Four survey modes:

• Mail/written
• Phone
• Face-to-face
• Internet

Advantages of mail/written

• Low cost
• Large groups
• Avoids potential researcher bias
• Less reactance
• Less pressure for immediate response
• Feelings of anonymity may be higher

Disadvantages of mail/written

• Response rate (< 50%)
• Data quality (motivation problem)
• Must be short
• Can’t control question order
• Can’t control context (other people)
• Some people may have problems/misinterpret
• Can’t answer questions or follow up
• No homeless

Advantages of phone

• High response rate (almost as high as int)
• Cheaper than interviews
• Can follow up, motivate, but less researcher bias than ftf (good quality data)
• Better supervision of interviewers
• Quick
• Computer-assisted interviewing
• Random digit dialing
• Anonymous
• Broad populations
• Can hear interviewee (cues)

Disadvantages of phone

• Some researcher bias
• No visual aids
• Complex questions may be difficult
• Technical problems (nonworking or nonrespondents)
• Can’t see reactions
• Caller ID

Advantages of ftf

• Can control, probe, correct, answer
• Visual aids
• Data quality high (over 80% response rate)
• Can motivate and establish rapport
• Can be longer than other types
• Can see reaction
• Know who they are

Disadvantages of ftf

• Interviewer effects
• High cost ($ and time)
• Geographic dispersion
• Not anonymous

Advantages of internet

• Can get large geographic region/cross-national
• Very large samples possible
• Low cost
• Little human input needed
• Anonymity?
• Avoid researcher bias
• Can use multiple languages and/or have links to more information

Disadvantages of internet

• Population may be biased
• Honesty
• Response solicitation
• Motivation
• Anonymity?
• Requires some technical skill/equipment
• Get less detailed answers
• No knowledge of who is answering and under what conditions

Issues in choosing a method

• Type of sampling
• Type of population
• Question format
• Question content
• Response rate needed