Survey methods of sociological research. Methods of sociological research

A sociological survey is a method of collecting primary sociological information about the object being studied by asking questions to certain group people called respondents. The basis of a sociological survey is mediated (questioning) or non-mediated (interview) socio-psychological communication between the sociologist and the respondent by recording answers to a system of questions arising from the purpose and objectives of the study.

The opinion poll takes the most important place in sociological research. Its main purpose is to obtain sociological information about the state of public, group, collective and individual opinion, as well as facts, events and assessments related to the life activities of respondents. According to some scientists, almost 90% of all empirical information is collected with its help. Questioning is the leading method in studying the sphere of people's consciousness. This method is especially important in research social processes and phenomena that are inaccessible to direct observation, as well as in cases where the area under study is poorly provided with documentary information.

A sociological survey, unlike other methods of collecting sociological information, allows you to “catch” through a system of formalized questions not only the accentuated opinions of respondents, but also the nuances, shades of their mood and structure of thinking, as well as to identify the role of intuitive aspects in their behavior. Therefore, many researchers consider a survey to be the simplest and most accessible method of collecting primary sociological information. In fact, the efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of this method make it very popular and a priority compared to other methods sociological research. However, this simplicity and accessibility is often apparent. The problem is not in conducting the survey as such, but in obtaining high-quality survey data. And this requires appropriate conditions and compliance with certain requirements.

The main conditions of the survey (which has been verified by the practice of sociological research) include:

• 1) the availability of reliable instruments justified by the research program;
• 2) creating a favorable, psychologically comfortable environment for the survey, which does not always depend only on the training and experience of the persons conducting it;
• 3) careful training of sociologists, who must have high intellectual speed, tact, and the ability to objectively assess their shortcomings and habits, which directly affects the quality of the survey; know the typology of possible situations that hinder the survey or provoke respondents to give inaccurate or incorrect answers; have experience in compiling questionnaires using sociologically correct methods that allow you to double-check the accuracy of the answers, etc.

In the practice of sociological research, the most common type of survey is a survey, or questionnaire. This is explained by both the variety and quality of the sociological information that can be obtained with its help. The questionnaire is based on the statements of individuals and is carried out in order to identify the subtlest nuances in the opinions of those surveyed (respondents). The questionnaire survey method is the most important source of information about actually existing social facts and social activities. It begins, as a rule, with the formulation of program questions, the “translation” of the problems posed in the research program into questionnaire questions, with a formulation that excludes various interpretations and is understandable to the respondents.

In sociology, as analysis shows, two main types of questionnaires are used more often than others: continuous and sample.

A type of continuous survey is a census, in which the entire population of the country is surveyed. WITH early XIX V. Population censuses are regularly conducted in European countries, and today they are used almost everywhere. Population censuses provide invaluable social information, but are extremely expensive - even rich countries can afford such luxury only once every 10 years. A continuous questionnaire survey, therefore, covers the entire population of respondents belonging to any social community or social group. The country's population is the largest of these communities. However, there are also smaller ones, for example, company personnel, participants Afghan war, WWII veterans, residents of a small town. If the survey is carried out at such objects, it is also called continuous.

A sample survey (as opposed to a continuous survey) is a more economical and no less reliable method of collecting information, although it requires sophisticated methods and techniques. Its basis is a sample population, which is a smaller copy of the general population. The general population is considered to be the entire population of the country or that part of it that the sociologist intends to study, and the sample population is the set of people interviewed directly by the sociologist.

It should be noted that the art of a questionnaire survey lies in the correct formulation and arrangement of the questions asked. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was the first to address scientific questions. Walking through the streets of Athens, he verbally expounded his teachings, sometimes perplexing passers-by with his ingenious paradoxes. Today, in addition to sociologists, the survey method is used by journalists, doctors, investigators, and teachers. How does a sociological survey differ from surveys conducted by other specialists?

The first distinctive feature of a sociological survey is the number of respondents. Specialists usually deal with one person. A sociologist interviews hundreds and thousands of people and only then, summarizing the information received, draws conclusions. Why does he do this? When they interview one person, they find out his personal opinion. A journalist interviewing a pop star, a doctor diagnosing a patient, an investigator finding out the causes of a person’s death don’t need more, since what they need is the personal opinion of the interviewee. A sociologist interviewing many people is interested in public opinion. Individual deviations, subjective biases, prejudices, erroneous judgments, intentional distortions, processed statistically, cancel each other out. As a result, the sociologist receives an average picture of social reality. Having surveyed, for example, 100 managers, he identifies the average representative of a given profession. That is why the sociological questionnaire does not require indicating your last name, first name, patronymic and address: it is anonymous. So, the sociologist, receiving statistical information, identifies social types personality.

The second distinctive feature of a sociological survey is the reliability and objectivity of the information received. This feature is actually related to the first: by interviewing hundreds and thousands of people, the sociologist gets the opportunity to process the data mathematically. And by averaging diverse opinions, he receives more reliable information than a journalist. If all scientific and methodological requirements are strictly observed, this information can be called objective, although it was obtained on the basis of subjective opinions.

