South East Wales Trials Unit, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF14 4YS, UK.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2010 Jun 24;10:180. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-10-180.
Over the last 30 years options for collecting self-reported data in health surveys and questionnaires have increased with technological advances. However, mode of data collection such as face-to-face interview or telephone interview can affect how individuals respond to questionnaires. This paper adapts a framework for understanding mode effects on response quality and applies it to a health research context.
Data collection modes are distinguished by key features (whether the survey is self- or interviewer-administered, whether or not it is conducted by telephone, whether or not it is computerised, whether it is presented visually or aurally). Psychological appraisal of the survey request will initially entail factors such as the cognitive burden upon the respondent as well as more general considerations about participation. Subsequent psychological response processes will further determine how features of the data collection mode impact upon the quality of response provided. Additional antecedent factors which may further interact with the response generation process are also discussed. These include features of the construct being measured such as sensitivity, and of the respondent themselves (e.g. their socio-demographic characteristics). How features of this framework relate to health research is illustrated by example.
Mode features can affect response quality. Much existing evidence has a broad social sciences research base but is of importance to health research. Approaches to managing mode feature effects are discussed. Greater consideration must be given to how features of different data collection approaches affect response from participants in studies. Study reports should better clarify such features rather than rely upon global descriptions of data collection mode.
在过去的 30 年中,随着技术的进步,健康调查和问卷中自我报告数据的收集方式选择增多了。然而,数据收集模式(如面对面访谈或电话访谈)会影响个人对问卷的反应。本文采用了一种理解模式对响应质量的影响的框架,并将其应用于健康研究背景。
数据收集模式的特点在于(调查是由调查员还是受访者进行,是否通过电话进行,是否计算机化,是否以视觉或听觉形式呈现)。对调查请求的心理评估最初将涉及受访者的认知负担等因素,以及更普遍的参与考虑因素。随后的心理反应过程将进一步确定数据收集模式的特征如何影响提供的响应质量。还讨论了可能进一步与响应生成过程相互作用的其他前置因素。这些因素包括被测量的结构的特征(如敏感性)和受访者自身的特征(例如他们的社会人口统计学特征)。通过示例说明了该框架与健康研究的关系。
模式特征会影响响应质量。许多现有证据具有广泛的社会科学研究基础,但对健康研究也很重要。讨论了管理模式特征影响的方法。在研究中,必须更加注意不同数据收集方法的特征如何影响参与者的反应。研究报告应更清楚地阐明这些特征,而不是依赖于对数据收集模式的全局描述。