter forms of questioning.

[RESPONDENT] SELF-ADMINISTERED SURVEYS

Surveys in which respondents take the responsibility for reading and answering the questions.
Present a special challenge in questionnaire design because self-administered surveys rely on the efficiency of the written word rather than the skill of the interviewer.
Self-administered questionnaires can be classified into paper-based (printed) or electronic (non-printed)

EXHIBIT 9.1Self-Administered Questionnaires Can Be Either Printed or Electronic

Paper (Printed) Self-Administered Questionnaires

Distribution Methods

Mail (or Postal) Surveys – using regular mail system (now usually called “Snail Mail Surveys”).
Drop-off / Pick-up method.
Fax surveys
Inserts – e.g. in product packages, magazines, etc.
Direct distribution to customers – e.g. in restaurants, airplanes, banks.
Warranty / Owner registration cards.

Advantages of Postal and Other Printed Self-Administered Surveys

Geographic flexibility.
Lower cost.
Respondent convenience

Respondent can take time to think about response.
Respondent has chance to check records for information.

Respondent anonymity.

Disadvantages of Postal and Other Printed Self-Administered Surveys

Absence of interviewer means:

Loss of control over the data collection.
Respondent can misinterpret questions.
Visual props cannot be used.

Questions have to be standardized.
Takes long time to receive response.
Questionnaire has to be short.
Low response rates.
No assurance that intended subject actually completed the questionnaire.

RESPONSE RATE ISSUES IN (POSTAL) SURVEYS

Response rate:

Number of completed and returned questionnaires divided by number of eligible people contacted.

Methods for increasing response rate:

EXHIBIT 9.2Example of Cover Letter for Household Survey

Source: Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Methods for Increasing Response Rate

Cover letter explaining:

Study importance.
Request for help.
Importance of respondent.
Sampling method.
Description of reward.
Promise of confidentiality.
Etc.

Rewards (monetary & non-monetary).
Advance notification.
Follow-ups.
Prestige of sponsoring institution.
Color of questionnaire paper.
Type of postage
Interesting questions.

Effects of Different Methods for Increasing Response Rates in Mail Surveys

Electronic Self-Administered Questionnaires

Distribution Methods

E-mail

Text
HTML
File attachments

Internet

Bulletin boards
Web HTML
Downloadable surveys

Kiosk Interactive Surveys
On-site computers
Disk-by-mail (CD-ROM by mail)

Advantages of E-mail Questionnaires

Speed of distribution
Lower distribution costs
Faster turnaround (response) time
Greater flexibility
Less handling of paper

Disadvantages of E-mail Questionnaires

Lack of security (Eavesdropping by administrators)
Lack of anonymity
Differences in capabilities of respondent’s computers and e-mail software
Difficulties for e-mail novices

Advantages of Internet Surveys

Speed
Cost-effectiveness

Eliminate cost of paper, postage, and data entry
Larger samples can be obtained

Visual appeal and interactivity

More sophisticated lines of questioning
Can use color, sound, animation, and visual materials

Accurate real-time data capture
Easy callback capabilities
Personalized and flexible questioning
Respondent anonymity

Disadvantages of Internet Surveys

Non-widespread use of internet in the general population
Differences in capabilities of respondent’s computers and connection speeds
Differences in computer skills
Lack of security for personal information

Advantages and Disadvantages of Typical Survey Methods

ISSUES IN CHOICE OF COMMUNICATION METHOD

Is the assistance of an interviewer necessary?
Are respondents interested in the issues being investigated?
Will cooperation be easily attained?
How quickly is the information needed?
Will the study require a long and complex questionnaire?
How large is the budget?

Ethical Issues in Survey Research

The American Marketing Association’s code of ethics expresses researchers’ obligation to:

Protect the public from misrepresentation and exploitation under the guise of marketing research
Protect respondents’ right to privacy
Avoid the use of deception
Inform respondents about the purpose of the research
Maintain confidentiality and honesty in collecting data
Maintain objectivity in reporting data