Читать книгу The Research Experience - Ann Sloan Devlin - Страница 156

Survey research is a type of correlational research widely used in the social sciences, especially sociology (Sanders & Pinhey, 1983); it employs written questionnaires and/or personal interviews to assess views (e.g., attitudes and beliefs) of a sample of respondents from a population.

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Figure 3.8 Example of Floor Plans Used in Virtual Environment Research

Source: Reprinted with permission from Slone et al., 2015, Figure 1, page 1031.

Neuman (2007, p. 167) notes that the following can be asked about in survey research: behavior, attitudes/beliefs/opinions, characteristics, expectations, self-classification, and knowledge. Selecting a sample that is representative of the population (see Chapter 11) is particularly important. A classic example would be an opinion poll where attitudes, beliefs, and even expected actions (e.g., choice for president) are surveyed. Another example would be the U.S. decennial Census, which is required by the U.S. Constitution. The American Community Survey (ACS), part of the Census, is sent to a small percentage of U.S. residents every year (on a rotating basis) to obtain more detailed socioeconomic data, including housing (e.g., whether people own or rent), about the U.S. population (https://www.census.gov/history/www/programs/demographic/american_community_survey.html). Internationally, a widely used measure is the European Social Survey (ESS), a cross-national survey of more than 30 nations. Begun in 2001, the ESS reflects information collected every 2 years from face-to-face interviews of newly selected cross-national samples. Among the goals of the ESS is to “chart stability and change in social structure, conditions and attitudes in Europe” (https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/about/). The data from the ESS are free of charge to users.

A survey is also a label used to describe a series of questions, often standardized, which may contain one or more dependent variables. Thus, we can distinguish between a research approach (survey research) and a particular kind of research instrument (a survey) (see Chapter 5).

Survey: A series of questions, often a standardized instrument, assessing responses to one or more topics.