Public Opinion Polls and Survey Research: A Selective Annotated Bibliography of U. S. Guides & Studies From the 1980s by Graham R. Walden

Author:Graham R. Walden [Walden, Graham R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781135786106
Google: KL0JBAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-07-16T12:58:18+00:00

11.5 MISCELLANEOUS

204.

Bishop, George F., Robert W. Oldendick, and Alfred J. Tuchfarber. “Effects of Presenting One Versus Two Sides of an Issue in Survey Questions.” Public Opinion Quarterly 46, no. 1 (Spring 1982): 69–85.

The research concerns whether it is appropriate to ask a simple question with no alternative provided or whether the alternative is necessary to generate a realistic picture of public opinion. The authors set up means to determine the effects of one-sided questions versus questions with two sides of the issue presented. Prior research by many different survey researchers indicates that providing a second substantive alternative reduces the percentage of respondents who will choose the first alternative from a single-sided form. The authors found that it is no easy challenge to decide what the alternative or other side of each issue should be. The question form effects depend upon the respondents’ educational level. In the view of the article researchers, theory building in the form of an information-processing model of the survey instrument is the way to more adequately deal with form challenges (rather than attempting further methodological improvements). The data gathered reinforces many previous findings that survey results can vary greatly depending upon question wording and format. Study data and question formats are displayed in four tables. Complete question variations employed are found in the appendix. There are twenty-one references, five of which are from the 1980s.

205.

Converse, Jean M., and Stanley Presser. Survey Questions: Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire. Sage University Paper series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, edited by John L. Sullivan, and Richard G. Niemi, no. 63. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1986. 80p.

Focusing on research, exploration, and pretesting, this volume is designed for practitioners and teachers of survey research. Emphasis is placed on face-to-face and telephone interviewing situations, rather than on written questionnaires. The book is directed primarily toward the general public rather than the well-educated or “intensely motivated” individual. The volume is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1 explores the art and experience elements, covering what the authors describe as a “litany of cautions,” including the “enduring counsel for simplicity.” The next chapter reviews the empirical findings, discussing topics such as using specific questions, question order, and the “no opinion” option. Chapter 3 reviews pilot work and pretesting (including strategies, purposes, and phrases). A call to heed the advice of available experts—namely critics, colleagues, and interviewers—is suggested. Converse and Presser believe that each survey must be “custom-built” to the needs of each research project, employing the guidelines developed from both the artistic and the social scientific means available, as well as with practical guidance from experienced researchers. Four pages of references are provided.

206.

Gilbert, D.A. “Creating an Index of Public Opinion Questions.” Behavioral & Social Sciences Librarian 3, no. 4 (Summer 1984): 77–80.

The reasoning behind the compilation of the American Public Opinion Index (APOI) is considered. The APOI collects the questions used for scientifically drawn samples of the general public. The results must be available to any researcher for inclusion in the annually produced volume.

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