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Integrated Survey Design for a Household Activity-Travel Survey in Centre County, Pennsylvania
Paper Submitted for presentation at the 83rd Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting and publication in the Transportation Research Record Washington, D.C., January 11-15, 2004Submitted: August 1, 2003
Authors: Michael L. Patten* and Konstadinos G. Goulias
ABSTRACT: In this paper we outline an integrated method for conducting a household activity-travel survey that was used successfully in a household survey of Centre County, Pennsylvania. This method incorporates elements of the Dillman-tailored method and the Socialdata-KONTIV design with concepts developed by the Penn State study team. The procedure followed in the survey consists of a first stage of contact and introduction to the study, mailing of survey materials, and a series of reminders and clarifications. The entire process culminates with post-survey thank you letters, summary of the findings to the respondents, and a gift certificate reward structure. Our experiments with the Dillman-tailored method and the Socialdata-KONTIV design and survey administration are extremely encouraging and a testimony to the good design advocated by both traditions. The survey experienced a response rate of 38.8 percent for the household questionnaire portion of the survey and 28.5 percent for the diaries. Within each of these two response rates, however, we find specific segments and a sequence of actions that yield a response rate as high as 68.8% and a series of actions during survey administration that aid achieving this rate confirming the suggestions offered by researchers in Europe and Australia suggesting we should change the requirements for surveys in the U.S.
Michael L. Patten*
Center Manager
Transportation Survey Research Center
The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute
The Pennsylvania State University
201 Transportation Research Building
University Park, PA 16802-4710
Tel: (814) 863-0572
Fax: (814) 865-3039
E-mail: mlp2@psu.edu
Konstadinos G. Goulias, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and
Director
Mid-Atlantic Universities Transportation Center
The Pennsylvania State University
201 Transportation Research Building
University Park, PA 16802-4710
Tel: (814) 863-7926
Fax: (814) 865-3039
E-mail: kxg2@psu.edu
*Corresponding Author