Posted by Researcher on December 29, 1997 at 08:05:46:
In Reply to: Re: Yet Another explanation posted by Observer on December 29, 1997 at 00:41:07:
This is valid only if self-reported. This is why the most tenuous kind of research is to ask people to report upon their own attributes or behavior, without independent confirmation. Self-reporting, (as it's known in the trade) opens the door to all sorts of inaccuracies, from harmless exaggeration to malicious sabotage.
Warning- in the light of these cautions, it's always important, when reading any "survey," to know exactly how the people conducting the survey obtained their data. There are so many ways (accidental and purposeful) to skew the results that it's important to know how the information was obtained.