27.10.2014 Views

Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

Russel-Research-Method-in-Anthropology

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Structured Interview<strong>in</strong>g I: Questionnaires 273<br />

AFTER SECTION ON DEMOGRAPHIC DATA<br />

IS R MARRIED?<br />

NO<br />

YES<br />

HAS R EVER BEEN<br />

MARRIED?<br />

HOW OLD WAS R<br />

AT MARRIAGE?<br />

YES<br />

NO<br />

MARRIED<br />

BEFORE?<br />

FOR HOW<br />

LONG?<br />

DOES R PLAN<br />

TO GET MARRIED?<br />

YES<br />

NO<br />

HOW OLD WAS R<br />

AT MARRIAGE?<br />

YES<br />

NO<br />

WHAT<br />

AGE?<br />

HOW<br />

LONG?<br />

WHAT DOES R THINK<br />

IS IDEAL AGE FOR<br />

MARRIAGE?<br />

HAVE<br />

CHILDREN?<br />

DOES R HAVE<br />

CHILDREN?<br />

YES<br />

NO<br />

YES<br />

HOW<br />

MANY?<br />

NO<br />

PLAN TO HAVE<br />

CHILDREN?<br />

DOES R PLAN TO<br />

HAVE CHILDREN?<br />

YES<br />

NO<br />

YES<br />

HOW<br />

MANY?<br />

NO<br />

HOW MANY?<br />

Figure 10.3. Flow chart of filter questions for part of a questionnaire.<br />

6. Use clear scales. There are some commonly used scales <strong>in</strong> survey research—<br />

th<strong>in</strong>gs like: Excellent-Good-Fair-Poor; Approve-Disapprove; Oppose-Favor; For-<br />

Aga<strong>in</strong>st; Good-Bad; Agree-Disagree; Better-Worse-About the Same; etc. Just<br />

because these are well known, however, does not mean that they are clear and<br />

unambiguous to respondents.<br />

To cut down on the ambiguities associated with these k<strong>in</strong>ds of scales,<br />

expla<strong>in</strong> the mean<strong>in</strong>g of each potentially ambiguous scale when you <strong>in</strong>troduce<br />

it. With self-adm<strong>in</strong>istered questionnaires, use 5 scale po<strong>in</strong>ts rather than 3, if<br />

you can. For example, use Strongly Approve, Approve, Neutral, Disapprove,

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!