Surveys and Questionnaires

Question 1

Surveys

Answer 1

composed of a series of questions that are posed to a group of subjects

Question 2

T/F surveys can be conducted as a written or electronic questionnaire

Answer 2

True

Can also be conducted as an oral interview

Question 3

Questionnaires

Answer 3

Structured surveys, self administered

Question 4

Advantages of surveys and questionnaires

Answer 4

generally more efficient than interviews because respondents complete on their own time

data can be gathered from a large sample in a wide geographical distribution in a short time

standardized written forms used to reduce potential bias from interactions with the interviewer

particularly useful for assessing attitudes/values

Question 5

disadvantages of surveys and questionnaires

Answer 5

not as useful for studying behavior that require objective observation

potential for misunderstanding or misinterpreting questions or responses

accuracy or motivation of respondent unknown

Question 6

Major concerns of surveys and questionnaires

Answer 6

1. Low Return Rate
   - 60-80% excellent
   - 30-60% for most studies
2. Self Report
   - researcher doesn’t directly observe behavior

• always some potential for bias
• subject to recall bias when asked to remember past events
• generally valid for variables such as injury, mobility function, etc.
• only direct way to obtain information for perceptions, fears, motivations, and attitudes

Question 7

Design of surveys

Answer 7

1. identify questions
2. formulate hypothesis
3. develop a questionnaire outline
4. review any existing instruments
5. design the instrument
6. preliminary drafts
7. pilot testing and revisions

Question 8

Open ended questions

Answer 8

ask respondents to answer in their own words

useful for asking for feelings/opinions without bias by researcher

used in pilot study to determine range or responses, then converted to MC item

difficult to code and analyze

Question 9

Closed end questions

Answer 9

should be exhaustive and mutually exclusive

provide MC questions

easily coded and provide great uniformity across responses

doesn’t allow respondents to express their own personal viewpoints

Question 10

ordinal scales

Answer 10

used with ordinal variables:
pain measured by min, mod, severe
function by min assist, mod, max, dependent

Question 11

Systematic review

Answer 11

uses explicit methods to identify, select, appraise, and synthesize results

Question 12

Narrative review

Answer 12

good source of information on background of a specific topic

doesn’t include a detailed description of methods/criteria used to select/evaluate articles

Question 13

Meta analysis

Answer 13

synthesizes results as part of a systematic review

uses quantitative methods to develop single overall estimate of intervention effect

Question 14

Types of bias

Answer 14

selection
performance
attrition
detection

Question 15

Forest plots

Answer 15

results for meta analysis

what is direction of effect?
what is size of effect?
whether effects are consistent across studies