While pilot surveys form a vital component of survey design, as discussed in the previous chapter, several other aspects of survey design must be considered before a pilot survey can actually be administered. This chapter will describe particular aspects of the administration of various types of survey including the roles of recruitment and training of interviewers, pre-publicity, field supervision and follow-up validation procedures. It will then provide some more specific comments with respect to the five major types of survey described earlier in Chapter 3.2 (viz., self-completion, personal interview, intercept surveys, telephone surveys, and in-depth surveys).
This chapter on Survey Administration covers the following topics:
7.1 GENERIC PROCEDURES FOR SURVEY ADMINISTRATION
7.1.1 Recruitment of Survey Staff
7.1.2 Survey Staff Training
7.1.3 Pre-Publicity
7.1.4 Survey Execution and Monitoring
7.1.5 Follow-up and Validation Procedures
7.1.6 Confidentiality
7.1.7 Response Rates
7.2 ADMINISTRATION OF SELF-COMPLETION SURVEYS
7.2.1 The Use of a Reminder Regime
7.2.2 Validation Methods
7.2.3 Sponsorship of Survey
7.2.4 Consideration of Respondents
7.2.5 Use of Incentives
7.2.6 Covering Letter
7.2.7 Use of Comments Section
7.2.8 Provision of a Phone-in Service
7.2.9 Preparation of Questionnaires for Mailing
7.2.10 Type of Postage Used
7.2.11 Response Rates
7.3 ADMINISTRATION OF PERSONAL INTERVIEW SURVEYS
7.3.1 Use of a Robust Interview Regime
7.3.2 Training of Interviewers
7.3.3 Checking of Interviews
7.3.4 Satisfactory Response Rate
7.3.5 Correct Asking of Questions
7.3.6 Number of Interviewer Call-Backs
7.4 ADMINISTRATION OF TELEPHONE INTERVIEW SURVEYS
7.4.1 Sampling
7.4.2 Dealing with Non-Response
7.4.3 Improving Data Quality
7.4.4 Other Aspects of Administration
7.5 ADMINISTRATION OF INTERCEPT SURVEYS
7.5.1 Sampling
7.5.2 Training of Staff
7.5.3 Other Administrative Details
7.6 ADMINISTRATION OF IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW SURVEYS
7.6.1 Organisation of "Pre-Interviews"
7.6.2 Preparation for the Main Interview
7.6.3 Training
7.6.4 Preparation of Questionnaires/Data
7.6.5 Time and Resources for Transcriptions
7.6.6 Report Writing
7.7 COMPUTERS AND THE CONDUCT OF TRAVEL SURVEYS
7.7.1 Survey Design and Management
7.7.2 Data Collection