Friday, February 25, 2011

De Vaus: Chapter 1: The Nature of Surveys


 

What Is a Survey?


-          Distinguishing feature:


o   Form of data

o   Method of analysis


-          Form of data


o   Rectangular set of data

o   Variable by case grid

o   Technique to generate data can vary

o   Unit of analysis need not be people


-          Method of Analysis


o   Causes of phenomena

o   Description

o   Locate causes by comparing cases

o   Compare with other methods

§  Case study

§  Experimental method

·         Creates intervention

·         Survey studies naturally occurring variation


-          Quantitative and Qualitative Research


o   Structured data / unstructured data

§  Systematic data


o   Analyzing data à logic of analysis


§  Logic of survey analysis

·         Variation in one variable matched with variations in other variables

·         Co variation

·         Not an inherently statistical concept

·         Causal analysis

 

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