The third feature of a sociological survey lies in the very purpose of the survey. A doctor, journalist or investigator does not seek generalized information, but rather finds out what distinguishes one person from another. Of course they all achieve true information from the interviewee: the investigator - to a greater extent, the journalist who was ordered sensational material - to a lesser extent. But none of them is aimed at expanding scientific knowledge, enriching science, or clarifying scientific truth. Meanwhile, the data obtained by the sociologist (for example, about the patterns of connection between work, attitudes towards work and the form of leisure) free his fellow sociologists from the need to conduct the survey again. If it is confirmed that varied work (for example, a manager) predetermines varied leisure, and monotonous work (for example, a worker on an assembly line) is associated with monotonous, meaningless pastime (drinking, sleeping, watching TV), and if such a connection is theoretically proven, then we get a scientific social fact, universal and universal. However, such universality is of little satisfaction to a journalist or doctor, since they need to reveal individual characteristics and relationships.

An analysis of publications containing the results of sociological research shows that almost 90% of the data available in them was obtained using one or another type of sociological survey. Therefore, the popularity of this method is due to a number of fairly compelling reasons.

Firstly, behind the method of sociological survey there is a big historical tradition, which is based on statistical, psychological and test research carried out for a long time, which has allowed us to accumulate vast and unique experience. Secondly, the survey method is relatively simple. Therefore, it is often preferred in comparison with other methods of obtaining empirical information. In this regard, the survey method has become so popular that it is often identified with sociological science in general. Thirdly, the survey method has a certain universality, which makes it possible to obtain information both about the objective facts of social reality and about the subjective world of a person, his motives, values, life plans, interests, etc. Fourthly, the survey method can effectively used when conducting both large-scale (international, national) research and to obtain information in small social groups Oh. Fifthly, the method of sociological survey is very convenient for quantitative processing of sociological information obtained with its help.

Depending on the method used for collecting empirical information, such types of sociological research as survey, sociological observation, and document analysis are distinguished.

Sociological survey

A sociological survey is a method of collecting primary sociological information about the object being studied by asking questions to a certain group of people called respondents Samoilenko E.N. Sociology: A course of lectures for students of the specialty “Management of Organizations”. Topic 9. Methods of sociological research. - Kyiv, KNUSA, 2005. - P. 127.. The basis of a sociological survey is mediated (questioning) or non-mediated (interview) socio-psychological communication between the sociologist and the respondent by recording answers to a system of questions arising from the purpose and objectives of the study. Sociological survey occupies a very important place in sociological research. Its main purpose is to obtain sociological information about the state of public, group, collective and individual opinion, as well as facts, events and assessments related to the life activities of respondents. A survey is the most common method of collecting primary information; with its help, almost 90% of all sociological data are obtained.

The specificity of this method is that when it is used, the source of primary sociological information is a person (respondent) - a direct participant in the social processes and phenomena under study and is aimed at those aspects of the process that are little or not amenable to direct observation. This is why a survey is indispensable when we're talking about about the study of those meaningful characteristics of social, collective and interpersonal relations that are hidden from the external eye and make themselves felt only in certain conditions and situations.

Questioning is the leading method in studying the sphere of people's consciousness. This method is especially important in the study of social processes and phenomena that are inaccessible to direct observation, as well as in cases where the area under study is poorly provided with documentary information. A sociological survey, unlike other methods of collecting sociological information, makes it possible to “catch” through the system the shades of their mood and structure of thinking, as well as to identify the role of intuitive aspects in their behavior. Therefore, many researchers consider a survey to be the simplest and most accessible method of collecting primary sociological information. In fact, the efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of this method make it very popular and a priority compared to other methods of sociological research. However, this simple accessibility is often apparent. The problem is not in conducting the survey as such, but in obtaining high-quality survey data. And this requires appropriate conditions and compliance with certain requirements. The main conditions of the survey (which has been verified by the practice of sociological research) include:

1) the availability of reliable instruments justified by the research program;

2) creating a favorable, psychologically comfortable environment for the survey, which does not always depend only on the training and experience of the persons conducting it;

3) careful training of sociologists, who must have high intellectual speed, tact, and the ability to objectively assess their shortcomings and habits, which directly affects the quality of the survey; know the typology of possible situations that hinder the survey or provoke respondents to give inaccurate or incorrect answers; have experience in compiling questionnaires using sociologically correct methods that allow you to double-check the accuracy of the answers, etc.

Compliance with these requirements and their significance are largely determined by the types of sociological survey. In sociology, it is customary to distinguish between written (questioning) and oral (interviewing), face-to-face and correspondence (postal, telephone, press), expert and mass, selective and continuous (for example, referendum), national, regional, local, local, etc.

In the practice of sociological research, there are two main types of sociological survey: questioning and interviewing. The most common type of survey is a questionnaire; this is explained by both the variety and quality of the sociological information that can be obtained with its help.

Questionnaire (French - investigation) - a questionnaire, independently filled out by the respondent according to the rules specified in it. Brief Dictionary of Sociology / Under. total ed. D.M. Gvishiani, N.I. Lapina; comp. EM. Korzheva, N.F. Naumova. - Politizdat, 2001. - 480 pp. Respondents are considered as the object of research.

The questionnaire is a system of questions united by a single research plan aimed at identifying the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the object and subject of analysis. The composition of the questionnaire represents a kind of scenario for a conversation with a respondent. It includes a brief introduction, which indicates the topic, goals, objectives of the survey, and the name of the organization conducting it; The technique of filling out the questionnaire is explained. Then follow the easiest questions, the task of which is to interest the interlocutor and introduce him to the issues being discussed. More difficult questions and a kind of “passport” (indicating socio-demographic data) are placed at the end of the questionnaire.

