Exam 11: Dealing with Fieldwork and Data Quality

Even with supervised orientation sessions and role playing,unintentional fieldworker errors cannot be reduced.

Two general strategies-supervision and validation-can be employed to guard against the interviewer intentionally committing an error.

There are at least two major intentional respondent errors: falsehoods and refusals.

The counterpart to sampling error is nonsampling error,which consists of all errors in a survey except those attributable to the sample plan and sample size.

Both fieldworkers and respondents make errors.These fall into two categories:

Methods useful in minimizing intentional respondent error include all of the following EXCEPT:

Long questionnaires often include opportunities for the respondent to discontinue the survey with phrases such as"We are almost finished,""That was the most difficult section of questions to answer,"or other statements.

Unintentional fieldworker errors present issues as well for researchers.Precautions and procedures should be developed to minimize the effects of these errors.What are the general strategies used to minimize unintentional fieldworker errors?

Panel companies normally collect a wealth of information(demographic,life style,possessions,etc.)on each panel member as part of the recruitment and registration process,and these data may be purchased along with the survey questions,thus eliminating the need to ask for this information in the survey.

Describe datasets,coding data,and the use of a data code book.

A questionnaire may include various types of instructions for the interviewer,a variety of response scales,directions on how to record responses,and other complicated guidelines to which the interviewer must adhere.

The first general type of possible error in field data collection is fieldworker error,defined as errors committed by the individuals who administer questionnaires,typically interviewers.

Skyrocketing nonresponse rates and the popularity of online surveys have prompted a number of firms to use ________ -a company that accommodates surveyors by recruiting and selling access to very large,diverse groups of consumers and businesses.

Sometimes the opportunity arises to use the third-person technique,in which the interviewer directly and indirectly quizzes the respondent about a subject that might be embarrassing.

________ is the operation in which the identification of code values are associated with the possible responses for each question on the questionnaire.

Researchers understand the true value of professional field data collection companies whose existence depends on how well they can control interviewer and respondent error.

There are three general sources of unintentional interviewer errors.Which of the following is NOT a source of unintentional interviewer error?

Skyrocketing nonresponse rates and the popularity of online surveys have prompted a number of firms to use a panel company.How do online panel companies ensure quality and control error?

A very small portion of the marketing research industry uses panel companies that maintain very large numbers of respondents who are encouraged to fill out surveys quickly and accurately.

To control ________,it is important to minimize falsehoods and non-response tendencies on the part of respondents.