Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
questionnaire for two studies, I used my knowledge of the culture, reflected in
cultural terms and expressions, the way questions were phrased, and the content
of the questions. A pilot phase was necessary to eliminate all types of errors,
including vague and misleading questions, inappropriate response categories,
excessive size, and poor print quality. I also had to send out three waves of ques-
tionnaires to improve the response rate. Additional statistical work was neces-
sary to account for sample bias in the returns and to resolve a number of other
problems. I then compared the results of these questionnaires and tests with my
descriptive findings. The descriptive findings were useful in explaining the
questionnaire results, and the questionnaire results provided some insight into
the wide range of certain attitudes.
Online surveys and questionnaires provide an efficient way to document the
views of large groups in a short period of time. The questions are posted on
the Web, including
yes/no,
all that apply, open-ended, and 5-point Likert scale
questions. Respondents are notified about the location of the survey on the
Web (with a specific URL), enter their responses, and submit their survey
online. The results are automatically calculated. The responses are often visu-
ally represented in a bar chart or similar graphic display as soon as the data are
entered (see Figure 3.3). This saves the ethnographer from the initial mailing
costs, time-consuming and expensive postal reminders, and the expense
of data entry concerning all the submitted surveys. Ethnographers can help
computer-phobic respondents or those who do not have access to a computer
or the Internet complete the survey and enter their responses in the same
online database if necessary (see Best & Harrison, 2009; Flick, 2009).
There are also many other ways to conduct surveys, ranging from PDAs to
wireless polling devices. One of the benefits of wireless polling devices
(where people use a hand-held instrument to record their answers and the
results are immediately tabulated and visible) is the immediacy and trans-
parency of the tool. Participants can see and share their responses in real time.
The approach provides an excellent vehicle to launch focus group discussions.
Individuals are also able to compare their answers with the group and (if com-
fortable) discuss their reasons for a specific response.
The credibility of survey findings (hard copy or online) depends on the
response rate. Response rates refer to the percentage of people who complete
a survey. There are many ways of increasing the response rate, ranging from
keeping the survey short (to reduce the respondent burden) to offering incen-
tives. In general, the higher the response rate, the better the credibility is (see
Fink, 2008).
Questionnaires have their place in ethnographic research: They are an effi-
cient means of large-scale data collection. Despite all precautions, however,
the methodological problems associated with questionnaire use—including
