Sage Research Methods - Types of Error in Surveys

Overview

This section presents the latest methodological knowledge on survey research methods, specifically focusing on types of error in surveys. It is a chapter from Floyd J. Fowler's "Survey Research Methods (4th ed.)" and provides a foundation for evaluating survey data's precision, accuracy, and credibility.

Types of Error

Surveys aim to produce statistics about a target population by inferring characteristics from a sample. This involves two main types of inferences and errors:

• Types of Inferences:

  • Inferring characteristics of the target population from sample responses.

• Types of Errors:

  • Bias: Systematic error that affects the accuracy of survey results.
  • Variability: Random error that impacts the precision of survey measurements.

Goals of Survey Methodology

• Minimize Error: Techniques and strategies to reduce errors in survey data collection.
• Measure Error: Understand and quantify the errors present in survey results.

Chapters Overview

Chapters 3 through 9 provide detailed strategies for minimizing and measuring survey errors. Understanding these chapters is crucial for comprehending survey methodology.

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Keywords

• Errors
• Estimates
• Population
• Population Characteristics
• Surveying
• True Scores

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