...Approaches to the Analysis of Survey Data March 2001 The University of Reading Statistical Services Centre Biometrics Advisory and Support Service to DFID © 2001 Statistical Services Centre, The University of Reading, UK Contents 1. Preparing for the Analysis 5 1.1 Introduction 5 1.2 Data Types 6 1.3 Data Structure 7 1.4 Stages of Analysis 9 1.5 Population Description as the Major Objective 11 1.6 Comparison as the Major Objective 12 1.7 When Weighting Matters 13 1.8 Coding 14 1.9 Ranking & Scoring 15 2. Doing the Analysis 17 2.1 Approaches 17 2.2 One-Way Tables 18 2.3 Cross-Tabulation: Two-Way & Higher-Way Tables 18 2.4 Tabulation & the Assessment of Accuracy 19 2.5 Multiple Response Data 20 2.6 Profiles 21 2.7 Looking for Respondent Groups 22 2.8 Indicators 23 2.9 Validity 25 2.10 Summary 26 2.11 Next Steps 26 © SSC 2001 – Approaches to the Analysis of Survey Data 3 4 © SSC 2001 – Approaches to the Analysis of Survey Data 1. Preparing for the Analysis 1.1 Introduction This guide is concerned with some fundamental ideas of analysis of data from surveys. The discussion is at a statistically simple level; other more sophisticated statistical approaches are outlined in our guide Modern Methods of Analysis. Our aim here is to clarify the ideas that successful...
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...ABSTRACT Survey research is believed to be well understood and applied by MIS scholars. It has been applied for several years, it is well defined, and it has precise procedures which, when followed closely,yield valid and easily interpretable data. Our assessment of the use of survey research in the MIS field between 1980 and 1990 indicates that this perception is at odds with reality. Our analysis indicates that survey methodology is often misapplied and is plagued by five important weaknesses: (1) single method designs where multiple methods are needed, (2) unsystematic and often inadequate sampling procedures,(3) low response rates, (4) weak linkages between units of analysis and respondents, and (5) over reliance on cross-sectional surveys where longitudinal surveys are really needed. Our assessment also shows thatthe quality of survey research varies considerably among studies of different purposes: explanatory studies are of good quality overall, exploratory and descriptive studies are of moderate to poor quality.This article presents a general framework for classifying and examining survey research and uses this framework to assess, review and critique the usage of survey research conducted in the past decade in the MIS field. In an effort to improve the quality of survey research, this article makes specific recommendations that directly address the major problems highlighted in the review. INTRODUCTION Science may be said to progress on its methods. The production...
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...COMPARING PERCEPTIONS OF THE SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN COURSE BRANDI N. GUIDRY University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 70504 DAVID P. STEVENS University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 70504 ABSTRACT Information Systems (IS) practitioners and educators have equal interest in the content of the Systems Analysis and Design Course (“SAD”). Previous research has examined instructors’ perceptions regarding the skills and topics that are most important in the teaching of the SAD course and the class time devoted to each. A similar assessment evaluated SAD course content from a practitioner perspective. Both studies used entropy calculations. A comparison of these studies is presented in this paper. For traditional topics, the group (either faculty or practitioner) with greater agreement believes the topic to be deserving of less class time. For structured and object-oriented topics, the group with the greater agreement also believes the topic to be of greater importance. This analysis demonstrates that practitioners and academics agree on approximately 40% of the SAD skills and knowledge areas. Keywords: Systems analysis and design, Structured analysis, Object-oriented analysis, Management Information Systems curricula, Entropy INTRODUCTION It is important that an education in Management Information Systems (MIS) is reflective of practices and techniques that are currently used in industry. Given the pace of technological innovation, there are ever-changing...
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...scope of international marketing research describe the procedure for undertaking international marketing research describe the techniques available for international marketing research plan a field research describe the techniques available for interview • identify and explain the various steps in analysis of field data and preparation of research report Structure 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Marketing Research : The Global Scene 14.3 The Scope of International Marketing Research 14.4 International Marketing Research Procedure 14.5 Techniques of International Marketing Research 14.6 Survey Research 14.7 Techniques of Interviewing 14.8 Analysis of Field Data 14.9 Preparation of Research Report 14.10 Summary 14.11 Self-assessment Questions 14.12 Further Rea dings 14.1 INTRODUCTION In international marketing, the marketer is faced with a dilemma of having too much data and too little information. There is plenty of global data from sources like the World Bank and other international bodies, but often a lack of specific information on countries and markets. In helping to reduce uncertainty around decision-making, precise information is the key. Whilst searching for opportunities globally, uncertainties arise due to four main factors: lack of knowledge of the existence of possible new market alternatives, the conditions internal and external to the firm which will determine the consequences of a new alternative, what consequences...
