Surveying through Gatekeepers in Social Research: Methodological Problems and Suggestions

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  • Author(s): Lamprianou, Iasonas (ORCID Lamprianou, Iasonas (ORCID 0000-0001-7637-615X)
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2022 25(6):783-795.
  • Publication Date:
    2022
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      13
    • Education Level:
      Higher Education
      Postsecondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Research Problems; Social Science Research; Qualitative Research; Sampling; Parent Surveys; College Students; Comparative Analysis; Rating Scales; Item Analysis; Family Relationship; Telephone Surveys; Parent Attitudes; Parent Participation; Student Attitudes; Gender Differences
    • Accession Number:
      10.1080/13645579.2021.1940775
    • ISSN:
      1364-5579
      1464-5300
    • Abstract:
      Recruiting participants through gatekeepers has been widely discussed in qualitative research. However, when a sampling frame is not available, surveying through gatekeepers can also be important for quantitative studies. We used three sampling methods to survey guardians of University students: (a) a gatekeeper variant of the time-space sampling, (b) a direct postal survey to a random sample of guardians' addresses, and (c) a phone survey of the general population. The gatekeeper survey was the most efficient, but yielded a skewed sample. Albeit skewed, the gatekeeper sample yielded the same responses as the random sample, on five theoretically important scales (N = 29 questions). In-depth personal interviews and online semi-structured questionnaires with guardians and students revealed a two-way gatekeeping mechanism within families, regulating guardians' participation in the study. We discuss the indispensable contribution of qualitative data in our study and provide methodological suggestions for practitioners.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2023
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1369611