PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION xv
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION xix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xxi

CHAPTER 1. AN INTRODUCTION TO SURVEY METHODOLOGY

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 A Brief History of Survey Research 3

1.3 Some Examples of Ongoing Surveys 7

1.4 What is Survey Methodology? 30

1.5 The Challenge of Survey Methodology 32

1.6 About this Book 34

CHAPTER 2. INFERENCE AND ERROR IN SURVEYS

2.1 Introduction 39

2.2 The Lifecycle of a Survey From a Design Perspective 41

2.3 The Lifecycle of a Survey from A Quality Perspective 49

2.4 Putting It All Together 60

2.5 Error Notions in Different Kinds of Statistics 61

2.6 Nonstatistical Notions of Survey Quality 62

2.7 Summary 63

CHAPTER 3. TARGET POPULATIONS, SAMPLING FRAMES, AND COVERAGE ERROR

3.1 Introduction 69

3.2 Populations and Frames 69

3.3 Coverage Properties of Sampling Frames 72

3.4 Alternative Frames for the Target Population of Households or Persons 81

3.5 Frame Issues for Other Common Target Populations 84

3.6 Coverage Error 87

3.7 Reducing Undercoverage 88

3.8 Summary 94

CHAPTER 4. SAMPLE DESIGN AND SAMPLING ERROR

4.1 Introduction 97

4.2 Samples and Estimates 99

4.3 Simple Random Sampling 103

4.4 Cluster Sampling 106

4.5 Stratification and Stratified Sampling 113

4.6 Systematic Selection 123

4.7 Complications in Practice 125

4.8 Sampling US Telephone Households 133

4.9 Selecting Persons Within Households 136

4.10 Summary 138

CHAPTER 5. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION

5.1 Alternative Methods of Data Collection 150

5.2 Choosing the Appropriate Method 159

5.3 Effects of Different Data Collection Methods on Survey Errors 160

5.4 Using Multiple Modes of Data Collection 175

5.5 Summary 177

CHAPTER 6. NONRESPONSE IN SAMPLE SURVEYS

6.1 Introduction 183

6.2 Response Rates 183

6.3 Impact of Nonresponse on the Quality of Survey Estimates 189

6.4 Thinking Causally About Survey Nonresponse Error 191

6.5 Dissecting the Nonresponse Phenomenon 192

6.6 Design Features to Reduce Unit Nonresponse 201

6.7 Item Nonresponse 208

6.8 Are Nonresponse Propensities Related to Other Error Sources? 210

6.9 Summary 210

CHAPTER 7. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN SURVEYS

7.1 Alternatives Methods of Survey Measurement 217

7.2 Cognitive Processes in Answering Questions 218

7.3 Problems in Answering Survey Questions 225

7.4 Guidelines for Writing Good Questions 242

7.5 Summary 252

CHAPTER 8. EVALUATING SURVEY QUESTIONS

8.1 Introduction 259

8.2 Expert Reviews 260

8.3 Focus Groups 261

8.4 Cognitive Interviews 263

8.5 Field Pretests and Behavior Coding 265

8.6 Randomized or Split-Ballot Experiments 267

8.7 Applying Question Standards 268

8.8 Summary of Question Evaluation Tools 269

8.9 Linking Concepts of Measurement Quality to Statistical Estimates 274

8.10 Summary 286

CHAPTER 9. SURVEY INTERVIEWING

9.1 The Role of the Interviewer 291

9.2 Interviewer Bias 292

9.3 Interviewer Variance 295

9.4 Strategies for Reducing Interviewer Bias 300

9.5 Strategies for Reducing Interviewer-Related Variance 302

9.6 The Controversy About Standardized Interviewing 312

9.7 Interviewer Management 315

9.8 Validating the Work of Interviewers 319

9.9 The Use of Recorded Voices (and Faces) in Data Collection 322

9.10 Summary 323

CHAPTER 10. POSTCOLLECTION PROCESSING OF SURVEY DATA

10.1 Introduction 329

10.2 Coding 331

10.3 Entering Numeric Data into Files 344

10.4 Editing 345

10.5 Weighting 347

10.6 Imputation for Item-missing data 354

10.7 Sampling Variance Estimation for Complex Samples 359

10.8 Survey Data Documentation and Metadata 363

10.9 Summary 365

CHAPTER 11. PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES RELATED TO ETHICAL RESEARCH

11.1 Introduction 371

11.2 Standards for the Conduct of Research 371

11.3 Standards for Dealing with Clients 374

11.4 Standards for Dealing with the Public 375

11.5 Standards for Dealing with Respondents 376

11.6 Emerging Ethical Issues 384

11.7 Research About Ethical Issues in Surveys 384

11.8 Administrative and Technical Procedures for Safe-Guarding Confidentiality 392

11.9 Summary and Conclusions 398

Keywords

For More In-Depth Reading

Exercises

CHAPTER 12. FAQS ABOUT SURVEY METHODOLOGY

12.1 Introduction 405

12.2 The Questions and Their Answers 405

REFERENCES 421

INDEX 451