Steps of Survey

The steps of a survey are
1. Formulation of the Statement of Objectives.
2. Selection of a survey frame.
3. Determination of the sample design.
4. Questionnaire design.
5. Data collection.
6. Data capture and coding.
7. Editing and imputation.
8. Estimation.
9. Data analysis.
A brief description of each step follows:
1: Formulation of the Statement of Objectives
One of the most important tasks in a survey is to formulate the Statement of Objectives. This establishes not
only the survey’s broad information needs, but the operational definitions to be used, the specific topics to be
addressed and the analysis plan.
This step of the survey determines what is to be included in the survey and what is to be excluded.
2: Selection of a Survey Frame
The survey frame provides the means of identifying and contacting the units of the survey population. The frame is in the form of a list.
For example: - A physical list such as a data file, computer printout or a telephone book;
a conceptual list, for example a list of all vehicles that enter the parking lot of a shopping centre Between 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on any given day, a geographic list in which the units on the list correspond to geographical areas and the units within the geographical areas are households, farms, businesses, etc.
3:Determination of the Sample Design
Des Raj. (1972) there are two kinds of surveys:
Sample Surveys and Census Surveys.
In a sample survey, data are collected for only a fraction (typically a very small fraction) of units of the
population while in a census survey; data are collected for all units in the population.
Two types of sampling exist
Non-Probability Sampling and Probability Sampling:
Non-probability sampling provides a fast, easy and inexpensive way of selecting units from the population but uses a subjective method of selection. In order to make inferences about the population from a non-probability sample, the data analyst must assume that the sample is representative of the population.
Probability sampling is more complex, takes longer and is usually more costly than non probability sampling. It is a type of sampling in which selection is on chance that each sampling unit has a known probability of including in a sample.
4: Questionnaire Design
A questionnaire or form is a group or sequence of questions designed to obtain information on a subject from a respondent. Questionnaires play a central role in the data collection. Questionnaires can either be in paper or computerized format.
Questionnaire types
1. Closed-Ended Questions: Closed-ended questions limit the answers of the respondents to response options
provided on the questionnaire.
•Advantages: time-efficient; responses are easy to code and interpret; ideal for quantitative type of research
•Disadvantages: respondents are required to choose a response that does not exactly reflect their answer; the
researcher cannot further explore the meaning of the responses
2. Open-Ended Questions: In open-ended questions, there are no predefined options or categories included. The participants should supply their own answers.
•Advantages: participants can respond to the questions exactly as how they would like to answer them; the researcher can investigate the meaning of the responses; ideal for qualitative type of research
•Disadvantages: time-consuming; responses are difficult to code and interpret
Problems faced during questionnaire design include
Deciding what questions to ask, how to best word them and how to arrange the questions to yield the
information required. The goal is to obtain information in such a way that survey respondents understand the
questions and can provide the correct answers easily in a form that is suitable for subsequent processing and analysis of the data.
5:Data Collection
Data collection is the process of gathering the required information for each selected unit in the survey. The basic methods of data collection are self-enumeration, where the respondent completes the questionnaire without the assistance of an interviewer, and interviewer-assisted (either through personal or telephone interviews).
6: Data Capture and Coding
After the data are collected, they are coded and, if a computer-assisted collection method was not used,
captured. Coding is the process of assigning a numerical value to responses to facilitate data capture and processing in general. Data capture and coding are expensive and time-consuming activities that are critical to data quality since any errors introduced can affect the final survey results.
Editing and Imputation
Editing is the application of checks to identify missing, invalid or inconsistent entries that point to data records
that are potentially in error. The purpose of editing is to better understand the survey processes and the survey
data in order to ensure that the final survey data are complete, consistent and valid. Edits can range from simple manual checks performed by interviewers in the field to complex verifications performed by a computer program.
Imputation is a process used to determine and assign replacement values to resolve problems of missing, invalid or inconsistent data .Although imputation can improve the quality of the final data.
8: Estimation
Once the data have been collected, captured, coded, edited and imputed, the next step is estimation.
Estimation is the means by which the statistical agency obtains values for the population of interest so that it can draw conclusions about that population based on information gathered from only a sample.
9:Data Analysis
Data analysis involves summarizing the data and interpreting their meaning in a way that provides clear answers to questions that initiated the survey. Data analysis should relate the survey results to the questions and issues identified by the Statement of Objectives. An estimate may be a total, mean, ratio, percentage, etc. Data analysis may be restricted to the survey data alone or it may compare the survey’s estimates with results obtained from other surveys or data sources.