Author Description

The fourth edition has been updated in four primary ways: it much more prominently addresses the growth of the Internet for data collection and the subsequent rapid expansion of online survey usage; it addresses the precipitous drop in response rates for telephone surveys, particularly those based on random-digit dialing; it offers new and expanded coverage monitoring the continued improvement in techniques for presurvey evaluation of questions; and it addresses the growing role of individual cell phone in addition--and often instead of--household landlines. Two new chapters, "The nature of error in surveys" and "Issues in analyzing survey data," further emphasize the importance of minimizing nonsampling errors through superior question design, quality interviewing, and high response rates. Key features: covers the expansion of cell phone use and legislation regarding them (this offers survey researchers guidance as to policy implications and practical application); expands the coverage of web-based and online surveys as well as the latest resources available to the beginning and expert researcher; offers in-depth discussion of non-response and sample size issues, especially as they relate to power; focuses on data analysis, especially with regard to bivariate and multivariate approaches. The author walks students and researchers through the various types of analyses one would do once the data are ready to analyze and provides a list of strengths and weaknesses for each of the different types of survey data collection, including the more recent web-based approaches. Includes updated references and survey examples that offer various levels of students and researchers other exemplary literature and models.