Any list of questions cannot be called a questionnaire. It only refers to something that is addressed to a multitude of people who are interviewed in a standard way.

When surveying, the respondent fills out the questionnaire himself, in the presence of the questionnaire or without him. Depending on the form, it can be individual or group. In the latter case, for a short time you can interview a significant number of people. It can also be full-time and part-time. The most common forms of correspondence: postal survey; survey through a newspaper, magazine.

Interviewing involves personal communication with the interviewee, in which the researcher (or his authorized representative) asks questions and records the answers. In terms of the form of conduct, it can be direct, as they say, “face to face” and indirect, for example, by telephone.

Depending on the source (carrier) of primary sociological information, a distinction is made between mass and specialized surveys. In a mass survey, the main source of information is representatives of various social groups whose activities are not directly related to the subject of analysis. Participants in mass surveys are usually called respondents. In specialized surveys, the main source of information is competent persons whose professional or theoretical knowledge, life experience allows us to draw authoritative conclusions. In fact, the participants in such surveys are experts who can give a balanced assessment on issues of interest to the researcher. Hence, another widely used name for such surveys in sociology is expert surveys or assessments.”

Survey method in sociological research it occupies a special position and is the most authoritative and popular, since it has a number of very significant advantages compared to methods of observation and document analysis.

The survey method was not invented by sociologists. In all branches of knowledge where a researcher turns to a person with questions, he deals with various modifications of this method (anamnestic interviews with a doctor when seeing a patient, an interview with witnesses of a criminal incident by an investigator, an interview conducted by a journalist to obtain information of interest to him, etc. .).

The survey method was widely practiced in Russian sociology back in the 1920s. Currently, we can confidently state that it is the most widespread and informative, but not universal. Its proper use requires the researcher to find out how well it corresponds to the tasks that are supposed to be solved. In other words, the burden on the survey to collect primary information in each specific study may be different.

A survey is a method of direct or indirect collection of primary verbal information through socio-psychological interaction between the researcher and the respondent. The specificity of the method is that when it is used, the source of sociological information is a person (respondent) - a direct participant in the social processes and phenomena being studied.

The main advantage of the survey method is the breadth of coverage of various areas of social practice. Using this method, you can obtain information about any problems in the life of modern society. Its cognitive possibilities are almost limitless, and the huge advantage lies in the effectiveness of interviewing a large number of people in the shortest possible time.

There are two main types of survey method: survey, when its implementation is mediated by the use of a questionnaire, and interviewing, when it is in the nature of direct communication between the sociologist and the respondent.

Questionnaire is a method of obtaining primary sociological information through written responses from respondents to a system of standardized questionnaire responses. Questioning is the most common type of survey in the practice of applied sociology. The types of surveys are diverse and are grouped in pairs according to several characteristics.

Depending on the number of respondents, two types of surveys are distinguished: solid And selective.

Solid Questioning involves surveying the entire general population of the people being studied, while in selective questioning only a part of the general population is surveyed - a sample. This type of survey is the most common.

Depending on the method of communication between the researcher and the respondent, there are different types of personal And correspondence survey.

Personal Questioning involves direct contact between the researcher and the respondent when the questionnaire is filled out in his presence. This method of questioning has two advantages - firstly, it guarantees a full return of the questionnaires and, secondly, it allows you to control the correctness of their completion. A personal survey can be group or individual. Correspondence Questioning is characterized by the fact that the respondent answers the questionnaire in the absence of the researcher.

Based on the method of delivering questionnaires to respondents, there are postal, press And handout survey.

Postal Questioning boils down to the fact that questionnaires are sent to respondents and returned to the researcher by mail. Its advantages lie in the ease of distributing questionnaires, the possibility of obtaining a large sample, and the ability to involve people in the survey at the same time a large number of people living in different regions and hard-to-reach areas. Disadvantages of postal surveys include low return rates, distortion of the intended sample, and lack of confidence that the questionnaires were self-administered. There is a technique for increasing the return rate of questionnaires, which consists of psychologically competent addressing respondents, enclosing an envelope with the writing return address, sending reminders about the need to return the completed questionnaire, etc.

Press Questioning is a type of questioning in which questionnaires are published in print. This type Questionnaires are also characterized by a low percentage of questionnaires being returned and practically exclude the possibility of the researcher to influence the formation of the sample population.

Handout The survey involves personally delivering the questionnaire to the respondent. Its advantages consist in personal contact between the researcher and the respondent, which increases the latter’s interest in the study, makes it possible to advise the respondent on the rules for filling out the questionnaire, and to assess the respondent’s compliance with the intended sample. The disadvantages of distributing questionnaires are the relatively low percentage of questionnaires returned (albeit higher than with a postal survey), and the lack of confidence that the questionnaires were filled out by the respondent independently.

The effectiveness of a questionnaire largely depends on the proper construction and content of the questionnaire.

Construction of the questionnaire. The questionnaire must have three parts: introductory, main and demographic (“passport”).

Introductory part is an appeal to respondents indicating the name of the institution conducting the research, the objectives of the research, the role of the respondent in solving the tasks, assurance of complete anonymity of the respondent’s answers, the method of returning completed questionnaires and the rules for filling out the questionnaire.

The main part consists of a set of questions, the answers to which are used to solve the problems posed in the study. Its development is the most complex and responsible and always begins with simple questions designed to interest respondents and help them get involved in the work. This is followed by questions aimed at solving the main objectives of the study and, as a rule, relating to motives, opinions and assessments. At the end, questions are used that detail the answers to the previous ones, as well as control and most intimate questions that require the individual opinion of respondents.

