Chapter 4:Explicit Reports

An Introduction to Scientific Research Methods in Geography

As Reviewed by:Michelle Guzdek

GEOG 4020

Prof. Sutton

2/1/2010

Learning Objectives & Discussion Questions What are general properties and specific types of

explicit reports? What are options for formatting explicit-report

items? What are options for administering explicit reports,

and what are some consequences of the different options?

What are some ways to design and generate explicit-report instruments?

What are characteristics fo the U.S. census and the data it produces?

What are basic limitations of explicit reports as a type of research data?

Explicit Reports

Explicit reports are one of the most flexible and popular types of data collection in human geography.

Includes surveys, interviews, and tests. Can request different types of beliefs:

Behaviors Knowledge Opinions Attitudes Expectations Intentions Experiences Demographic Characteristics.

Explicit Reports (cont.)

Request responses that cannot readily be judged as right or wrong

Responses are personal opinions or preferencesCan be characterized as common or

unusualCan be related to other variables such

as demographics

Major Types of Explicit Report Instruments Surveys, questionnaires Interviews Sociometric ratings Activity diaries, logs Contingent valuation Focus groups Protocol analysis Tests

Survey

Require respondents to answer questions about their opinions, attitudes and preferences

Interview

Collect the same types of information as surveys but are administered and responded to orally

Sociometric Ratings

Subtype of survey Opinions or beliefs expressed by

members of small groups, such as families or carpool groups, about each of the other members of the group

Particularly valuable for studying small-group structure and dynamics

Activity Diary or Log

Subtype of survey Requires

respondents to record what they do on a regular basis Transportation

survey Shopping survey

Contingent Valuation

Subtype of survey Requires people to rate or rank how

much they value something Commonly used in studies of how

people value particular landscapes or environmental actions

Ratings of values are expressed in dollars or units such as hours or miles

Focus Groups

Unstructured interviews carried out with a small group of respondents

Discuss a particular topic and led by a facilitator or moderator

Protocol Analysis

Open-ended interview in which people “think aloud” about the contents of their conscious mind while reasoning about some problem or issue

Tests

Require participants to respond to questions that can be assessed as right or wrong

Typically scored for accuracy, including number or size of errors, in order to generate the data

Format of Explicit Reports

All explicit reports ask people to respond to something

A specific survey, interview or test is called an instrument

The specific questions or statements that make it up are called items Closed-ended items – finite number of

answers Open-ended items – do not provide specific

response options for respondents

Major Types of Closed-Ended Items

Rating scales Forced-choice alternatives Ranking of alternatives Adjective or activity checklist Paired or triadic comparisons Sorting task

Rating Scales

Respondents provide a number or mark a line to indicate the amount or extent of something, including degree of belief they have in somethingGenericSemantic differentialLikert scalesPaired comparison ratings

Which Type to Use

Rating Scale Example

Image Source: http://gravitasfreezone.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/happy-sad-faces.jpg

Forced-Choice Alternatives Examples

Administration of Explicit Reports

Considerations for determining best way to administer explicit reportsCostNumber and nature of itemsResponse ratePotential for follow-upNature of respondentsPossible interviewer artifacts

Designing and Generating Explicit Instruments Avoid confusing, biased, and ambiguous

wording by using clear and unambiguous language, understood consistently by all respondents

Items need to be unidimensional – they need to only ask one thing

Avoid biased and emotionally charged wording

Avoid unnecessary questions Don’t make survey too long

U.S. Census

Image Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8497275.stm

An Important Secondary Source of Explicit Report Data

A census is a count of the number of people in a country and an assessment of their characteristics

Carried out by national governments Provide an important source of

explicit-report data for geographers Answers to census questions vary

both spatially and temporally

U.S. Census Questions

Hierarchy of standard geographic units for dissemination 2006 Census of

Canada

Obtaining Census Data - ESRI

http://arcdata.esri.com/data/tiger2000/tiger_download.cfm

Limitations of Explicit Reports

To believe that all explicit report data are completely true and accurate would be naïve

Limits of memory are clearly importantPeople forget!

Language limitations

References

AlterNetRides (2010). http://alternetrides.com/Home_Rides.asp?width=1280&height=772

Ride Share Program where you can log your daily commute Statistics Canada (2010). Hierarchy of standard geographic units for

dissemination, 2006 Census http://geodepot.statcan.ca/2006/180506051805140305/03150707/1908151820_181905_05-eng.jsp;jsessionid=D747B9C5B71264376CF206316F497AB6?GEO_LEVEL=null&ABBRV=null&REFCODE=10&LANG=E&FILENAME=HierarchyFigure&TYPE=null

Survey Monkey (2010). http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurveys.aspx U.S. Census Bureau 2010.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/how/interactive-form.php

U.S. Census Bureau (2010). Census 2000 Geographic Definitions. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/geo_defn.html

Waddington, H. (2000). Types of survey questions. In  B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from

http://coe.sdsu.edu/eet/Articles/surveyquest/start.htm