Survey Research Types of Surveys Surveys are classified according ...

3) Mailed questionnaire: Often much of the same information can be obtained by means of a
questionnaire that is mailed to each individual in the sample, with a request that it be completed and
returned at a given date. Because the questionnaire is mailed, it is possible to include a larger number
of subjects as well as subjects in more diverse locations than is practical with the interview.
Advantages of mailed questionnaires:
a. Confidentiality or Anonymity: A mailed questionnaire guarantees confidentiality or anonymity,
thus perhaps eliciting more truthful responses than would be obtained with a personal interview.
b. No Interview Bias: The mailed questionnaire eliminates the problem of interviewer bias.
Disadvantages of mailed questionnaires:
a. Possibility of Question Misinterpretation: It is difficult to formulate a series of questions whose
meanings are crystal-clear to every reader. The investigator may know exactly what is meant by a
question, but the respondent may interpret question differently.
b. Low Return Rate: It is easy for the individual who receives a questionnaire to lay it aside and
simply forget to complete and return it. A low response rate limits the generalizability of the
results of the questionnaire study. Factors that have been found to influence the rate of returns for
a mailed questionnaire are:
1) the length of the questionnaire
2) the cover letter
3) the sponsorship of the questionnaire
4) the attractiveness of the questionnaire
5) the ease of completing it and mailing it back
6) the interest aroused by the content
7) the use of a monetary incentive
8) the follow-up procedures
4) Directly-administered questionnaire: This questionnaire is administered to a group of people at a
certain place for a specific purpose. Examples include surveying the freshmen or their parents
attending summer orientation at a university.
Advantages of directly-administered questionnaire:
a. High Response Rate: The response typically reaches 100 percent.
b. Low Cost
c. Researcher Availability: Researcher is present to provide assistance or answer questions.
Disadvantages of directly-administered questionnaire:
a. Researcher is restricted in terms of where and when the questionnaire can be administered.
b. Because the sample is usually quite specific, the findings are generalizable only to the population
that the sample represents.
Ma660 Survey Research Notes Page 4