Bad questionnaire and errors in poll questionaires

On this occasion we are going to make some considerations on how to identify a poorly constructed an opinion poll questionnaire.
Without prentender that this list is exhaustive, will point out some ways to identify errors in questions or parts of a questionnaire.

• The questions used language or sociological categories that produce that respondents answered that they believe is expected to respond or misinterpret questions.


• The respondent believes that must be identify - for example in a closed with options question - what is the correct answer. Not involved in the sense of expressing their views by an error in the way of asking and sometimes in the mode of lead pollster. He believes that it is like a game that has to guess the correct answer option.


• Questions closed with options options are not mutually exclusive, either not exhausted all possibilities for response. So the alternatives are mutually independent and do not leave any aspect sociologically relevant is convenient to pilot test these questions (or the questionnaire). Occurs when a survey or a question has many instances for people that are not decided by any of the suggested alternatives, opting not to respond, point out missing some option or make verbalizaciones as "it depends" or "the question is poorly worded", or the "don't know" which isn't really a does not know. Sometimes reviewers and pollsters are right on wrong questions.


• The answers are elusive and notoriously false. It happens on sensitive issues, to find the right way to ask and have questions in the questionnaire. Also by the misuse of certain words in the question that lead to the above-mentioned responses by respondents.


• There is an overwhelming majority of favourable response or adverse responses.


• Redundancy: wasted resources asking something they already know.

These are some ways to identify mistakes in the questions of the questionnaires of opinion polls from the responses obtained after the field work.

A definition of survey

We discuss the definition of "survey" that provides the academic Manuel Garcia Ferrando (1992:141), who says:

"The survey is a technique that utilza a set of standardized research procedures by which collects and analyzes a series of data from a sample of cases representative of the wider population or universe, of which aims to explore, describe, predict and or explain a number of characteristics. "

Here García Ferrando is very ambiguous to use words like "method" and "procedures."

The author defines survey as a method or quantitative research, which in turn can use different "standard procedures", which actually means data recording techniques subordinates to research.

It is highly questionable whether the survey to predict, because the investigation is complex but never based on final data from more than one time in a reality of dynamic phenomena and causes by many variables.

There is no epistemological justification for claiming that a survey to predict, since in any case, should be a highly confirmed theory that allows predictions or forecasts in science.
Unless, of course, to pursue practical or political objectives.

Survey and research and as an instrument of data collection.

One of the difficulties of providing a definition of what a survey is, first, a survey called two different things in the investigation.

Survey is called the method or technique to relieve data using an instrument such as the questionnaire and survey procedure is called to make a quantitative social research using a questionnaire.

It may seem the same but it is not. If a researcher wants to supplement a social study of public opinion or qualitative data and is a project developed with defined assumptions and other data already obtained, in that case if it decides to conduct a survey is merely using a data record.

In this respect the survey is similar to a camera or microscope, bridging the gap.

However, if the investigator made another quantitative study from scratch, and should pose variables, defining units of analysis, sample design, develop scales to measure attitudes, determining a permissible error, and a questionnaire survey may call the whole investigation.

The respondent to the survey questions of opinion

When performing a social survey or an opinion poll is important to know how and what to ask not only for research but also to maximize the responsiveness of the respondents.
In this sense, knowing how to formulate the questions thinking of the respondent can be crucial to the success of the survey.
It is important to bring the motivation of the respondent to ensure honesty in responding and collaboration.
To do this the good presentation of the respondent is fundamental: to take the appropriate credentials or certification, good presence, experience in handling the situation, the interviewer know what you are doing in order to evacuate any doubts of the respondents.
It is important to have a proper introduction to the survey in particular and transmit to the respondent to answer the idea that you bring something, that the survey is important to him or to society and that their opinion is valuable and will be taken into account.
A guiding principle of the polls is that the respondent should always be satisfied, as well respond with more interest next time.
It is important that questions allude to the subject's experiences, their desires and to channel deep thoughts: the worse the respondent's answer is placed over another person.
The survey questions should encourage the role of the interviewee, thus they respond better, draw their opinions more authentic and will be pleased to respond.

