Social Research Methods - Knowledge Base - Plus & Minus of Survey Methods

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It's hard to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the major different survey types. Even though each type has some general advantages and disadvantages, there are exceptions to almost every rule. Here's my general assessment. Perhaps you would differ in your ratings here or there, but I think you'll generally agree.

Issue	Questionnaire			Interview
	Group	Mail	Drop-Off	Personal	Phone
Are Visual Presentations Possible?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Are Long Response Categories Possible?	Yes	Yes	Yes	???	No
Is Privacy A Feature?	No	Yes	No	Yes	???
Is the Method Flexible?	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Are Open-ended Questions Feasible?	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Is Reading & Writing Needed?	???	Yes	Yes	No	No
Can You Judge Quality of Response?	Yes	No	???	Yes	???
Are High Response Rates Likely?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Can You Explain Study in Person?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	???
Is It Low Cost?	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Are Staff & Facilities Needs Low?	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Does It Give Access to Dispersed Samples?	No	Yes	No	No	No
Does Respondent Have Time to Formulate Answers?	No	Yes	Yes	No	No
Is There Personal Contact?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Is A Long Survey Feasible?	No	No	No	Yes	No
Is There Quick Turnaround?	No	Yes	No	No	Yes

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