Improved Public Transport for Disabled People: Volume II

Improved Public Transport for Disabled People: Volume II - Annexes 1-3

Annex Three - Survey Methodology

A3.1 This Annex provides details of the survey methodology. It includes:

A description of the methodology employed.
The CAPI script questionnaire
The data tables

Survey Methodology

A3.2 A key element of the research study was primary research in the form of a face-to-face random pre-selected quantitative survey with a sample of people with disabilities and long-term illnesses.

A3.3 The Scottish Household Survey ( SHS) was used as the sampling frame for the face-to-face survey. The SHS is a Scotland's largest household survey and not only includes questions relating to disability and long-term ill health, but also asks a random adult in the household to give their permission to be contacted for re-interview. The sample was drawn from all respondents to the SHS interviewed between July 2004 and July 2005 who were disabled or long-term ill and had given permission to be re-contacted. In total, a sample of 1,500 addresses was drawn and a target of 700 interviews was set.

A3.4 The survey was undertaken face-to-face rather than by telephone or by post as the characteristics of some people in the sample (for example people with learning difficulties, hearing impairments, older people) meant that telephone or postal approaches would not be practical. An advance letter was sent to all sampled individuals, giving potential respondents the opportunity to make a specific appointment time for the interview and the chance to request any specific requirements (i.e. a sign language interpreter, translator, Braille cards etc.)

A3.5 All interviewing was carried out in accordance with the Market Research Society's Code of Conduct which specifies standards for the conduct of surveys in order to protect the confidentiality of personal data and to ensure that the privacy of individuals is protected.

A3.6 All interviewers were fully briefed by the research team before carrying out the fieldwork. This ensured that interviewers were fully informed about the background to the survey, in addition to providing the opportunity for interviewers to practice the questionnaire, ask any questions and identify potential difficulties in administering the survey. The face-to-face survey was conducted using Computer Aided Personal Interviewing ( CAPI). Interviewers were instructed to make a minimum of four calls on each address, where necessary, in order to secure an interview. These calls were made at different times of day and on different days of the week, with at least two calls made in the evening or at the weekend.

A3.7 In total, 703 successful interviews were completed between August and October 2005. The survey took 33 minutes on average to complete.

A3.8 The questionnaire was designed by TNS in conjunction with TTR, TRi and the Steering Group. The full CAPI script version of the questionnaire is also included in this Annex. In summary, all respondents were asked about a range of journeys they may or may not undertake. These included common ones such as visiting a convenience store or a doctor's surgery and to others that may be less so such as going a way for a weekend or on holiday. Questions included whether they made they journey and if so how easy or difficult it was to make; whether they would like to make journeys at all or more often; and the extent to which difficulties making journeys was caused by difficulties traveling. Further questions explored what would make some of the existing journeys they made easier to undertake and what would encourage or enable them to undertake journeys they do not currently undertake. Respondents were also asked about the potential usefulness or helpfulness of a range of existing initiatives or existing ideas that might make travel easier, as well as a set of questions about public transport and which initiatives or schemes were likely to encourage or enable them to use public transport more.

A3.9 To ensure the highest quality data, a series of additional edits and consistency checks were carried out during and at the end of the fieldwork period. Responses to open-ended questions were listed, examined and coded before the data was provided. Cross tabulations of all main questions were produced and the survey data was exported into SPSS, providing the research team with a data set for further analysis.