The classic survey design reference, updated for the digital age
For over two decades, Dillman's classic text on survey design has aided both students and professionals in effectively planning and conducting mail, telephone, and, more recently, Internet surveys. The new edition is thoroughly updated and revised, and covers all aspects of survey research. It features expanded coverage of mobile phones, tablets, and the use of do-it-yourself surveys, and Dillman's unique Tailored Design Method is also thoroughly explained. This invaluable resource is crucial for any researcher seeking to increase response rates and obtain high-quality feedback from survey questions. Consistent with current emphasis on the visual and aural, the new edition is complemented by copious examples within the text and accompanying website.
This heavily revised Fourth Edition includes:
Strategies and tactics for determining the needs of a given survey, how to design it, and how to effectively administer it
How and when to use mail, telephone, and Internet surveys to maximum advantage
Proven techniques to increase response rates
Guidance on how to obtain high-quality feedback from mail, electronic, and other self-administered surveys
Direction on how to construct effective questionnaires, including considerations of layout
The effects of sponsorship on the response rates of surveys
Use of capabilities provided by newly mass-used media: interactivity, presentation of aural and visual stimuli.
The Fourth Edition reintroduces the telephone'including coordinating land and mobile.
Grounded in the best research, the book offers practical how-to guidelines and detailed examples for practitioners and students alike.
Additional Resources xi
Preface xiii
Chapter 1 Sample Surveys in Our Electronic World 1
Four Cornerstones of Quality Surveys 3
What Is Different About Surveying in the 2010s? 10
Why Emphasize Mixed-Mode Data Collection? 12
What Is Tailored Design and Why Is It Needed? 15
Conclusion 17
Chapter 2 Reducing Peoples Reluctance to Respond to Surveys 19
Example of a Survey With a High Response Rate 21
Using Social Exchange Concepts to Motivate
Potential Respondents 23
Putting the Parts Together: Some Guidelines for Applying Social Exchange 42
Mixed-Mode Designs Provide New Opportunities for Applying Social Exchange 47
Returning to the WSU Doctoral Student Experience Survey: Why It Obtained Such a High Response Rate 50
Conclusion 55
List of Guidelines 55
Chapter 3 Covering the Population and Selecting Who to Survey 56
Essential Definitions and Their Use 57
Current Coverage and Access Considerations 58
Common Sampling Frames and Assessing How Well They Cover the Population 62
Probability Sampling 75
Postsurvey Adjustments and Calculating Sampling Error 87
Nonprobability Sampling 91
Conclusion 92
Chapter 4 The Fundamentals of Writing Questions 94
Issues to Consider When Starting to Craft Survey Questions 95
The Anatomy of a Survey Question and Types of Question Formats 109
Guidelines for Choosing Words and Forming Questions 113
Conclusion 125
List of Guidelines 126
Chapter 5 How to Write Open- and Closed-Ended Questions 127
Guidelines for Writing Open-Ended Questions 128
General Guidelines for Writing All Types of Closed-Ended Questions 134
Guidelines for Nominal Closed-Ended Questions 142
Guidelines for Ordinal Closed-Ended Questions 150
Conclusion 164
List of Guidelines 167
Chapter 6 Aural Versus Visual Design of Questions and Questionnaires 169
The Importance of Visual Design in Self-Administered Surveys 172
Visual Design Concepts and Their Application to Surveys 173
General Guidelines for the Visual Presentation of Survey Questions 183
Guidelines for the Visual Presentation of Open-Ended Questions 192
Guidelines for the Visual Presentation of Closed-Ended Questions 197
Guidelines for the Visual Presentation of Questionnaire Pages or Screens 204
A Case Study: The Use of Visual Design Principles to Improve Data Quality in the American
Community Survey 218
Conclusion 224
List of Guidelines 225
Chapter 7 Ordering Questions and Testing for Question Order Effects 228
Question Order 229
Testing Questions and Questionnaires 241
Conclusion 256
List of Guidelines 257
Chapter 8 Telephone Questionnaires and Implementation 258
Types of Telephone-Only Surveys Today 262
Guidelines for Designing Telephone Questionnaires 262
Guidelines for Administering Telephone Questionnaires 277
Guidelines for Establishing Calling Rules and Procedures 284
Quality Control and Testing Guidelines for Telephone Surveys 293
Conclusion 298
List of Guidelines 298
Chapter 9 Web Questionnaires and Implementation 301
Guidelines for Designing Web and Mobile Questionnaires 303
Guidelines for Web and Mobile Survey Implementation 328
Quality Control and Testing Guidelines for Web and Mobile Surveys 342
Conclusion 348
List of Guidelines 349
Chapter 10 Mail Questionnaires and Implementation 351
Guidelines for Designing Paper Questionnaires 352
Guidelines for Implementing Mail Questionnaires 366
Quality Control and Testing Guidelines for Mail Surveys 389
Conclusion 396
List of Guidelines 396
Chapter 11 Mixed-Mode Questionnaires and Survey Implementation 398
When Single-Mode Surveys Are Not Acceptable 398
Why Consider a Mixed-Mode Survey Design 400
Guidelines for Designing Questionnaires That Will Minimize Measurement Differences Across Survey Modes 404
Expanding the Research Base for Designing Mixed-Mode Surveys 416
Guidelines for Using Multiple Contact Modes to Achieve More Effective Communication With Potential Respondents 417
Guidelines for Providing Alternative Response Modes 424
From Individual Guidelines to Practical Study Designs 434
Guidelines for Testing Mixed-Mode Surveys 445
Conclusion 447
List of Guidelines 448
Chapter 12 Responding to Societal Change and Preparing for What Lies Ahead 450
Panels and Longitudinal Surveys 452
Nonprobability Sampling 455
New Mobile Devices and Technology 456
Supplementing Questionnaires With Measurement Using Electronic Devices 458
Big Data and Administrative Records 459
Data Security 461
Specialized Purpose Surveys 461
International and Cross-Cultural Surveys 463
The Challenge of Connecting With Empowered but Diverse Respondents 464
References 469
Author Index 491
Subject Index 497
