Running head: SURVEY STUDY

Kenda E. McClimon English 7702: Research Design Dr. Albers Survey Study Fall 2012

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Abstract This quantitative research project is designed around the research problem: technical and professional communicators need to write about cell phone technical information into the format for the resource people prefer to learn through. And the research question: Which resource do people prefer to receive information on cellular technology through? Rather than actually answering the question and solving the problem, this research includes a literature review and focuses on the methods of how that would be done. A survey is created for 500 business students to answer so that this paper can focus on the hows and whys the survey will assist the research.

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Introduction Its difficult to argue the fact that cell phones are todays leading technical device for communication. Not only do cell phones allow users to speak at distances with one another, but todays technology allows users to browse the internet, listen to music, watch videos, text message, download Apps, and even video chat. Looking back to when the cell phone was invented in 1973 (Anjarwalla), this entirely mobile device has evolved from a simple, portable phone into a media powerhouse. In 2012, it seems as though almost every time a phone is introduced, an updated and improved version becomes available shortly thereafter. With emerging new features and updates in cellular technology, how do people learn about the technical information? This study will search for this answer by emailing a survey to 500 students belonging to the College of Business at the University of Toledo. The objective is to gain insight into what a sample of Americas future business leaders think about this topic. This paper describes how the survey will be created, conducted, and analyzed. Literature Review In 2003, a study found that over 70% of U.S households had possession of a cell phone. (Debrosse) Since then, that number has increased. In the past few decades, the world has watched the cell phone evolve from a talking brick into a handheld computer. Present day cell phones offer technical features such as: Voice Command Text Messaging Internet Browsing Local and Selected Weather Forecasts GPS Technology MP3 Technology Apps Camera Voice and Video Recording Storage Libraries Video Video Chat Touch Screens Sliding Screens and Keyboards

. With features such as these, cell phones are bundling standalone devices such as DVD players and MP3 players into one. The GPS industry in particular is suffering in sales because most cell phones are sold standard with GPS technology. (Twiddy) As the cell phone industry continues to push forward with technology, technical and professional communicators are needed to communicate information. And just how should they communicate this information? This leads to the research problem that technical and professional communicators need to write about cell phone technical information into the format for the resource people prefer to learn through. With a variety of informational resources available, the research question then asks: Which resource do people prefer to receive information on cellular technology through?

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The intention for this study is to find out how technical and professional communicators should produce information on cell phone technology through sources. Along with cell phones, there are a variety of resources that are available for obtaining information. Technical and professional communicators have the task of communication through different sources. For example, information is not processed the same for both a written manual and a video on the internet. A written manual is designed for somebody who has excess time to acquire details that many videos do not have the time to talk about. A video on the internet is focused more towards an individual who seeks a quick overview. Adapting information for different technical formats is a current issue for communicators. Researchers are seeking solutions to make computer web pages more convenient for phone browsing. (Chen & Chien) Technical and professional communicators need to design the information they provide based on the resource(s) it is received through, and this study will explain which resource communicators should focus on. But first, why is there an audience for technical information on cell phones? Some reasons include: Buyer knowledge Research Single-sourcing Buyer reviews Instructional manuals/brochures/articles Informational journals

There are a variety of reasons why audiences seek technical information on cell phones, but how specifically do they go about getting it? To answer the research question and solve the research problem, there needs to be participants, materials, procedures, and measures. When dealing with similar research, researchers tend to prefer using surveys as a reliable method for quantitative research. A survey design provides a quantitative or numeric description of trends, attitudes, or opinions of a population by studying a sample of that population. (Creswell, 153) Using surveys is recommended by many quantitative researchers because it contains three goals that include: achieving description, explanation, and exploration. (Brommage) Methods For this study, a quantitative survey method plan will be conducted. The purpose of the survey design is to find out which resource individuals prefer to learn about technical information on cell phones through. The survey will be distributed through email from the author of this study to 500 students in the College of Business at the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. Choosing a survey design method is preferred because it will help gather the opinions of individuals who are educating themselves in fields that take particular interest in the cell phone industry. This notion leads to the assumption that these individuals are more conscience of cell phone technology than other students. In order to be emailed a survey, the only stipulation is that the student must be registered in the College of Business. From there, 500 random students will have surveys emailed to them. The survey will be conducted during the week of October 22 through October 29. Before this survey is conducted, a pilot test will be emailed on October 15 at 8a.m and end at midnight on October 17. The sample survey will be distributed to 25 students under the same

