Improving Survey Questions: Design and Evaluation / Edition 1

by Floyd J. Fowler

Overview

What is a good question? Although there are several potential sources for error in survey data, the validity of surveys is dependent upon the design of the question asked. This invaluable book shows how to word and format questions that will evoke the kind of answers for which they are designed and how to evaluate empirically survey questions. In addition, the book covers how to write good questions aimed at collecting information about objective facts and events, measuring subjective phenomena, some alternative methods for attacking common measurement problems, how to evaluate the extent to which questions are consistently understood and administered, and how to evaluate the data resulting from a set of questions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803945838
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/21/1995
Series:	Applied Social Research Methods , #38
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Floyd J. Fowler, Jr. is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received a Ph D from the University of Michigan in 1966. A Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston since 1971, he was Director of the Center for 14 years. Dr. Fowler is the author or co-author of four textbooks on survey methods, including Survey Research Methods, Improving Survey Questions, Standardized Survey Interviewing (with Mangione), and Survey Methodology (with Groves, Couper, Lepkowski, et. al), as well as numerous research papers and monographs. His recent work has focused on studies of question design and evaluation techniques and applying survey methods to studies of medical care.

Table of Contents

Questions as Measures
An Overview
Designing Questions to Gather Factual Data
Questions to Measure Subjective States
Some General Rules for Designing Good Survey Instruments
Presurvey Evaluation of Questions
Assessing the Validity of Survey Questions
Question Design and Evaluation Issues in Perspective

Editorial Reviews

Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was a popular and influential English composer and musician at the beginning of the 20th century, but passed into obscurity soon after his early death. Composer and conductor Self surveys his music and considers the reasons for its subsequent neglect. He also explores the impact Coleridge-Taylor, whose father was African, had on the African- American community, which he visited several times. Lists of works and recordings are included. Distributed in the US by Ashgate. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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