How to assemble the Questionnaire

Here are some tips to make an effective survey from a good questionnaire.
In general, the statistical questions (those that serve more embarrassing to classify the questionnaire for socioeconomic status) should be made at the end of the questionnaire, but may be necessary to use some initial questions filter to know if any do the survey to the respondent, and for appropriate use of hops in the questionnaire.
All survey questions must be clear and not ambiguous or vague.
When there are no scales, we recommend you ask the respondent to choose one option.
The categories "do not knows" and "no answer" should be included as little as possible.
Multiple-choice lists should be short, comprehensive and manageable for the interviewer and respondent.
Rotation is recommended reading, as it is known that people tend to choose what is most remember, is the last thing he was appointed.
Finally, the success of a good depends on a questionnaire survey to ask what is fair, with good management and questions on topics ranging from general to specific.

Opinion Surveys or Opinion Polls?

There is an ambiguity about whether we should speak of opinion surveys or opinion polls either.
That is, if both terms are synonymous.
But in reality they are not, because although what defines an opinion poll is correct when predicated of an opinion poll, the converse does not hold.
A poll is a survey research, but social. In contrast, a sample survey can be done to obtain information about the behavior of the stars or the characteristics of books in a library.
In other words, there are surveys that are not of opinion, while no research surveys that are not polls, agreed to call for polls to quantitative studies through surveys.
Although it is possible to do an opinion poll.
Moreover, "survey" is called to the technique of data collection, but also the result of completing a questionnaire.
Issues to be considered not to confuse the meanings and know well what is spoken.

As conceived opinion survey

As conceived opinion survey

When planning or designing an opinion survey is essential to note here:
1) choose the universe to be surveyed
2) define the statistical unit or unit of analysis Stats
3) collect information to organize the opinion survey, classify and organize
4) choose the method or data collection technique, the type of survey (individual, personal, phone, email)
5) choosing the sampling method (random, quota, cluster, etc.).
6) define the variables to be analyzed and the type of statistical analysis will be done with data from questionnaires
7) establish the sample size
8) define a sampling error according to relevant factors such as budget, time and type of sampling design
9) establish the economic cost of the survey and total execution time of the investigation
10) organize the field work calendar, staff and resources.

The types of survey: individual survey

There are, strictly speaking, various types of opinion polls and attitudes registration.
But if we analyze the different types of surveys in processes for the collection of data we can distinguish three major types of survey: staff survey, the self-administered survey and telephone survey.
From now on, we must clarify, we are talking about surveys that apply to people or survey investigating the opinions and attitudes of individuals.
Discussed in this post the individual survey.

INDIVIDUAL SURVEY

The personal interview is the best known of the three types, and today almost no one living in urban centers has not been sought to answer some.
This is a typical face-to-face survey.
In this type of survey requires a team of trained interviewers who, after receiving an instruction concerning the nature of the survey, how to administer the questionnaire, some problems with certain questions, how to access the survey, should contact the persons elected to be interviewed.
Sometimes when it is a multistage sample survey, the last stage, which involves selecting people who have to answer, is undertaken by the interviewer.
At other times, however, already has the address and name of the person, as when performed on a standard sample, eg a professional society.
It is the task of the interviewer approached the respondent with a structured or semi-structured questionnaire, or with any questions closed or open and closed questions (discuss this later).
One of the methodological issues is often not sufficiently appreciated is that all questions must be made strictly in the order they appear in the questionnaire, in the same tone and, above all, without adding or omitting anything, even a comma in the text survey questionnaire.
This ensures the objectivity of the results from the application of the same stimulus to all respondents. Let's be clear, as always, that these considerations are made on the assumption that the questionnaire is objective and is built by professionals, that the questions measure what they purport to measure, and so on.
Some types of personal opinion polls are coincidental survey, the survey at random or random (or which includes, as recorded at a final stage of sampling a random selection process) and survey fees.
The coincidental survey is a type of non-probability sampling (later we will analyze it), or a sample in which no one knows the error of estimate (we'll explain later) or error resulting from the spread of the sample data population. In the survey, the interviewer takes coincidental random people in a busy city and survey.
It's that simple, as they make bad journalists and pollsters (and political operatives, why deny it), although some research may be used responsibly. In the survey at random or random pollster has a table of random numbers that tells you based on the number of questionnaires to be completed, for example, which household member should interview and may in some cases replace him in case of absence for an individual of the same sex and similar socioeconomic level and age.
Finally, the quota sampling is one in which the interviewer and out of the office of the institute or consultancy or agency with a guideline on how many men interviewed, a few women, what ages, what you already know what you want and crossing is going as the respondent.
As can be seen, the random survey individual may lead to the replacement of absent or rejecting entevistado a fee.