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...Ghulam Abbas Pass: 3 Introduction to Marketing Describe how a selected organisation or any other organisation uses marketing research to contribute to the development of its marketing plane. A definition of marketing research: "Marketing research is the systematic and objective search for, and analysis of, information relevant to the identification and solution of any problem in the field of marketing." The key words in this definition are; systematic, objective and analysis. Marketing research seeks to set about its task in a systematic and objective fashion. This means that a detailed and carefully designed research plan is developed in which each stage of the research is specified. Such a research plan is only considered adequate if it specifies: the research problem in concise and precise terms, the information necessary to address the problem, the methods to be employed in gathering the information and the analytical techniques to be used to interpret it. The market research brief: Marketing research can be concerned with any of a variety of aspects of the market: the product, sales, buyer behaviour, promotion, distribution, pricing, packaging, etc. Since the researcher cannot investigate everything about a market, he/she must be selective. The question remains as to how the researcher decides where to focus the study, and to what depth each issue should be investigated. The answer should lie in a document called the research brief. The research design is...
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...rate between 55%and 60% (University of Phoenix, 2011, BIMS, Inc. Part I). The company moral at BMIS has reached an all time low and management has not improved its relationship with employee’s .Could this be one of the reason behind the increasing turnover rate? There has also been an increased usage of paid time off (PTO). The purpose of this research analysis is to find a solution to the increasing turnover rate as well as help improve company moral and get divisions at BMIS back on track. Instrument Design The data collection instrument used in this analysis was a survey. A survey can be defined as a tool used to collect information by asking questions recording responses on individual opinions and attitudes. BMIS administered a survey to allow workers to express their views on the company and share some of their experiences working for BMIS. The population consisted of all current employees at BMIS. In the survey the employees were asked to rate working conditions, shift, hours, pay, job security, the quality of training, the relationships with their supervisor and if they were treated fairly. All surveys were anonymous and...
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...Ethical Considerations in Primary Research Summary: Primary research involves collecting data about a given subject directly from the real world. This section includes information on what primary research is, how to get started, ethics involved with primary research and different types of research you can do. It includes details about interviews, surveys, observations, and analysis. Contributors:Dana Lynn Driscoll, Allen Brizee Last Edited: 2012-09-21 10:05:43 Primary research is conducted all of the time--journalists use it as their primary means of reporting news and events; national polls and surveys discover what the population thinks about a particular political figure or proposal; and companies collect data on their consumer base and market trends. When conducting research in an academic or professional setting, you need to be aware of the ethics behind your research activity. Here are some specific points to consider: * You should have the permission of the people who you will be studying to conduct research involving them. * Not all types of research require permission—for example, if you are interested in analyzing something that is available publicly (such as in the case of commercials, public message boards, etc) you do not necessarily need the permission of the authors. * You don’t want to do anything that would cause physical or emotional harm to your subjects. This could be something as simple as being careful how you word sensitive or difficult...
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...Week 5 Learning Team; Conduct Research Part I, II, and III RES/351 April 22, 2013 Week 5 Learning Team; Conduct Research Part I, II, and III Introduction Best Buy is one of America’s most recognized stores, but may be the last in a dying breed of brick and mortar electronic retailers. Technology is the product which Best Buy built its products on (smart phones, tablets, laptops, computers, navigation systems, automobile sound systems, large screen televisions, wireless connections), but may also be one of the reasons the company is restructuring. “Best Buy Co., Inc. today confirmed that it has, as part of its Renew Blue transformation efforts, eliminated approximately $150 million in costs, including an approximate 400 person reduction in employee headcount at its headquarters” (VonWalter, 2013). One measure of the restructuring effort is to research the Best Buy client base to determine what is working well, and what could be improved upon. Research Problem and Purpose The purpose of this paper is not to answer the best practices for a Best Buy restructure, but to facilitate an approach to understating a demographic of Best Buys’ customer base.. The portable communications industry (laptops, tablets, smart phones) infiltrated business communities and societies around the globe in the 1990s. The technological advances associated with these devices have affected almost every aspect of daily life; social media, news media, entertainment...
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...an individual’s behavior and how those behaviors are shaped and affected by the societies they take part in. Sociologist use research methods such as participant observation and surveys to collect their data. In participant observation the researcher spends an extended amount of time in the research location, this is also known as field work (sociology.com, 2013). While at the location the researcher’s gathers information while directly interacting with the participants being observed. They immerse themselves into the culture to better understand the participants being studied. Surveys are another method used for social research. Surveys can gather a large amount of information from various types of sources to research a certain subject. Surveys can come in the form of questions or interviews. The ability of a survey to gather information, quickly, and without manipulation to the subject makes it philosophically justified. Today’s internet technology helps surveys reach even a broader audience to collect data. The World Wide Web allows the ability to take a survey anonymously; this perpetuates the individual to answer more truthfully, and without any external influence. (Jones, 2010) Cultural anthropology studies the variation of cultures among humans. Naturalistic observation and secondary analysis are two very common methods used in the research...
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...Research Process and Methodologies Study Guide Ebony McClain HCS/465-Health Care Research Utilization December 14, 2015 Dr. Donna M. Lewis Lee Research Process and Methodologies Study Guide Steps in Research Process There are a total of seven steps in the research process, which are the following: Identify the research problem, review information, clarify the problem, prepare the research proposal, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation and works cited report. Research Problem In order to first, define the problem, it is important to understand the problem thoroughly and having the capability of rearticulating the problem into terms that easily understood from another point of view. The research problem may be considered as a problem with the individual or the organization. Review Information Next, in the research process is reviewing the information related to the problem that has been identified. The researcher is responsible for investigating the problem further. Additional reviewing of sources are needed to gain more insight of the problem. During the second step of the research process, researchers should gain a better understanding of the extent of the underlying issue, anticipate how the problem will expand or decrease in the future, as well as identifying strategies to overcome the issue. Clarify problem Third, establishing a theory or in other words, clarifying the problem is important. In order to have a less confusing and...
