http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Introduction to the ESRC Question Bank and ESRC Survey Link Scheme

Julie Lamb and Martin BulmerDepartment of Sociology

University of Surrey

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Aims of the presentation

• Introduction • The Question Bank – a brief

introduction• Advantages and disadvantages of

using available questions• The Survey Link Scheme

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

What is the Qb?

• Established in 1996 when there were few online survey resources and questionnaires were often hard to find.

• 1995 – 2005 part of Centre for Applied Social Surveys

• Now a stand alone resource funded by ESRC at the University of Surrey

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Who is it for?

• Aimed at;• Researchers devising survey questions• Secondary data analysts• Teachers and students of research methods

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Qb Key Aims

1. Bridge the gap of understanding between survey professionals and academic researchers;

2. Provide standardised quantitative measures of key variables;

3. Capture key survey instruments; and4. Be freely available online (no

registration)

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

What material do we hold?

– Questionnaires from important social surveys

– Question background material– Commentary on topics and concepts– NO DATA!

• Three main areas of the site;– Surveys– Topics– Resources

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Surveys

• 58 surveys covering wide topic range• 1991 onwards• National probability samples• Linked to data sets at UK Data

Archive• Overviews and resources

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Questionnaires

• All in original format• CAPI• PDF files for easy download• Chunked for easy navigation• Related material, e.g. diaries,

advance letters

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Topics

• 22 Key social science topic areas• Commentary on social measurement

in those areas• Key Variables chapters• ESDS resources• Links• Bibliographies

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Resources

• All about the QB! (User Guide)• CAPI explained • Harmonisation Booklets• Survey Link Scheme• Teaching presentations• Contact details

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Searching the QB

• 40,000 pages, 58 Surveys, 22 Topics

= A lot of material !! • Three strategies

– Surveys menu (going directly to the required file)

– Topics menu– The Search Engine

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

The Search Engine

– Indexes entire site everyday and creates a database for user to search

– Searches HTML and PDF documents– Highlights ALL keywords– Directs you to the file (you need Adobe Reader)

-Search by Year and Survey if desired

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Priorities for Nov 2005 – Aug 08

• Updating and expansion of existing content• Work to enhance the Topic area of the site• Include a limited selection of European surveys• Research into how CAPI should be represented• Research into the effects on users of the DDI (nb

– Qb has now joined the DDI alliance)• Continue to outreach to UK and International

academic and research communities

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Uses of questions

– Ready-made questions– Traceable route – from analysis

back to questions– Check for validity and reliability of

questions – Use existing questions to develop

concepts

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Using Questions…

• Examples of Question use by researchers:– Locating specific variable in a dataset– Taking example of questions from

existing surveys– Finding out about a survey not carried

out in your department / research area– Tendering for a survey / applying for

funding– Responding to queries from policy

makers / customers

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Advantages

• The questions are likely to be good indicators of the original measurement concept, and include response categories

• Look at the show cards, advance letters, survey design and so on

• Comparisons to other surveys in the field• Savings in terms of;

– Costs – no developers needed– Time – researching and testing– No pilot testing needed of individual questions (still of

the whole questionnaire though)• In many cases you can see the response rates to

the question using NESSTAR

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Disadvantages

• Might not find exactly what you need (or may measure wrong concept)

• Context within the Blaise questionnaire (routing)

• Need a very good understanding of the original context (takes time to read and find)

• Copyright issues (especially with instruments)

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

What does a CAPI questionnaire look like on paper?

• Blaise codes either left in or taken out – If left in the questions are difficult to

follow– If taken out there is no way for the

researcher to see the routing

• Most research reports with a questionnaire at the back have a modified version of the Blaise codes

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Using the Qb: Summary

• Readily accessible bank of questions• Entire surveys available for download• Questions

– Process of operationalisation already proofed

– Benchmarked officially– Tried and tested in the field– Chunked ready for download

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Feedback

• Help us to develop the Qb resource• Online user survey• Contact us: qb@surrey.ac.uk• Join the mailing list!

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

The Survey Link Scheme

• Qb works very closely with the SLS team• Provide training days in survey data

collection focusing particularly on CAPI and upon it’s use in one particular major survey in each workshop

• Try to arrange for participants from training days to go out with an interviewer in the field

• http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sls.htm

Survey

Link

Scheme

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

What is involved?

Attending a 1-Day Workshop at the Regional location of your choice

An optional fieldwork visit with an Interviewer within NATCEN, ONS, ISER, and BMRB

Submitting a short comment on the experience

Travel expenses are paid

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Workshops

The one day includes:

A brief overview of the BLAISE computer program used in the development of questionnaires

Construction of the questionnaire and practical discussion on interviewing

A Survey Organisation’s presentation on the use of CAPI on a major survey undertaken by the major organisations

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Survey

Link

Scheme

Current Workshop Programme

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Organisations in the Scheme

Office for National Statistics (ONS) National Centre for Social Research

(NATCEN) Institute for Social and Economic Research

(ISER), University of Essex in collaboration with NOP

BMRB INTERNATIONAL

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

The surveys

Health Survey for England Millennium Cohort Study British Household Panel Survey General Household Survey Family Resources Survey Families and Children Survey Northern Ireland Life and Times

Survey

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Who Benefits?

• Social Science Researchers

• Post Graduate Students:– MSc.– Ph.D.

• Teachers of Research Methods• Researchers (non-Academic)

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Currently few Social Research Methods Courses for postgraduates provide more than a general treatment of Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI).

Even fewer, if any, provide training in the use of the BLAISE software - normally used to construct the CAPI scripts produced by the major survey organisations.

Survey

Link

Scheme

Why Apply…..

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

“Secondary analysts sometimes forget where the data come from, and tend to lose the focus: …… or interpret them according to their mental schemes.“

“The knowledge of how a survey is organised from the start will stand me in good stead when next making use of the data and particularly ……… deciding on the sort of questions to be asked.”

“ My own work uses qualitative methods …really valuable to gain an insight into data collection …on a large quantitative survey”

Survey

Link

Scheme

Why Apply?

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Details of most of the surveys may be found in the Question Bank, a Web resource at http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk.

The SLS pages are updated as the Scheme develops with the Survey Organisations.

Survey

Link

Scheme

Further details

http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk

Contacts

• Online:http://qb.soc.surrey.ac.uk/sls.htm

• E-Mail:Email: sls@surrey.ac.uk

Tel: 01483 682796