The Survey Kit
- Arlene Fink - UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
The kit that helped thousands of researchers and students do better survey research in the 90's has been completely updated and revised for the issues of the 21st century!
"The Survey Kit is an easy-to-understand, easy-to-follow, comprehensive guide for the novice survey researcher. In addition, it provides useful information about some qualitative research techniques such as interviews, focus groups, observational analysis, and content analysis. Pedagogical features in each volume such as checklists, reasonable resources needed, tips, and decision matrices help students focus on important aspects of the survey process and provide them with a sense of real life application. Detailed discussions of personal interviewing (survey and in-depth), focus group techniques, and risks and odds are welcome additions to the new volumes."
--Juanita M. Firestone, University of Texas, San Antonio
New to the Second Edition:
* Separate volumes on in-person interviews and telephone interviews
* Data management
* Literacy and language issues
* Qualitative survey research techniques, including focus group interviewing and content analysis
* Survey ethics, including the ethical principles to use in survey development and the characteristics of survey research misconduct
* Factorial design and conjoint analysis
* Cultural considerations
* Translation of interviews into other languages
* CAPI interviews
* Sample size and power
* Creating a complete code book
* The use of database management and statistical programs
* Internet surveys
* The characteristics of good web reporting
* A glossary in each volume
"What impressed me most is that the presentation of all the books is clear enough that I could use them both in a course and for independent study coursework. I often have doctoral students who want to do surveys for their dissertations, but who have not taken any coursework. I am confident that with some help, they could use the kit independently."
--Karen Evans Stout, Educational Policy & Administration, University of Minnesota
"Fink has compiled an orderly, accurate, developmentally logical approach to this frequently used method in the social sciences. She has presented the conceptual steps followed by examples; and, at the end of each chapter are questions and Web resources for the students. In addition to this clear scholarly presentation, the pedagogical features of the textbook are useful for classroom discussion and exercises as well as assignments."
--Kathy Sexton-Radek, Human Services, Elmhurst College
Besides the scholarship, what makes The Survey Kit so effective? The great learning aids! Each volume has checklists, warnings of what to avoid, examples of what works and what doesn't work, reasonable resources, and new for this edition, exercises with answers and a glossary at the end of each volume.
"Two of the most useful tools in the series are a section on 'Reasonable Resources' and how to plan for surveying. The series does a good job of outlining most everything in between, providing checklists for the user's convenience."
--Patrick R. Powaser, Personnel Psychology
In addition, The Survey Kit is effective for use with students:
"Students found the Survey Kit helpful as they developed their questionnaires in the Evaluation course. Some of these questionnaires later received more revisions and were used for their Thesis or Directed Research Project."
--Bonnie Rader, Family & Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach
"The Survey Kit is very well written, clear and concise, easy to read and yet carries a wealth of information. I and most of the students like the Survey Kit very much."
--Shanker Menon, University of Sarasota
"The Survey Kit is an easy-to-understand, easy-to-follow, comprehensive guide for the novice survey researcher. In addition, it provides useful information about some qualitative research techniques such as interviews, focus groups, observational analysis, and content analysis. Pedagogical features in each volume such as checklists, reasonable resources needed, tips, and decision matrices help students focus on important aspects of the survey process and provide them with a sense of real life application. Detailed discussions of personal interviewing (survey and in-depth), focus group techniques, and risks and odds are welcome additions to the new volumes."
