Surveys

Definition

Surveys are research tools used to collect data and opinions from a specific group of people through structured questions. They can be conducted in various formats, such as questionnaires or interviews, and can yield both quantitative and qualitative information, making them versatile for evaluating social policies and programs.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Surveys can be administered in multiple ways, including online, by phone, or face-to-face, each with its own advantages and challenges.
2. They are widely used in both quantitative research to generate statistical data and qualitative research to gather deeper insights into attitudes and beliefs.
3. Surveys often employ different question types, such as open-ended, closed-ended, multiple choice, and Likert scale questions, to capture diverse responses.
4. The reliability and validity of surveys heavily depend on the design of the questions and the method of sampling used to select participants.
5. Surveys can help identify trends over time by allowing researchers to compare data collected at different points, which is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of social policies.

Review Questions

• How do surveys contribute to the understanding of social policies through both quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques?
  • Surveys serve as a bridge between quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques by collecting structured data that can provide numerical insights while also capturing subjective opinions. Quantitative data derived from surveys can reveal trends and statistical significance regarding policy impacts, while qualitative responses can offer context and depth that explain why certain trends exist. This dual capacity makes surveys invaluable for comprehensively evaluating the effectiveness of social policies.
• What are some potential biases that could affect survey results, and how might these biases influence the evaluation of social policies?
  • Survey results can be influenced by several biases, including selection bias, response bias, and wording bias. Selection bias occurs when the sample does not accurately represent the population, leading to skewed results. Response bias happens when respondents do not answer honestly or consistently due to social desirability or misunderstanding. Wording bias involves how questions are phrased, potentially swaying responses. These biases can severely impact the evaluation of social policies by misrepresenting public opinion or failing to capture the true effects of a policy.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of surveys in assessing public opinion on social policies compared to other research methods.
  • Surveys are highly effective in assessing public opinion on social policies because they allow for the collection of large amounts of data from diverse populations quickly. Unlike focus groups or interviews, which provide depth but may have limited reach, surveys can achieve broader representation through careful sampling methods. However, surveys may lack the nuanced understanding that qualitative methods offer. Therefore, while surveys provide essential quantitative insights into public sentiment, they should ideally be complemented with qualitative approaches for a more rounded evaluation of social policy impacts.

Related terms

Questionnaire: A set of written questions used to gather information from respondents, often designed to be answered in a standardized way.

Sampling: The process of selecting a subset of individuals from a population to represent the entire group, which is crucial for the validity of survey results.

Data Analysis: The practice of inspecting and interpreting collected survey data to extract meaningful insights and inform decision-making.