Duane F. Alwin - Böcker

Enhance the quality of survey results by recognizing and reducing measurement errors.Margins of Error: A Study of Reliability in Survey Measurement demonstrates how and hwy identifying the presence and extent of measurement errors in survey data is essential for improving the overall collection and analysis of the data. The author outlines the consequences of ignoring survey measurement errors and also discusses ways to detect and estimate the impact of these errors. This book also provides recommendations of improving the quality of survey data.Logically organized and clearly written, this book: Deconstructs the data gathering process into six main elements of the response process: question adequacy, comprehension, accessibility, retrieval, motivation, and communicationProvides an exhaustive review of valuable reliability estimation techniques that can be applied to survey dataIdentifies the types of questions and interviewer practices that are essential to the collection of reliable dataAddresses hypotheses regarding which survey questions, sources of information, and questionnaire formats produce the most reliable dataIn conjunction with research data gathered on nearly 500 survey measures and the application of an empirical approach grounded in classical measurement theory, this book discusses the sources of measurement error and provides the tools necessary for improving survey data collection methods.Margins of Error enables statisticians and researchers in the fields of public opinion and survey research to design studies that can detect, estimate, and reduce measurement errors that may have previously gone undetected. This book also serves as a supplemental textbook for both undergraduate and graduate survey methodology courses.

Calendar and Diary Methods in Life Methods Research is the first book to provide a road map to using both calendar and diary methods in research. An ideal tool for examining issues related to these up-and-coming approaches to data collection, the book is also a helpful resource for readers who interpret literature based on calendar and diary research.

Introductory chapters cement the placement of calendar and time diary methods within life course research, expanding the book's orientation beyond a description of methods into an understanding of the value of these methods. Chapters from well-known contributors from an array of disciplines include examples of ways these methods can be used in the social, health, and behavioral sciences, assess their use in both quantitative and qualitative methods, and deal with measuring and assessing data quality. A final chapter reviews key themes and discusses future directions for research.

Key Features

Demonstrates the common problems, solutions, and strategies that have been faced by researchers who collect data via calendar and time diary methods through a range of examples from internationally known contributorsIncludes qualitative and quantitative approaches, and, when possible, discusses how the various paradigms may complement each other Offers examples of using the methods in face-to-face and telephone interviewing, in self-administered data collection, and with instruments designed in paper and pencil and computerized formatsProvides a brief introductory section for each part of the book that orients readers to the importance of the upcoming chapters Concludes each part with "For Further Thought" essays that provide practical advice on how to develop and implement calendar and time diary instruments and encourage readers to explore critical issues concerning the applications of these methods

Calendar and Diary Methods in Life Events Research is appropriate for courses such as Survey Research and Methodology, Data Analysis, Quantitative Methods, and Qualitative Methods in departments of sociology, psychology, nursing, communication, education, and economics.

"Provides a unique perspective. I am particularly impressed with the sections on innovative design and methods to investigate cognitive aging and the integrative perspectives. None of the existing texts covers this material to the same level." —Donna J. La Voie, Saint Louis University "The emphasis on integrating the literature with theoretical and methodological innovations could have a far-reaching impact on the field." —Deb McGinnis, Oakland University The Handbook of Cognitive Aging: Interdisciplinary Perspectives clarifies the differences in patterns and processes of cognitive aging. Along with a comprehensive review of current research, editors Scott M. Hofer and Duane F. Alwin provide a solid foundation for building a multidisciplinary agenda that will stimulate further rigorous research into these complex factors. Key Features Gathers the widest possible range of perspectives by including cognitive aging experts in various disciplines while maintaining a degree of unity across chapters Examines the limitations of the extant literature, particularly in research design and measurement, and offers new suggestions to guide future research Highlights the broad scope of the field with topics ranging from demography to development to neuroscience, offering the most complete coverage available on cognitive aging

"Provides a unique perspective. I am particularly impressed with the sections on innovative design and methods to investigate cognitive aging and the integrative perspectives. None of the existing texts covers this material to the same level." —Donna J. La Voie, Saint Louis University "The emphasis on integrating the literature with theoretical and methodological innovations could have a far-reaching impact on the field." —Deb McGinnis, Oakland University The Handbook of Cognitive Aging: Interdisciplinary Perspectives clarifies the differences in patterns and processes of cognitive aging. Along with a comprehensive review of current research, editors Scott M. Hofer and Duane F. Alwin provide a solid foundation for building a multidisciplinary agenda that will stimulate further rigorous research into these complex factors. Key Features Gathers the widest possible range of perspectives by including cognitive aging experts in various disciplines while maintaining a degree of unity across chapters Examines the limitations of the extant literature, particularly in research design and measurement, and offers new suggestions to guide future research Highlights the broad scope of the field with topics ranging from demography to development to neuroscience, offering the most complete coverage available on cognitive aging

This volume engages the interface between the development of human lives and social relational networks. Research practitioners studying social networks typically focus on social structure or social organization, ignoring the complex lives of the people in those networks.