Survey Data Collection and Processing - Sampling Spatial Units for Agricultural Surveys - page 223

manual is the principal, and sometimes only, source of informa-
tion that the interviewer has. It typically contains the following issues (Statistics
Canada 2010 ):

The surveyors

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• General s purpose and importance. This section

describes the intended uses of the data and rules for data collection (confiden-
tiality, language of the interviewer), and has a copy of the introductory letter sent
to respondents. It may discuss the sample selection procedure.
• Introduction: explains how to establish the first contact with respondents, how to
ensure that the right respondent has been contacted, and how to verify or correct
the frame information.
• Questionnaire content: a copy of the questionnaire(s) and definitions of the
survey concepts and terminology.
• Edits of questionnaires: rules applied to identify missing, invalid, or inconsistent
data. Surveyors are sometimes required to perform edits during the interview
and the rules for these must be clearly described.
• Individual unit management: discusses what to do for edit failures and
nonresponse follow-ups. Defines the number of attempts that should be made
to obtain a response, and how to assign a final code to each form (for example,
completed questionnaire or refusal).
• Administrative details: how to report progress, how to return questionnaires,
how surveyors are paid, which equipment has been distributed, and how to return
equipment.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): a list of common questions posed by the
respondent with possible answers.

information : the survey '

An example of a manual containing the instructions for surveyors is that of the
LUCAS 2012 survey, an agri-environmental point frame survey (see Sect. 2.3.2 ,
Eurostat 2013 ). It is divided into sections that deal with the following topics:
• General implementation describes the survey

' s aim and importance, and has an

introduction with a description of the survey.
• Questionnaire content contains the information to be collected and recorded in
the field. It provides explanations on the structure of the field form and a basic
definition and description of each item.
• Equipment and materials describes the blank field forms, classifications, sur-
veyors instructions, decision trees and annex documents, orthophotos, topo-

graphic maps, GPS and battery, and compass.
• Preparatory work explains the initial work that the surveyor must complete
before going out into the field, which requires an up to date road map to find the
most suitable access to the point and a GPS. The surveyor needs to identify any
problems or obstacles, and so a list of possible problems and solutions is given.
• Approaching the point in the field explains how to reach the point to be surveyed.
General and difficult cases are described such as points located in a forbidden
zone and/or inaccessible, points not visible, and points where no photo-
interpretation is feasible.

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