Author:
Evaluation:
Published: 01.09.2015.
Language: English
Level: College/University
Literature: 3 units
References: Not used
  • Summaries, Notes 'Survey as a Research Method', 1.
  • Summaries, Notes 'Survey as a Research Method', 2.
  • Summaries, Notes 'Survey as a Research Method', 3.
  • Summaries, Notes 'Survey as a Research Method', 4.
Extract

A blend of the two methods is a survey: a small number of questions written on a sheet of paper for the interviewer, who reads them out to the respondents and immediately puts down the answers. These kind surveys usually take about 1-2 minutes and are done in environments where there is a large number of people to get a high response rate. Though these surveys are still more expensive than simply web based questionnaires, the response rate is usually very high and credible.
After assessing all the pros and cons of the above mentioned survey methods, several conclusions can be made. Firstly, the chosen method depends solemnly on the researcher and the amount of time and money that he wants to devote to this survey. In order to make the survey productive, the researcher should be aware of the environment where the research will be taking place, the respondents needed for the survey and the time and money one is willing to dedicate in order to carry out the survey. Although, a survey is a good addition to any research, it cannot be said that it is truly credible. Fowler F.J. Jr. compares conducting a survey to flipping a coin. The coin has two sides and theoretically it can happen that the coin is flipped 10 times and lands with the number facing upwards. This would show that the coin is capable of landing only on one side. The same can be referred to surveys where it can happen that all of the encountered respondents share the same opinion, although the majority of the society would have a completely different opinion.

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