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Section 4 Techniques and Tools

4B Quantitative methods

Quantitative methods include a range of approaches including surveys. These approaches use highly structured techniques of data collection that allow for quantification, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis and the ability to generalise from the data. This guidance is largely confined to various types of survey and sampling techniques.

One of the criticisms of quantitative techniques is that in attempting to measure and compare attitudes and behaviours much of the depth of understanding and meaning is lost. Survey questionnaires are a widely used tool and whilst they allow for relatively simple administration of some form of feedback, they often fail to address the issues of concern or support the development of a real understanding of the diversity of experience. They rely on the ability to articulate or write responses to questions in the way that they are presented within the survey.

Quantitative methods are useful where statistical representativeness and the ability to generalise to a larger population is a goal of the research or consultation. They offer the ability to gather views on service quality from across a large number of respondents, to compare views within groups of a larger population and track change over time. In practice they are often combined with qualitative methods.

Practice point

• There is scope to greatly improve the quality and usefulness of quantitative methods, particularly surveys undertaken by social landlords.

This guidance encourages social landlords to make fuller complementary use of qualitative approaches, to plan and design useful surveys and to pay closer attention to the quality and presentation of research and consultation.

4.01 General satisfaction surveys and opinion polls

4.02 Planning and designing useful surveys

4.03 Planning for high quality surveys

4.04 Servqual

4.05 Customer and other panels

4.06 Service specific, recent contact and exit surveys

4.07 Continuous monitoring surveys

4.08 Mystery shopping

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