ABSTRACT
A survey is a method for collecting information about people by directly asking them questions. The three traditional modes of administering a survey presented in this chapter are personal interview, telephone interview, and mail questionnaire. Discussion includes the strengths and limitations of each survey type. Newer types of surveys are also discussed, including email, Web, online and Internet surveys, and multi-mode surveys. All survey types are illustrated by including excerpts from published research. Discussion also describes the ever-increasingly available types of computer-assisted survey data collection software. Conducting a survey is relatively easy; however, getting high-quality data from a survey is not. Non-response error, coverage error and measurement error, dropout in longitudinal surveys, and use of data from non-experimental designs can affect conclusions based on survey data. This chapter also summarizes several guidelines for writing and formatting a questionnaire, including basic principles for writing survey questions and a brief guide to interviewing. The chapter concludes with an excerpt illustrating the close relationship between theory, survey data collection, and data analysis. The survey was designed specifically to test some interesting hypotheses about the relationship between parental social status and child-rearing practices and philosophy.
