“Despite the urge to proclaim and disseminate in textbook fashion the evolving methodological bases for the newly developed art of survey research, it was increasingly recognized that no one could really prescribe what constituted acceptable practice across the range of varying uses and applications. Instead, AAPOR moved in the direction of disclosure: no rules for conducting surveys would be pronounced but, in the tradition of all science, survey researchers should be required to describe adequately just what they did so that their findings could be objectively evaluated.” Hollander (1992:68) After decades of effort, we have yet to reach the place where survey researchers “describe adequately just what they do so that their findings can be objectively evaluated.” AAPOR opted long ago to push for methodological disclosure rather than to write rules for research. While the latter appeared to be too difficult of a route, the path to transparency has also turned out to be rugged and uphill. At various points along the way, we have appeared to gain little ground and wondered if the climb was worth it.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
P. V. Miller (2010) studied this question.