The demographic part of the questionnaire consists of questions that determine social characteristics respondent, gender, age, education, occupation, sports qualifications, etc. This part of the questionnaire is the most concise and easy to fill out. Its purpose is to facilitate, firstly, a qualitative analysis of the collected information and, secondly, to determine the representativeness of the obtained material.

When constructing a questionnaire, the following types of questions are used, differing in form: open, closed, semi-closed And scale.

Open Questions are questions the wording of which requires a free-form response from the respondent.

For example: “Name the sport you would like to play”

(write please)_______________

Formulation in in this case does not limit the person answering the question to any framework, and he can express everything he thinks, in any form, in its entirety and to the smallest detail. That is why, with the help of open questions, you can collect information that is very rich in content. At the end of the question (in parentheses) there is a reminder to the respondent that he must give his answer in writing.

The disadvantages of open-ended questions include: firstly, the possibility of answers that are not directly related to the topic; secondly, the likelihood of lengthy answers; thirdly, the complexity of subsequent processing of such free responses. In this regard, it is not recommended to use a large number of open-ended questions in the questionnaire.

Closed Questions are multiple-choice and give respondents the opportunity to select one or more possible answers.

The simplest type of closed question is a “yes-no” question. Its specificity lies in its unbalanced formulation, i.e. in a formulation where one of the possible options is present, which facilitates the respondent’s choice. The use of this question is often methodologically questionable, especially when studying knowledge, skills and stops. So, for example, the questions “do you like...?”, “would you like...?”, “do you like...?” cause an undoubted shift in responses in a positive direction. For this reason, it is recommended to use them only in cases where there is no doubt about the unambiguous choice of answer. For example: “Have you been to the stadium this year?”, “Do you subscribe to sports newspapers and magazines?”

Alternative the question differs from the “yes-no” question by such an important characteristic as the balance of the wording. The balance of alternatives in the wording of the question makes response bias much smaller, and the proposed answer options are mutually exclusive. You can only choose one answer to this question.

For example: “How often do you visit the stadium?”

Very often (every day)

Often (2 – 3 times a week)

Not very often (3 – 4 times a month)

Rarely (1 – 2 times a month)

Very rare (even rarer)

Another type of closed questions is a menu question, in which the respondent is offered the right to choose several answers (the number of selected answers must be specified).

For example: “What attracts you to coaching?” (check no more than three answers):

communication with people;

knowledge transfer process;

variety of activities;

lack of a regulated working day;

emotionality, creativity;

the opportunity to prepare a highly qualified athlete;

opportunity for professional growth;

good income;

frequent trips to competitions and training camps;

long vacation etc.

Ignoring the differences between alternative questions and menu questions leads to their incorrect use. The researcher considers the question to be an alternative one, and the possible answers are not mutually exclusive. As a result, a menu question is asked, and respondents give not one, but several answers. The information collected does not correspond to the problem at hand. The necessary data, as it turns out, was not received.

A scale question requires the respondent to indicate the intensity of some phenomenon or opinion, and most often requires the expression of the answer in points or percentages. For example: “How important is it to you to have variety in your work?” 12345678910

very very

no matter important important

The wording of closed questions requires special care and should include a complete list of possible answers. Since there is a possibility that not all possible answer options will be taken into account when composing a closed question, it is recommended to use semi-closed questions more often when the list of answers contains the positions “other” or “what else”.

For example: “Do you have sports equipment? (underline)"

bike;

expander;

tourist equipment;

rackets (tennis, badminton);

The answers to the above questions have a linear form of arrangement. Along with it, questionnaires often use a tabular form of answers to closed and semi-closed questions.

For example: “Do you think a person can change himself through exercise? physical culture and sports?

Sometimes survey questions require the respondent to have a critical attitude towards himself, the people around him, an assessment of the negative phenomena of reality, etc. Such direct questions often remain unanswered or contain inaccurate information. In such cases, it is recommended to use indirect questions. The respondent is offered an imaginary situation that does not require an assessment of his personal qualities or the circumstances of his activities. For example: “Some athletes believe that the amount of physical training should be kept to a minimum. What do you think?” or “Do you agree with the statement that...?”

Open and closed questions have their positive and negative sides. When choosing a question type, researchers typically consider the following categories: parsimony, reliability, and validity.

In the methodological literature, the prevailing point of view is that the use of closed questions is more economical, since it requires less processing costs. But sometimes, in order to compile a list of possible answers, it is necessary to carry out a lot of preliminary work, without which sociological research will have a low methodological level.

The higher reliability of closed-ended questions also cannot be accepted unconditionally, since in the presence of well-trained coders, the reliability of information obtained in response to open-ended questions is quite high.

The main criterion for applying a particular question is reliability. Respondents willingly answer open-ended questions when they have a developed system of ideas on the topic of the question and consider themselves competent in it. If the subject of the survey is little familiar to them or is unusual or difficult to analyze, then respondents avoid answering or give a vague answer or answer not to the point. In this case, using an open question, the researcher runs the risk of not obtaining meaningful information and will only be able to find out what this issue respondents do not have a formed opinion. At the same time, using a closed form of a question, the researcher helps the respondent navigate the subject of the conversation and express his attitude to the problem through a proposed set of possible judgments or assessments.

