Estimating response to follow-ups in mail surveys.

A simple method for estimating the effectiveness of successive follow-ups in mail surveys is presented.     

Experiments in the measurement of the size of social networks

This paper reports the results of a series of experiments conducted to measure the effects of alternative procedures for determining the size of social networks. The three methods tested are recall, recognition, and numerical estimation. Respondents were selected from work, church, and social groups. The major findings were that recall estimates are substantially below those obtained by recognition methods and become worse for larger groups. On average, numerical estimates are reasonable approximations of network size estimates based on recognition, but there is substantial variability in the accuracy of individual reports. Surprisingly, there is no evidence that recall is better for reports on number of close friends than of friends or acquaintances. There are order effects on numerical estimates of network size and better estimates are obtained by first asking about close friends. Finally, there is some evidence that respondent characteristics such as age affect recall of network size.     

A methodological assessment of the use of key informants

The key informant technique is assessed in terms of the ability of different types of informants to report on various aspects of the social system in which they perform role functions. Role theory suggests that informants occupying a specialized role within a social structure provide greater information on role-related aspects of the structure than informants occupying positions unrelated to the area being investigated. Empirical evidence in support of this assertion is presented.     

Do Exit Polls Influence Voting Behavior?

This article summarizes the findings of the effect of exit pollson voting behavior. Both macro and micro methods have been used,and no methods are perfect. Exit polls appear to cause smalldeclines in total voting in areas where the polls close latefor those elections where the exit polls predict a clear winnerwhen previously the race had been considered close.