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...QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS Introduction Suppose that we have carried out a survey on the effect of carrying out a management audit with three groups of nine participant institutions each i.e. small medium and large. Each group was given the same survey questions in questionnaire format and the answers from the scores were tagged between 0 and 20. What is to be done with the raw scores? There are two key types of measures that can be taken whenever we have a set of scores from participants in a given condition. First, there are measures of central tendency, which provide some indication of the size of average or typical scores. Second, there are measures of dispersion, which indicate the extent to which the scores cluster around the average or are spread out. Various measures of central tendency and of dispersion are considered next. For this assignment, a survey is the type of data collection method in consideration and how the results of that survey would be analysed. SURVEYS Surveys are a very popular form of data collection, especially when gathering information from large groups, where standardization is important. Surveys can be constructed in many ways, but they always consist of two components: questions and responses. While sometimes evaluators choose to keep responses “open ended,” i.e., allow respondents to answer in a free flowing narrative form, most often the “close-ended” approach in which respondents are asked to select from a range of...
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...telecom and the problems that it is facing in its operations in the Kuwaiti market. With this project we will clarify and resolve these problems by using various techniques. Viva is a telecom service provider, which is relatively new in Kuwait providing telecom products and services in order to satisfy the market’s needs. Yet, like any new company it faces many operational problems. These problems will be addressed and resolved through an analytical research study using surveys and computer software (SPSS) so that viva can overcome its current situation. We defined the problems facing viva telecom and formulated the research questions that would enable us to address and solve them properly. After acquiring primary and secondary information about the telecom company and based on the problems that we have defined we came up with hypothesis which we have tested and analyzed to come up with the solution that this telecom company is in need of. The solutions were derived from the results of the various data analysis methods that are conducted on the SPSS. After deriving the results, the solution is provided to Viva to implement in order to over...
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...Market Analysis Overview Whether you are starting a new business or launching a new product, conducting a marketing analysis is the first step in determining if there is a need or audience for your idea. Knowing the market's needs and how it is currently serviced provides you with key information that is essential in developing your product/service and marketing plan. Too often, businesses spend thousands of dollars launching a "new" idea with a limited market because of competition. The owner is forced to reevaluate his strategy and determine if there is room for another player. Although the quality of the product is critical, your development of the best product on the market will not necessarily correlate with the most sales. Up to 50 percent of a product's price can be for marketing. The company who wins the marketing game generally will capture the larger share of the market. For related information, see Identify Your Target Market. Conducting a market analysis will help you: 1. Prepare to enter a new market 2. Launch a new product/service 3. Start a new business At the completion of this exercise, you should be able to: • Explain the concepts of a marketing analysis • Determine if there is a need for your idea or product/service • Identify a new market • Analyze your current market • Gain a competitive advantage • Begin to establish a marketing plan Outline: I. Marketing Analysis - What Is It? Why Should You Do It? II...
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...illustrates the methodology used in this survey. 1. Research design 2.1 Quantitative analysis To find out the disparity in traditional media and new media or the characters of new media from the perspective of quantitative analysis have become the direction which most scholars study at present (Lu, 2009:1). Net-news credibility constitutes the primary factor influencing on the efficiency of net-news spread, but accurate quantitative measurement is out of essential importance, especially in China. Generally speaking, it is the respondents that determine the most appropriate method. Every research method has its superiority and inferior position (Babbie, 2004:112). According to Schroder et al. (2003: 205), quantitative analysis is often used to investigate "individual style and identity issues". In order to understand and explore audiences’ attitude and opinion to online news, quantitative analysis will be applied to this research. 2.2 Selection method 2.3.1 Interview or questionnaire? Questionnaire is one of the basic tools for quantitative analysis. According to Hansen, Cottle, Negrine and Newbold (1998:225-227), Questionnaire can be used to ‘collect data about current attitudes and opinions’ and to identify ‘who takes up these media and why’. The data that collected from a population of respondents can be used to ‘support to, or to negate hypotheses or propositions’, and sometimes only provide common information on ‘existing or changing patterns...
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.................................................................................. 3 2 Planning a survey................................................................................................................ 5 2.1 Defining research problem ........................................................................................... 5 2.2 Designing the survey.................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Qualitative versus Quantitative method ........................................................................ 7 2.4 Measurement methods ................................................................................................ 9 2.5 Reliability and validity ................................................................................................. 11 2.6 Sampling .................................................................................................................... 12 2.6.1 2.6.2 Non-probability sampling techniques ................................................................... 14 2.6.3 3 Probability sampling techniques .......................................................................... 13 Sample size, weighting and error ........................................................................ 15 Constructing a survey instrument...
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