In addition to differences in form, questions also differ in function. There are substantive, control, functional-psychological and filter questions (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Classification of survey questions

The researcher resorts to control questions when there is a need to verify the sincerity of respondents’ answers. Their purpose is to check the reliability of the data. They can be placed before or after the main questions and usually consist of using the same question in different wording or using an indirect form of the question. For example, you might first ask the respondent how satisfied he is with his job. After a few questions, the first control question is asked: “Would you like to move to another job?”, then the second: “Let’s assume that for some reason you are temporarily not working. Would you return to your previous place of work? A comparison of answers to these questions provides information about the sincerity of the respondent. In case of contradiction in answers, such results are rejected or subject to additional study in order to obtain adequate information.

Functional-psychological questions are used to relieve tension, to move from one topic to another, as well as to remove attitudes that arise in respondents. If after a series of questions related to official activities, the respondent is asked questions about family relationships without any visible connection, this causes bewilderment in the respondent. To avoid such a situation, you can use the following functional-psychological question: “After work, you return home. Your wife and children are waiting for you at home. Do you like to be at home? After such a question, the researcher’s interest in the family is quite justified, the questions do not cause displeasure and the interviewee willingly answers them.

Before asking a respondent a meaningful question, it is advisable to find out whether he belongs to the group of people for whom this question is intended. For this purpose, the questionnaire uses filter questions. So, for example, before asking a respondent how he evaluates the work of a stadium, you need to clarify whether he goes to the stadium, how often and to what events. If not used in in this example filter questions, the number of incompetent answers will affect the reliability of the information received.

The characteristics of the questionnaire will be incomplete if we do not talk about the time required to fill out the questionnaire. The time it takes to fill out the questionnaire depends on the complexity of the questions and their number. Whenever possible, it is necessary to ensure that questions are formulated simply and clearly. The number of questions should also be within reason. Practice shows that the time to fill out the questionnaire should be within 45+10 minutes.

It should also be noted that the appearance of the questionnaire should be neat. The application form must be printed on good paper, clear and sufficiently large print. The texts of questions and answers must be in different fonts. If necessary, the question should contain explanations when using terms or words that have double meaning, as well as explanations on filling techniques.

When printing or typing the text of the questionnaire, you should not allow the question to break (i.e., move it from page to page). This makes it difficult for the respondent to perceive its integrity, which leads to response bias. It must be remembered that semantic and control questions cannot be placed side by side in the questionnaire and they must be formulated in such a way that the opinion of the sociologist is not imposed on the respondent. The wording of the questions should not hurt the respondents’ pride or evoke negative emotions in them.

Interview is a less common survey method, the use of which has its advantages and disadvantages.

The main difference between questionnaires and interviews is the form of contact between the researcher and the interviewee. If during a survey their communication is mediated by a questionnaire, then during an interview the contact between the researcher and the respondent is carried out with the help of an interviewer who asks questions provided by the researcher, organizes and directs the conversation with each individual person and records the answers received according to the instructions.

The participation of the interviewer allows you to maximally adapt the questions of the interview form to the capabilities of the respondent, and in case of misunderstanding of the meaning of the question or other difficulties, tactfully come to his aid, which significantly reduces the number of non-respondents and errors when filling out questionnaires.

The significant disadvantages of this method are the large time costs (compared to questionnaires) for conducting interviews and the possibility of the interviewer’s subjective influence on the survey results (interviewer effect).

In applied sociology, there are three types of interviews: formalized, focused And free.

Formalized (standardized) Interview is the most common type of interviewing. In this case, communication between the interviewer and the respondent is strictly regulated by a detailed questionnaire and instructions intended for the interviewer. When using this type of survey, the interviewer must strictly adhere to the wording of the questions and their sequence. Typically, the conversation is dominated by closed questions, which minimizes the interviewer's influence on the survey results. The method of recording answers is also standard and provided for in the instructions.

Focused interviews are used, as a rule, to collect opinions and assessments about a specific situation, phenomenon, its consequences and causes. In this case, the respondent already becomes familiar with the subject of the conversation in advance (reads a book or article, participates in a seminar on this issue, etc.). Questions are prepared in advance, their list is mandatory, but the sequence and wording can be adjusted.

Free The interview is characterized by minimal standardization of the interviewer's behavior. This type of survey is used, as a rule, to define a research problem, clarify its specific content, etc. A free interview is conducted without a pre-prepared questionnaire or a developed conversation plan. The direction of the conversation, its structure, the sequence of questions, and their formulation depend only on the interviewer, his ideas about the subject of discussion and professional training.

To control the quality of the interviewer’s work, they use selective re-visit respondents, in which they are asked about the content of the interview and the impression the interviewer made. Based on the results of the inspection, culling unreliable interview forms. Another way of control could be postal form, which is sent to respondents who participated in the survey. This questionnaire contains questions similar topics, which are asked by supervisor-interviewers.

Recently in major cities With a high level of telephony, telephone interviews are used. Its main advantage is efficiency and low cost. A telephone interview has the highest potential for eliminating the “third party” effect. The influence of the interviewer on the respondent's answers in a telephone interview is lower than in indirect communication. Optimal duration telephone interview– 10 – 15 minutes. Questions, if possible, should not be long and contain a large number of alternative answers.

