Survey Unit
The fieldwork: organisational structure and quality controls
Organisational structure
The Survey Unit of Tárki Zrt. has a network of fieldworkers (interviewers), which is headed by the full-time lead instructor. This instructor works with and controls the work of 15 regional instructors.
The instructors work closely together with their field-workers, and discuss with them all problems arising during fieldwork. Tárki Zrt. employs field-workers with a secondary or higher education. Tárki Zrt. also keeps a confidential record of their personal data. All interviewers sign an ethical agreement taking full responsibility for carrying out their work with professional care.
Quality controls
Interviewing
The regional instructors carry out 100 per cent fill-in control. They also control their field-workers randomly by visiting some households patricipating in the given research. They produce a written report about the results of the control work to the lead instructor. The staff of the Survey Department also controls the interviewers by sending out control letters and checking with the interviewers via telephone.
The regional instructors hand over the questionnaires to the post-workers working at Budapest headquarters of Tárki. The number of post-workers ranges from 5 to 25 depending on the research. Their responsibilities include standardised fill-in control, coding open questions and recording data. The different post-workers handle different regions, therefore the control of both field-workers and instructors is possible. Feedback on their work is constantly available and given.
Data
Data is entered is SPSS Data Entry program. Logical control and exclusion of extreme values are always built into the program. This procedure reduces typing errors and other possible mistakes.
The first control of the file happens before compiling the system file. A further program checks for various types of coding errors. Only after correcting these errors are the files merged.
On the merged data file a more rigorous cleaning procedure begins: all demographic data are cleaned and logical uncertainties are checked and re-checked. These phases of data cleaning are done by staff members who are experienced in searching for mistakes and understand programming, as well, enabling them to correct the errors.
The TÁRKI Omnibus Survey
Each month TARKI carries out its Omnibus survey with a simple size of 1000 individuals aged 18+. The survey is prepared using personal interviews, applies random selection sampling, and is representative of the Hungarian adult population.
The advantage of the Omnibus data collection is that several researches, independent of one another, are carried out at the same time.In this way the fixed costs of the different researches are reduced (e.g. travel costs and coordination of fieldworkers, the technical aspects of setting up the data base, the fundamental socio-demographic background variables, etc.), as these costs are shared proportionately amongst our clients.
The TARKI Omnibus researches ensure the following demographic data: gender, age, family status, level of education, occupation, position, family structure, individual and family incomes, economic situation, social status, religiosity. With the help of questions designed to examine demographic background, our clients obtain a comprehensive picture of the respondent as individuals and of the multiple dimensions of the data related to the topic under investigation. As a result, a more layered analysis of the data is possible.
Any client can have an order added to the Omnibus:
The Omnibus' price per minute is 135.000 HUF. In this price framework, we provide the client with a cleaned, labelled data file. In case the client also has a need for analysis of the data, the given price per minute would be increased to cover the costs of the analysis and preparation of the study. We would provide also a single oral presentation of the study. For orders above 20 minutes, we provide a discount.
The Omnibus Survey is carried out in the first half of each month. Clients are asked to indicate their intention to join the Omnibus by the last week of the month prior, by sending to TARKI their block of questions to be asked (or the design of their question block). The final questionnaire is edited for publication with the help of experts in interview methodology. TARKI provides the data file to the client during the last week of the same month.
In case of any questions please do not hesitate to contact us:
Ágnes Gonda, Head of Office
E-mail: gonda@tarki.hu
Data Protection Officer: Ágnes Gonda
