survey research methods (applied social research methods)

mind-and-cognition

• To assume perfect correspondence between the answers people give and some other reality is naive. When answers are good measures, it is usually the result of careful design.

  SRF-RC-037

• When people are asked about subjective states, feelings, attitudes, and opinions, there is no objective way of validating the answers. Only the respondent has access to his or her feelings.

  SRM-RC-107

• Some people consider coffee and a donut any time before noon to be breakfast. Others do not. Results are likely to contain considerable error stemming from differing definitions.

  SRM-RC-100

obedience-and-authority

• Interviewers often inadvertently reinforce undesirable respondent behaviors. When schedules forced interviewers to praise good behavior, respondent reporting improved.

  SRF-RC-060

• It is a basic premise of ethical survey research that respondents should be informed about what it is that they are volunteering for before being asked to answer questions.

  SRF-RC-067

education-and-formation

• Procedures for probing inadequate answers in a nondirective way; rules for handling the interpersonal aspects of the interview in a nonbiasing way.

  SRF-RC-057