In order to avoid the “traps of sensationalism”, as well as to increase the reliability of sociological information, the sociologist-researcher must follow the following rules: 1) make sure of the authenticity of the document; 2) find another document confirming the one in question; 3) clearly understand the purpose of the document and its meaning, and be able to read its language; 4) apply the documentary method in conjunction with other methods of collecting sociological information.

In sociology, there are many types of document analysis methods, but the most common and firmly established in the practice of sociological research are two: traditional, or classical (qualitative); formalized, or quantitative, also called content analysis (which translated from English means “content analysis”). Despite significant differences, they do not exclude, but complement each other, since they pursue one goal - to obtain reliable and reliable information.

6. Methods of sociological survey

A sociological survey is a method of collecting primary sociological information about the object being studied by asking questions to a certain group of people called respondents. The basis of a sociological survey is mediated (questioning) or non-mediated (interview) socio-psychological communication between the sociologist and the respondent by recording answers to a system of questions arising from the purpose and objectives of the study.

Sociological survey occupies a very important place in sociological research. Its main purpose is to obtain sociological information about the state of public, group, collective and individual opinion, as well as facts, events and assessments related to the life activities of respondents. According to some scientists, almost 90% of all empirical information is collected with its help. Questioning is the leading method in studying the sphere of people's consciousness. This method is especially important in the study of social processes and phenomena that are inaccessible to direct observation, as well as in cases where the area under study is poorly provided with documentary information.

A sociological survey, unlike other methods of collecting sociological information, allows you to “catch” through a system of formalized questions not only the accentuated opinions of respondents, but also the nuances, shades of their mood and structure of thinking, as well as to identify the role of intuitive aspects in their behavior. Therefore, many researchers consider a survey to be the simplest and most accessible method of collecting primary sociological information. In fact, the efficiency, simplicity, and cost-effectiveness of this method make it very popular and a priority compared to other methods of sociological research. However, this simplicity

and accessibility are often apparent. The problem is not in conducting the survey as such, but in obtaining high-quality survey data. And this requires appropriate conditions and compliance with certain requirements.

The main conditions of the survey (which have been verified by the practice of sociological research) include: 1) the availability of reliable instruments, justified by the research program; 2) creating a favorable, psychologically comfortable environment for the survey, which does not always depend only on the training and experience of the persons conducting it; 3) careful training of sociologists, who must have high intellectual speed, tact, and the ability to objectively assess their shortcomings and habits, which directly affects the quality of the survey; know the typology of possible situations that hinder the survey or provoke respondents to give inaccurate or incorrect answers; have experience in compiling questionnaires using sociologically correct methods that allow you to double-check the accuracy of the answers, etc.

Compliance with these requirements and their significance are largely determined by the types of sociological survey. In sociology, it is customary to distinguish between written (questioning) and oral (interviewing), face-to-face and correspondence (postal, telephone, press), expert and mass, selective and continuous (for example, referendum), national, regional, local, local, etc. ( table 7).

In the practice of sociological research, the most common type of survey is a survey, or questionnaire. This is explained by both the variety and quality of the sociological information that can be obtained with its help. The questionnaire survey is based on the statements of individuals and is carried out in order to identify the subtlest nuances in the opinions of those surveyed (respondents). The questionnaire survey method is the most important source of information about real-life social facts and social activities. It begins, as a rule, with the formulation of program questions, the “translation” of the problems posed in the research program into questionnaire questions, with a formulation that excludes various interpretations and is understandable to the respondents.

In sociology, as analysis shows, two main types of questionnaires are used more often than others: continuous and sample.

Table 7

Classification of types of sociological survey

A type of continuous survey is a census, in which the entire population of the country is surveyed. From the beginning of the 19th century. Population censuses are carried out regularly in European countries, and today they are used almost everywhere. Population censuses provide invaluable social information, but are extremely expensive - even rich countries can only afford this luxury once every 10 years. A continuous questionnaire survey, therefore, covers the entire population of respondents belonging to any social community or social group. The country's population is the largest of these communities. However, there are also smaller ones, for example, company personnel, participants in the Afghan war, WWII veterans, and residents of a small town. If the survey is carried out at such objects, it is also called continuous.

A sample survey (as opposed to a continuous survey) is a more economical and no less reliable method of collecting information, although it requires sophisticated methods and techniques. Its basis is the sample population, which is a smaller copy of the general population. The general population is considered to be the entire population of the country or that part of it that the sociologist intends

study, and sample - a set of people interviewed directly by a sociologist. In a continuous survey, the general and sample populations coincide, but in a sample survey they diverge. For example, the Gallup Institute in the USA regularly surveys 1.5-2 thousand people. and receives reliable data about the entire population (the error does not exceed a few percent). The general population is determined depending on the objectives of the study, the sample population is determined by mathematical methods. Thus, if a sociologist intends to look at the 1999 Ukrainian presidential elections through the eyes of its participants, then the general population will include all residents of Ukraine who have the right to vote, but he will have to interview a small part - the sample population. In order for the sample to accurately reflect the general population, the sociologist adheres to the following rule: any elector, regardless of place of residence, place of work, state of health, gender, age and other circumstances that make access difficult, must have the same opportunity to get into sample population. A sociologist does not have the right to interview specially selected people, the first or most accessible respondents. The probabilistic selection mechanism and special mathematical procedures that ensure the greatest objectivity are legitimate. It is believed that the random method is best way selection of typical representatives of the general population.

