The Macro And Other Stuff Maven wrote: >From: Statistics Advisory Group (CDC-SAG) > >This is information for those who design >or choose questions for surveys. > >KEYWORD: Questionnaire design, opinion questions > >-----Original Message----- >From: Survey Research Methods Section of the ASA >[mailto:SRMSNET@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU] On Behalf Of social change >Sent: Monday, March 27, 2006 6:58 PM >To: SRMSNET@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU >Subject: neutral, don't know, in surveys > >Hi all > >I recently did some searching about the use of don't know and neutral in >surveys and found the following articles. Hope you all find these >useful. > >The "Don't Know", "Undecided", and "Neutral" Response Options >from statpac http://www.statpac.com/surveys/undecided-category.htm > >Coping with Ambivalence: The Effect of Removing a Neutral Option on >Consumer Attitude and Preference Judgments >Stephen M. Nowlis, Barbara E. Kahn, and Ravi Dhar >Journal of Consumer Research, volume 29 (2002), pages 319-334 >http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JCR/journal/contents/v29n3.html > >Middle Alternatives, Acquiescence, and the Quality of Questionnaire Data >Colm O'Muircheartaigh, Jon A. Krosnick, and Armin Helic >The Harris School, Working Paper Series: 01.3 >http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/About/publications/working%2Dpapers/abs >tract.asp?paper_no=01%2E3 ++++ >(if that doesn't work, >http://harrisschool.uchicago.edu/About/publications/working%2Dpapers/pdf >/wp_01_3.pdf ) > >Krosnick, J.A., et al. 2002. 'The Impact of "No Opinion' Response >Options on Data Quality-Non Attitude Reduction or an Invitation to >Satisfice?" Public Opinion Quarterly 66: 371-403. >http://are.berkeley.edu/~hanemann/ > >Jolene D. Smyth, Don A. Dillman, Leah Melani Christian, and Michael J. >Stern. 2005. >Comparing Check-All and Forced-Choice Question Formats in Web Surveys: >The Role of Satisficing, Depth of Processing, and Acquiescence in >Explaining Differences. >Social and Economic Science Research Center Technical Report 05-029. >Washington State University: Pullman. 30pp. >http://survey.sesrc.wsu.edu/dillman/papers.htm > >Stephen M. Nowlis, Barbara E. Kahn, and Ravi Dhar, "Indifference versus >Ambivalence: The Effect of a Neutral Point on Consumer Attitude and >Preference Measurement." Working Paper #00-022. >http://fourps.wharton.upenn.edu/ideas/wp_chronological.html > > >(and totally unrelated, but interesting.....) >Choi BCK, Pak AWP. A catalog of biases in questionnaires. Prev Chronic >Dis [serial online] 2005 Jan [date cited]. Available from: URL: >http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2005/jan/04_0050.htm . > >The Global Social Change Research Project >http://gsociology.icaap.org > >Free Resources in social research methods >http://gsociology.icaap.org/methods > >Applied Sociologist >Finding solutions for society.

I would also recommend the Sage University paper #63:

"Survey Questions: Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire" by Converse and Presser.

It's short (~80 pages), and written for the layperson.

David -- David L. Cassell mathematical statistician Design Pathways 3115 NW Norwood Pl. Corvallis OR 97330

_________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/