Question

1. The college would like to determine how many students eat in the cafeteria and what they typically order. List the ways that this information could be obtained. Which method is best and why?
   
2. Suppose that a researcher is investigating attitudes toward the preservation of natural habitats, and the survey includes a battery of lifestyle questions, many attitude questions on wildlife and habitat preservation, extensive demographics, plus many opinion questions on specific state parks, national parks, public lands, and recreational areas. The questionnaire takes 60 minutes to complete when self-administered, and 90 minutes to complete when administered by an interviewer. What are some obstacles the researcher might face in conducting this survey? Describe some creative approaches that can be used to overcome the obstacles mentioned.

Answer 1

1)In order to get the data of number of students eat in the cafeteria and their order.

1. Survey: students are not eating all the time same thing, but the frequency of eating same food you can calculate by getting data from survey.

in survey you can put multiple choice questions like

Name , how often they come to cafeteria, how many times in a day, , what food they usually order.

2. Online survey: now a days you can take electronic feedback by requesting them to fill online 4 to 5 questions of survey, so that you ca get electronic data as well, no need of compilation.

Questions will be :-

1. Your name and section (in order to understand check number of students)
2. Time (you can compile what ever they are eating is also depend on the menu at that time), or you can put electronic clock in your survey to understand the timing, or just give choice of (morning, afternoon, evening , night)
3. what was your order?(give options to choose)
4. how was the food?
5. why you have chosen this food?

3. Electronic Card Swap machine:Another way is to swapping card, if they swap card you will take electronic data of number of students come to cafeteria.

4. Automatic data captured: you can take everyday data from through system( if any) to take order, because that contain name, ordered food list and even timings.

Answer 2)

First obstacle is with such lengthy survey, you will not able to get the appropriate or real data, because no one wants to make a 60 minute or 90 minute of surveys, people get bore and just filling for the sake of information or leave in between, so survey has to be at maximum 15 minutes not more than that.

Some approach for such big information required:

First you should be specific to your information required, breakdown your needs into tasks

1. battery of lifestyle
2. wildlife and habitat preservation
3. extensive demographics
4. specific state or national parks , public land recreation areas

Create small surveys for each task and than compile your data.

I think categorise your task and than take samples of 30 (best count) from each demographic.

survey for each demographic place should be as per the language and understandability.

Use local people to take such surveys , sometimes manual, if accessibility of online surveys not available, and for cities you can do online survey also.

But i conclude for such large information , you should go for sample survey's.