It should be noted that the art of a questionnaire survey lies in the correct formulation and arrangement of the questions asked. The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates was the first to address scientific questions. Walking through the streets of Athens, he verbally expounded his teachings, sometimes perplexing passers-by with his ingenious paradoxes. Today, in addition to sociologists, the survey method is used by journalists, doctors, investigators, and teachers. How does a sociological survey differ from surveys conducted by other specialists?

The first distinctive feature of a sociological survey is the number of respondents. Specialists usually deal with one person. A sociologist interviews hundreds and thousands of people and only then, summarizing the information received, draws conclusions. Why does he do this? When they interview one person, they find out his personal opinion. A journalist interviewing a pop star, a doctor diagnosing a patient, an investigator finding out the causes of a person’s death don’t need more, since what they need is the personal opinion of the interviewee. A sociologist who interviews many people is interested in public opinion. Individual deviations, subjective biases, prejudices, erroneous judgments, intentional distortions, processed statistically, cancel each other out. As a result, the sociologist receives an average picture of social reality. Having surveyed, for example, 100 managers, he identifies the average representative of a given profession. That is why the sociological questionnaire does not require indicating your last name, first name, patronymic and address: it is anonymous. So, a sociologist, receiving statistical information, identifies social personality types.

The most common method of collecting sociological information is SURVEY. The survey method is not the invention of sociologists. In all branches of knowledge where the researcher turns to a person with questions to obtain information, he deals with various modifications of this method. For example, doctors, finding out the course of the disease and the previous state of health of the patient, conduct anamnestic surveys. Lawyers, when finding out from witnesses the circumstances of the incident under investigation, also use the survey method and specifically study it psychological aspects and possible assessments of the reliability of the responses. Journalists, teachers, service workers social security and many other areas of social practice use this method to obtain information of interest to them.

The survey method is widely practiced in Russian sociology since the 20s. Currently, it can be said with certainty that this method is the most common method of collecting primary sociological information. Its popularity among Russian sociologists can be explained by the fact that verbal information obtained by this method is easier to quantify than non-verbal information. In addition, the practice of sociological research shows that verbal information is generally more reliable than non-verbal information.

There are several types of surveys, primarily questionnaires and interviews.

Questioning. It involves respondents filling out the questionnaire independently. Individual and group questioning, face-to-face and correspondence, is possible. An example of a correspondence survey is a postal survey or a survey through a newspaper.

Interviewing is a personal communication between a sociologist and a respondent, when he asks questions and records the respondent's answers.

There are several types of interviewing: direct (when a sociologist directly talks with the respondent); indirect (telephone conversation); formalized (a questionnaire is developed in advance); focused (a specific phenomenon is placed in the center of attention); free interview (free conversation without a predetermined topic).

This type of survey requires certain professional training. Typically used by journalists. The positive point is live communication. But at the same time, the anonymity characteristic of surveys is lost, which can lead to less sincere responses. Telephone interviews are now widely used.

A special kind survey is an expert survey, or, as it is often called, the method of expert assessments. Sociologists most often turn to this method, firstly, on initial stage research, and secondly, on final stage research as one of the methods of control and verification of received information.

One of the most critical moments is the selection of experts. Experts are persons competent in the field under study, major specialists, people with extensive experience in this field. The most common methods for selecting experts are: documentary (based on the study of socio-demographic data); selection of experts based on testing; selection of experts based on their self-assessments and selection of experts based on their certification by other people.

The method of surveying experts is widely used in domestic and foreign sociological practice. It is very effective when combined with other methods. At the same time, it should be noted that in the interests of the case, experts are most often asked open or semi-closed questions (especially at the initial stage of the study), which requires significant time and financial costs. Sociologists nevertheless believe that the method of expert assessments is one of the most promising.

Important view collection of information is sociological observation. This is a purposeful, systematized perception of a phenomenon with subsequent recording of the results on a form or in an observation diary using film, photo, or radio tape recording equipment. Observation allows you to obtain a “slice” of knowledge about the observed phenomenon or process in its dynamics, allows you to “grab” it, as it were. living life. The result is interesting materials.

Observation can be different: unstructured (when there is no detailed observation plan, only common features situations); structured (there is a detailed observation plan, instructions, there is sufficient information about the object); systemic, non-systemic.

Interesting results can be obtained through participant observation, when the researcher works or lives with the group being studied. This is field work, where the research is carried out in natural conditions, as opposed to laboratory work (with the creation of certain conditions).

One of the most unique and difficult to understand methods of collecting sociological information is the social experiment. The need to use a social experiment arises when it is necessary to solve problems related to the reaction of any social group to introduced internal or external factors, if these problems cannot be solved in another way. Hence, the task of a social experiment is to measure a group’s performance on certain factors under artificially created and controlled conditions.

Effective method collection of information is the analysis of documents. This method is used in the study of past phenomena and helps identify development trends. It is used in combination with other methods and can be of a control nature. The sources of analysis are reports. protocols, decisions, publications, letters, notes, personal files, reports, archival materials, etc. Practice and theory of sociological research show that almost all sociological research begins with the analysis of documents. Whether we are studying staff turnover at an enterprise or the value orientations of young people, problems of social planning or problems of distribution of university graduates, the first information that we receive at the initial stage of the study will most often be documentary.

In sociology, in addition to “purely” sociological methods of collecting information, methods with a psychological “bias” are also used, methods the use of which is focused on certain psychological aspects of behavior and relationships between people.

One of these methods of collecting primary sociological information is the method structural analysis small groups, or, as it is often called the sociometric method.

