Basic Marketing Research:

Using Microsoft Excel Data

Analysis, 2nd Edition

Alvin C. Burns Louisiana State University

Ronald F. Bush University of West Florida

Prentice Hall Publishers

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Chapter 7

Deciding on Your Survey

Data Collection Plan

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 Surveys

• A survey involves interviews with a large

number of respondents using a predesigned
questionnaire.

• Four basic survey methods:

– Person-administered surveys
– Computer-assisted surveys
– Self-administered surveys
– Mixed-mode (hybrid) surveys

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 Person-Administered Surveys
(Without Computer Assistance)
• A person-administered survey: is one in
which an interviewer reads questions,
either face-to-face or over the telephone,
to the respondent and records his or her
answers.

• Primary administration
method for many years until
development of
communications systems and
advancement in computer technology
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 Person-Administered Surveys
(Without Computer Assistance) cont.
• Advantages:
Advantages
• Feedback-Can answer questions
• Rapport-relating to another human
• Quality control-interviewer knows
who they are interviewing, if they
are answering questions, etc.
• Adaptability-can respond to
questions, make clarifications, etc.

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 Person-Administered Surveys
(Without Computer Assistance) cont.

• Disadvantages:
Disadvantages
• Humans make errors
• Slow speed
• High cost
• Interview evaluation: apprehensive
they are answering the question
“correctly.” Feel they are being
“evaluated.” Especially a problem
with sensitive topics such as hygiene,
finances, political opinions, etc.
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Situations Where Personal Interviewing is Preferred…See
Marketing Research Application 7.1 on page 201

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 Computer-Assisted Surveys

• A computer-assisted survey:
survey is one in
which computer technology plays an
essential role in the interview work.

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 Computer-Assisted Surveys

• Advantages:
Advantages
• Speed
• Error-free interviews
• Use of pictures, videos, and graphics
• Real-time capture of data
• Reduction of “interview evaluation”
concern in respondents

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 Computer-Assisted Surveys

• Disadvantages:
Disadvantages
• Technical skills required
• High set-up costs

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 Self-Administered Surveys

• A self-administered survey:
survey is one in
which the respondent completes the
survey on his or her own.

• Traditional “paper & pencil” survey

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 Self-Administered Surveys

• Advantages:
Advantages
• Reduced cost
• Respondents control pace at which
they answer
• No interview-evaluation apprehension

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 Self-Administered Surveys

• Disadvantages:
Disadvantages
• Respondent controls the survey; do
not send in on time, do not send in!
• Lack of monitoring: no one to explain
or encourage respondents
• High questionnaire requirements…it
must be perfect!

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 Mixed-Mode (Hybrid) Surveys

• Mixed-mode surveys: use multiple data

collection methods.

• It has become increasingly popular to

use mixed-mode surveys in recent
years.

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 Mixed-Mode (Hybrid) Surveys

• Advantages:
Advantages
• Multiple advantages to achieve data
collection goal…
• Example: May use online surveys to
quickly reach portion of population
with Internet access and may use
telephone calling to reach those
without Internet access.

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 Mixed-Mode (Hybrid) Surveys

• Disadvantages:
Disadvantages
• Mode affects response?
• Additional complexity.

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Data Collection Methods
Person-Administered

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Key Advantages and Disadvantages of
Data Collection Methods
Person-Administered

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Person-Administered Surveys
In-Home Interview
• Key Advantages:
– Conducted in the privacy of
the home, which facilitates
interviewer-respondent
rapport

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Person-Administered Surveys
In-Home Interview cont.
• Key Disadvantages:
– Cost per interview can be high
– Interviewers must travel to
respondent’s home
• Comment:
– Often much information per
interview is gathered

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Person-Administered Surveys
Mall-Intercept Interview
• Key Advantage:
– Fast and convenient data
collection method

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 Person-Administered Surveys
Mall-Intercept Interview cont.
• Key Disadvantages:
– Only mall patrons are interviewed
– Respondents may feel uncomfortable
answering the questions in the mall
• Comment:
– Mall-intercept company often has
exclusive interview rights for that mall

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Person-Administered Surveys
In-Office Interview
• Key Advantage:
– Useful for interviewing busy
executives

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 Person-Administered Surveys
In-Office Interview cont.
• Key Disadvantages:
– Relatively high cost per interview
– Gaining access is sometimes
difficult
• Comment:
– Useful when respondents must
examine prototypes or samples
of products
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 Person-Administered Surveys
Central Location Telephone Interview
• Key Advantages:
– Fast turnaround
– Good quality control
– Reasonable cost

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 Person-Administered Surveys
Central Location Telephone Interview cont.

• Key Disadvantage:
– Restricted to telephone
communication
• Comment:
– Long-distance calling is not a
problem

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Data Collection Methods
Computer Assisted

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Key Advantages and Disadvantages of
Data Collection Methods
Computer Assisted

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Computer-Administered Surveys
CATI
• Key Advantages:
– Computer eliminates human
interviewer error
– Simultaneous data input to
computer file
– Good quality control

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Computer-Administered Surveys
CATI
• Key Disadvantage:
– Setup costs can be high
• Comment:
– Losing ground to online
surveys and panels

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 Fully Computerized Surveys
(not online)
• Key Advantages:
– Respondent responds at his
or her own pace
– Computer data file results

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 Fully Computerized Surveys
(not online)
• Key Disadvantage:
– Respondent must have access
to a computer or be computer
literate
• Comment:
– Many variations and an
emerging data collection
method with exciting prospects
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 Fully Computerized Surveys
Online Questionnaire
• Key Advantages:
– Ease of creating and posting
– Fast turnaround
– Computer data file results

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 Fully Computerized Surveys
Online Questionnaire
• Key Disadvantage:
– Respondent must have access to the
Internet
– Who really answered the survey?

• Comment:
– Fastest growing data collection method;
very flexible; online; analysis available

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An Online Survey has the Disadvantage of Not Always Knowing Who
Answered the Survey!

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Data Collection Methods
Self Administered

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Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Data
Collection Methods – Self-Administered

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 Self-Administered Surveys
Group Self-Administered Survey
• Key Advantages:
– Cost of interviewer eliminated
– Economical for assembled
groups of respondents

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 Self-Administered Surveys
Group Self-Administered Survey cont.
• Key Disadvantage:
– Must find groups and secure
permission to conduct the
survey
• Comment:
– Prone to errors or self-
administered surveys good for
pretests or pilot tests
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 Self-Administered Surveys
Drop-Off Survey
• Key Advantages:
– Cost of interviewer eliminated
– Appropriate for local market surveys

• Key Disadvantage:
– Generally not appropriate for large-scale national
survey
• Comment:
– Many variations exist with respect to logistics and
applications

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 Self-Administered Surveys
Mail Survey
• Key Disadvantages:
– Low response rates
– Self-selection bias
– Slow
• Comment:
– Many strategies to increase
response rate exist
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 Choice of Survey Method
• In selecting a data collection mode, the
researcher balances quality against:
• The survey data collection time
horizon:
telephone, online, mall intercept

• The survey data collection budget:

mail & new online such as Insight
Express

• Incidence rate: Screen by online or

telephone
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 Choice of Survey Method

– Cultural/infrastructure
considerations:Scandinavia; dislike
strangers in homes..Canada is more
open. In India, <10% have phones

– Type of respondent interaction

required: verbal only: telephone; static
stimulus then can use mail or online;
nonstatic; online/mall/personal

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 Special Innovative Methods
for Special Situations

• Marketing research firms are devising

new, innovative methods of collecting
data for special situations.
• TNS NFO
• Affinova’s IDEA
• Go to www.affinova.com.

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