Opinion polls as a way of sampling

Today mention an error that is usually found frequently in the literature on surveys and opinion polls.
The same is to confuse all the surveys for opinion polls or social surveys. If we wish to clarify what is a survey, or provide a definition, we must make it clear that by no means something that applies to people necessarily.
In fact, the survey is a technique of data collection (some might question how far the data are "collected" as one who takes something that's already been out there and are not created, at least to some extent by those who do research, but that is another problem that will address later) that derives or is an application of the sampling procedure.
Specifically is the use of certain standardized and validated procedures under which the research takes information on a representative sample of a population or universe, as is usually called the total haw investigated.
It is clear that the purpose of such research procedures is to improve our insight of some phenomenon, say a good explanation.
One can conduct a survey in which sample is selected books from a library upon which a questionnaire is completed in some information, because what matters is that the procedure and representative sample.
This, as already mentioned, results from the application of the mathematical theory of probabilities to the investigation of phenomena, whether or not social.
A sample survey differs from a census in which it is to administer a questionnaire to all people concerned, while the survey is always applied to a sample, the best representative.

Technical data of a survey

The technical specifications or technical data from a survey is a description, brief but compendious, the most important factors relating to the way it was done the same. It is important to remember that opinion polls is a social research, or rather a part of a process of social research, and as such is the correct application of certain scientific methods and validated a theoretical knowledge.
In particular, the data sheet, usually seen in a recuadrito or a footnote in the report with the results of the survey provides information on the time of the survey data (when people were surveyed), the period if it was during the weekend or on weekdays (this, we shall see, can be very important) in what place, how the respondents were selected and what was the total population on which the survey.
This is because, for example, the results of a survey of adolescents can be very different if the survey is administered to adolescents in a city that would be obtained if you apply to the entire adult population of that city, that very probably have a different view on the issue, and even different from the results that may shed a survey of adolescents in the country.
The sheet reveals the methodology that was carried on the survey data and, if this was done with the appropriate technical rigor, these procedures should yield similar results if we repeat the data collection work under the same guidelines. Public and replicable This is typical of scientific knowledge.
That a work is not that a sheet is a good reason to have some caution about its reliability.

Opinion Polls and mathematics

Opinion surveys and mathematics.
Sample surveys are the application in a specific area of certain mathematical, in particular of some of the mathematical theory of probabilities procedures or statistical mathematical research.
This are some assumptions based on the assumption that certain operations can be performed with numbers can perform when mathematics no longer pure and becomes applied and represents aspects of social reality.
Made them, is supposed to be possible to measure a specific social aspect, the intensity of the positive image of such candidate, or measure the views in favour, against and indifferent about a specific problem.
Is that the applicability of the procedure of the survey is based on accepted an isomorphism between mathematical properties and properties of social phenomena. Once assumed this, you can use methods and techniques (sample, designs for example) appropriate to establish which is the best way to learn about a certain aspect under investigation.
These methods are standardized and validated, as they are all scientific procedures procedures. It is important to remember that a survey seriously is apply a background of theoretical and methodological knowledge to a social research.

Polietapic sample desing

What is a polietapic sample design?
A sample design polietápico is a type of design research project to collect data from a survey which is divided into various stages of planning and implementation.
These stages cover various criteria that are deployed to reach the final sample, or to individuals that will finally answered the survey.
Let us remember that a sample is a part of a specific population or universe (e.g. a country or a city citizens) is selected to obtain information that will be generalized to the whole population with some margin of error.
As a result, when according to rigorous methodological guidelines, the sample will be representative of this population.
To make this happen, the universe will be successively divided according to different criteria to reach the people you select.
For example may split the provinces or States of a country and select some rightly gaming, dodging, and then in selected provinces applied with a proportionality to the population parameters selection criterion.
If there are 10% of high socio-economic level in the population, determining the sample shall be about that value.

Are political polls reliable?

The degree of reliability that we must give a political survey depends on several factors, such as company, Institute or consultant to conduct the survey, the way as has done it, the use of the results and the source from which we obtain information about their results.
The trap or error can be in several of these aspects, can be a phantom company or "ad hoc" (recognized companies even have an alternative name to sign when do things well to reduce risk), may be carried out with little professionalism is bad, intentionally, or be failure at any stage of the research process.
Additionally you may own responsible for Institute, the client that has hired it or a journalist or Communicator, knowingly or not, provide partial information or directly to distort the results.

Opinion surveys

Opinion surveys
Surveys of public opinion and policy surveys.
Methodology, theory and analysis of public opinion polls.