Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly · 2001 · 90 citations · 8 references
Indiana ResidentsIndiana UniversitySampling TechniqueEducationPublic ParticipationSocial SciencesSurvey (Human Research)PhilanthropyTest CaseMethodological ComparisonCivic EngagementPublic PolicyCommunity EngagementHealth PromotionComplex SampleApplied Social PsychologyPopulation HouseholdIndiana SurveyProsocial BehaviorSociologyWeb Survey MethodQuantitative Social Science ResearchSurvey Methodology
Every 4 years, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University conducts a telephone survey (called Indiana Gives) of the giving and volunteering behaviors of Indiana citizens. In preparing to conduct Indiana Gives for 2000, a larger methodological question was asked: How much does survey methodology matter in generating accurate measures of giving and volunteering? In this most recent wave of the Indiana survey, conducted in October and November 2000, eight groups of approximately 100 randomly selected Indiana residents were asked to complete one of eight surveys related to giving and volunteering. It was found that the longer the module and the more detailed its prompts, the more likely a household was to recall making any charitable contribution and the higher the average level of its giving. These differences persisted even after controlling for differences in age, educational attainment, income, household status, race, and gender.
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