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Exploring variables underlying non‐response in a survey of nurses and nurses' aides in practice
Author(s) -
Barriball K. Louise,
While Alison E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00960.x
Subject(s) - unit (ring theory) , resampling , psychology , nursing , medicine , statistics , mathematics , mathematics education
Exploring variables underlying non‐response in a survey of nurses and nurses' aides in practice ¶This paper demonstrates that distinguishing between the different sources of unit response failure (i.e. refusals and non‐contact) in survey research is methodologically important since minimizing non‐contact and refusals requires different approaches. The findings of an interview survey show that unit response failure can be contained successfully through careful study design and management. The potential value of using resampling (i.e. obtaining some information from non‐respondents) for identifying: (i) which direction, if any, the data from respondents are biased and; (ii) influencing variables on the incidence of non‐response is also demonstrated.