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Secondary Analysis of Large Survey Database
Author Bio
Why Conduct Secondary Anaylsis
Advantages of Survey Data
Avoiding the Pitfalls
Start with the Research Question
Determine Variables of Interest
Identify and Evaluate the Data Source
Get the Data
Survey Design
Sampling Frame
Telephone Surveys
Followback Surveys
Multistage Cluster Samples
What is a Panel Design
Mode of Survey Administration
Survey Instruments
CodeBooks
Online Exploratory Analysis
Potential Sources of Error
Currently Selected Section: Cultural Nonequivalence
Analysis of Survey Data
Cluster and Stratified Samples
Using Sample Weights
Missing Data
Power Calculations
Linking Data Sources
Multiple Comparisons
Getting Help
Giving Feedback
Conclusion
Chapter 20: Secondary Analysis of Large Survey Database: Cultural Nonequivalence
          

Every dialog, whether interviews or questionnaire responses, has a cultural context. The instrument is language and therefore its referents are not uniform. Terms like "sometimes" and "often", "good" and "fair" have many referents and individuals from different cultures may interpret them differently. Comparisons across different groups need to consider the potential for bias resulting from different item performance in different groups, a phenomenon known as "cultural nonequivalence" (Stewart and Napoles-Springer, 2000).

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