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

通过拆分问卷设计缩短调查长度：不答复和测量误差的后果

• 批准号: 1259985
• 负责人: Emilia Peytcheva
• 金额: $ 58万
• 依托单位: Research Triangle Institute
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-10-01 至 2018-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1259985&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Reduction; Survey; Length; through; Split

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.

社会科学的许多研究和政府政策的制定都依赖于调查数据，并且对调查数据的需求持续增长。 对更多数据的需求导致调查时间更长，增加了调查受访者的时间和精力负担。 经验证据表明，调查长度与调查无答复之间存在正相关关系，这威胁到了调查估计的代表性。 还有证据表明，随着受访者在调查中被要求回答更多问题，测量（报告）误差也会增加。 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通过拆分问卷设计收集所有所需数据的能力，其中仅向受访者询问一部分问题。 该项目将使用多重插补方法来完成未向特定受访者询问的部分中的数据。 研究人员将扩展当前的插补方法以包括半参数和参数模型。 主要假设是，与部署完整问卷相比，分割问卷设计方法产生的估计偏差较小，甚至总误差也较小。该项目评估了一种方法，该方法本质上将完成调查的部分时间和精力从个人转移给研究人员。 它还评估了由于受访者负担减轻而收集更高质量数据的能力。 最后，该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。 研究结果将有助于为广泛的调查提供替代方法，改进分割问卷设计方法本身，并提供有关实施此类设计可能有益的情况的信息。