The sociometric method is a method of collecting primary social information about interpersonal relationships in small social groups.

The sociometric method today is one of the most effective and, apparently, the most promising methods for socio-psychological studies of small groups, as well as one of the most common methods for studying personality as an element of a social group. The sociometric method allows you to solve two important problems: firstly, it is used to study interpersonal and intergroup relations with the aim of improving and improving them. Secondly, it allows the sociologist to study the structure of small social groups. This is especially true when studying informal relationships. Therefore, the sociometric method is faced with the task of obtaining sociological information that is almost impossible to obtain by other methods.

An important point Preparation of research and collection of information is the development of tools: questionnaires, interview forms, registration cards, diary observations, etc. Since questionnaires are the most common method of collecting sociological information, let us dwell on it in more detail. What is the questionnaire and what are the requirements for it?

A sociological questionnaire is a system of questions united by a single research plan aimed at identifying the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the object of study. Compiling a questionnaire is a complex, labor-intensive task that requires certain professional skills. Only if certain requirements are met when compiling it is it possible to obtain objective quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the research object.

All questions in the questionnaire should be clearly worded so that they are understandable to respondents, including the terms used.

Questions should not:

Exceed the memory capabilities and competence of the respondents;

Cause negative emotions and hurt the pride of respondents;

To impose the opinion of a sociologist;

Be overwhelmed with answer options.

If the questionnaire includes a significant number of questions, then they are grouped into thematic blocks. Several groups of issues can be characterized.

1. Questions on the content: a) about the facts of consciousness (aimed at identifying opinions, wishes, judgments, plans); b) about facts of behavior (aimed at identifying actions, results of activities, behavior); c) about the personality of the respondent (or the so-called “passport”, which gives a description of the respondent’s personality).

2. Questions that differ in form: a) closed questions (for which a list of answer options is given); b) open (to which answer options are not attached. The respondent must formulate and enter the answer); c) semi-open (which combine the ability to select suggested answer options with the ability to also formulate and enter an answer). The latter is used by the researcher when he is not sure of the completeness of the answer options known to him.

Closed questions can also be alternative or non-alternative.

Alternative closed questions allow the respondent to choose only one answer option. For example: yes, I participate; no, I don't participate.

Non-alternative closed questions require the choice of one or more answer options. For example: “From what sources do you get political information- television, radio, newspapers, work colleagues, friends?

There are direct and indirect questions. Direct questions are those that require a critical attitude towards yourself and others.

Indirect questions - in which the need for a critical attitude towards oneself or loved ones is overcome. Example direct question: “What prevents you from studying well?” An example of an indirect question: “When I hear a reproach against a student that he is a bad student, I think that...”

Questions differ in their functions: basic and non-basic. The main questions are aimed at collecting information about the content of the phenomenon under study. Non-core questions are aimed at finding the addressee of the main questions. Non-core questions include filter questions and control questions.

Filter questions are used when you need to obtain data that characterizes not the entire population of respondents, but only part of it. Control questions are used to check the sincerity of responses.

When conducting a survey, it is also important compositional structure questionnaires.

The first part of the questionnaire contains an appeal to the respondent, which clearly outlines the goals and objectives of the study and explains the procedure for filling out the questionnaire. If the survey is anonymous, then the respondent is informed about this. The second part of the questionnaire contains questions. Moreover, at the beginning there are more simple questions, then more difficult ones and at the end again easy questions. This provides better sensitivity.

At the end of the questionnaire, as a rule, there is a “passport” and thanks to the respondent for his work in filling out the questionnaire.

In addition to the above-mentioned elements of sociological tools, other methodological and auxiliary materials are needed: instructions to the questionnaire, recommendations for processing and rejecting questionnaires, codifiers, etc.

In sociological research, the following concepts are used: indicator and measurement scale. Indicators are all facts (indicators) that are used for sociological measurement. These indicators can be objective (for example, level of education) and subjective (degree of job satisfaction, etc.). The sequence of their arrangement forms a measurement scale. Scales can be nominal (the indicators are objective signs and characteristics: gender, age, education, etc.) and ranked, where the indicators are listed in order of importance.

After completing the sociological survey, the questionnaires and interview forms are first checked for accuracy and completeness. If they are filled out incorrectly or are not completed by 30%, then such questionnaires (forms) are rejected and cannot be processed.

A small number of questionnaires (up to 300 copies) can be processed manually, a large number - on personal computers and computers. In the latter case, additional operations are carried out such as encoding information, selecting a calculation program, etc.

After receiving the results of the mathematical calculation, the researcher can begin to analyze sociological data and interpret them. The depth of analysis, scientific character, objectivity and completeness of interpretation depend on the competence of the researcher, his level special training, the ability to apply knowledge to the analysis of social reality.

At the final stage of the study, its results are documented: in the form of a report, an appendix to it and an analytical report.

The report must include a justification for the relevance of the study and its characteristics (goals, objectives, sample population, etc.); analysis of empirical material; theoretical conclusions and practical recommendations. The appendix to the report includes methodological and supporting documents.

In conclusion, I would like to say that sociological research is only one of the tools for understanding social processes and phenomena; its results, despite their significance, cannot be taken into account as absolutes. And at the same time, this is an important and, in a certain sense, irreplaceable means of obtaining objective information, which, along with other methods, expands our ability to understand society and increases the efficiency of practical activities.

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