Reduction of Survey Length through Split Questionnaire Design: Consequences for Nonresponse and Measurement Error

社会科学的许多研究和政府政策的制定依赖于调查数据，对调查数据的需求继续增长。 由于需要更多的数据，调查时间更长，增加了调查对象在时间和精力方面的负担。 经验证据表明，调查长度和调查无答复之间存在正相关关系，这威胁到调查估计数的代表性。 也有证据表明，测量（报告）的错误增加，因为受访者被要求回答更多的问题在调查中。 然而，收集较少的变量可能无法满足特定研究的目标。 该研究项目通过实验评估了通过分裂问卷设计收集所有所需数据的能力，在该问卷设计中，受访者只被问到问题的一个子集。 该项目将使用多重插补方法来完成未要求特定答复者提供的部分数据。 研究人员将扩展目前的插补方法，包括半参数和参数模型。 主要的假设是，分裂问卷设计方法将产生更少的偏见，甚至更少的总错误估计相比，部署完整的questionnaire.This project evaluates a method that essentially transfers part of time and effort to complete the survey from the individual to the researcher. 它还评估了由于答卷人负担的减轻而收集更高质量数据的能力。 最后，本研究旨在扩展所采用的统计方法，以更好地保留数据的属性。 调查结果将有助于为各种调查提供一种替代方法，改进拆分式问卷设计方法本身，并提供关于在何种情况下实施此类设计可能有益的信息。

Much research in the social sciences and development of government policy relies on survey data, and the demand for survey data continues to grow. The need for more data has led to longer surveys, increasing the burden for survey respondents in terms of time and effort. Empirical evidence shows a positive correlation between survey length and survey nonresponse, which threatens the representativeness of the survey estimates. There also is evidence that measurement (reporting) error increases as respondents are asked to answer more questions in the survey. Collecting fewer variables may not satisfy a given study's objectives, however. This research project experimentally evaluates the ability to collect all desired data through a split questionnaire design in which respondents are asked only a subset of the questions. The project will use a multiple imputation method to complete the data in the sections that are not asked of particular respondents. The investigators' will extend current imputation methods to include semi-parametric and parametric models. The main hypothesis is that the split questionnaire design approach will yield estimates with less bias and even less total error compared to deploying the full questionnaire.This project evaluates a method that essentially transfers part of the time and effort to complete the survey from the individual to the researcher. It also evaluates the ability to collect higher quality data as a result of this reduction in respondent burden. Finally, the study aims to extend the employed statistical methods to better preserve the properties of the data. The results will help to provide an alternative methodology for a wide array of surveys, improve split questionnaire design methodology itself, and provide information regarding the circumstances under which implementing such designs can be beneficial.