DESIGNING YOUR SAMPLE
CSR helps you decide on a sample size that suits your study objectives, design, and budget. We offer:
- Random-Digit-Dialing Samples
- Computer-generated telephone numbers targeted to your study area produce representative samples of residential households, including both listed and unlisted numbers
- Targeted Samples - CSR can design your sample to increase the chances of reaching the population subgroups of interest to your study.
- Listed Samples Sometimes the most cost-effective route to a good sample is from a list that you supply or that CSR obtains for you.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MODE OF DATA COLLECTION
CSR can advise on the most productive and cost-effective method of collecting your data: telephone, mail, electronic, or in-person. We ensure scientific validity for your study by helping to specify procedures for selecting respondents within households, securing cooperation, and following up incomplete interviews or questionnaires.
INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT
- Writing Questions - CSR can write questions for you or assist you in drafting your own. We ensure that the responses to your questions provide the information necessary to your study.
- Scales and Measures - CSR will help you determine the best question formats to measure people's opinions, experiences, attitudes, and behavior.
- Question Order - We can advise you on proper sequencing of items, a critical design feature for maintaining objectivity and ensuring that respondents understand your study.
- Sensitive Questions - Several effective strategies may be employed to elicit confidential or personal information that may be crucial to your study.
- Pre-Testing - Before a survey is implemented, CSR will test your instrument in the field.
- Revisions - We will then work with you to eliminate any problems with questionnaire design, wording, definition of terms, response categories, programming, sequencing, or timing.