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conditions. A pilot test of the survey will be performed to improve questions, format, and validity before the actual testing. The survey consists of a total of 12 questions using a Likert Scale. 5 of the questions are for demographic purposes and listed at the end of the survey. The other 7 questions pertain to the study. All of the questions provide answers to choose from, and 3 of them offer an open-ended option as well. The survey begins by asking the participant if they use a cell phone on a daily basis, and then asks them to choose how important owing a cell phone is to them. The survey begins with this question because it introduces participants to the topic. From there, the survey asks which devices participants own and how important keeping up with cell phone trends is to them. These questions will measure how important technology is to the participants based on how many devices they own and their interest levels. Questions 5-7 are the most important in the survey because they are the focus questions for the study. These questions are directed to find out which resource people prefer to receive technical information on cell phones through. Because the survey is being distributed to business students, questions 1-7 should tie into the control variable of using business students aware of technology. Two of the demographic questions in particular are highly important. Question 8 asks participants what their highest level of education is. This will help tie together education and interest in phone technology. Question 9 holds the same concept, but with employability. Employability will determine how interest in cell phone technology intertwines with working. The other three demographic questions ask for age, ethnicity, and gender. The demographic questions will be used to break up the data. The majority of participants are estimated to be between the ages of 18-25, so age will be the first demographic used to divide the data. Participant Selection Choosing the participants for this survey will be both random and nonrandom. To be selected, regardless of whether the student is part time or full time, they must be registered in the College of Business. A list of students and student emails will be provided by the college, and then 500 names will be chosen at random. The control variable will be using only business students based on the assumption that they are more aware of the cell phone industry and information than any other college on campus. It is estimated that the majority of participants will fall between the ages of 18-25. When the results are received, the surveys will first be divided by age because it is believed that source preference will be associated with age. Data Analysis Method Once the data is collected, a series of five steps will used to analyze it. Step 1: For this section of the analysis, the details of the respondents and number of turn outs for the survey will be discussed. Step 2: This step will be dedicated to measuring the accuracy of the surveys. Incomplete and problematic surveys will be taken into account by reviewing them individually. If a survey does not show accurate consistency (such as participants making choices at random), then it will be noted as void.

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Step 3: Step 3 will discuss the means, medians, and modes for the survey questions. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables will also be discussed as they apply to the questions. Step 4: This step discusses the measurement of the scales and questions. In this study, a Likert Scale was used. A Likert Scale typically consists of an odd number of questions so that the presence of a middle choice is available. The questions in this survey that ask for measurement all include at least five options to choose from. This information will be measured and calculated on a scale from 1 through 5, with 1 assigned to the highest choice and 5 to the lowest. Step 5: This final part will discuss the statistics. The research question, independent and dependent variables, and answers will all be tied together and analyzed. Ultimately the goal is to find out which source the students preferred, so this section will tie together the demographic questions of the survey with the questions pertaining towards interest, preference, ownership, and knowledge information.

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References Anjarwalla, T. (2010). Inventor of Cell Phone: We Knew Someday Everybody Would Have One. CNN Tech. Retrieved October 2, 2012, from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-0709/tech/cooper.cell.phone.inventor_1_car-phone-cell-phone-buildingphones?_s=PM:TECH Brommage, Deborah. (2006). Survey Research. Journal of Renal Nutrition: 16(4), 348-350. Chen, C., & Chien, Y. (2007). Effects of RSVP Display Design on Visual Performance in Accomplishing Dual Tasks with Small Screens. International Journal of Design. Retrieved September 24, 2012, from http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/36/8 Creswell, J. W. (2003). Quantitative Methods. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (153-178). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Debrosse, J. (2003, December 21). CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? 70% of U.S. Homes Have Cell Phones. Dayton Daily News, pp. A1-A8. Swarts, J. (2007). Mobility and Composition: The Architecture of Coherence in Non-places. Technical Communication Quarterly, 16(3), 279-309. Twiddy, D. (2009, December 6). GPS Cell Phones App-ropriate Rivals for Standalone Devices. Telegraph Helard, pp. B10.

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Appendix
Survey Please take a moment to answer these questions about cell phones for a college research project. Your participation is greatly appreciated! 1.) a. b. c. 2.) a. b. c. d. e. 3.) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. 4.) a. b. c. d. e. Do you use a cell phone on a daily basis? Yes Sometimes No How important is it to own a cell phone to you? Very More than average Average Less than average Not at all Do you own any of these devices? Circle all that apply. Tablet Cell Phone Computer/Laptop Radio Television E-Reader I do not own any of these devices Is keeping up with the latest cell phone trends important to you? Always Almost always Sometimes Rarely Never

5.) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. l.

Which resource do you prefer to use when learning about trends in technology in general? Tablet Cell Phone Computer/Laptop Radio Television E-Reader Newspaper Magazine Book Manual None Other_______________

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6.) a. b. c. d. e. 7.) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k.

How important is learning about cell phone information to you? Very Important Important Somewhat important Less important Not important Which resource do you prefer when learning about information on cell phones? Tablet Cell Phone Computer/Laptop Radio Television E-Reader Newspaper Magazine Book None Other________________

8.) a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. 9.) a. b. c. 10.) a. b. c. d. e.

What is your highest completion of education? Some high school High school graduate Some college Associate degree Bachelor degree Graduate degree Doctorate/Law/Professional degree None of the above Are you currently employed? Full time Part time Unemployed How old are you? 16-20 21-24 25-30 31-40 40+

11.) a. b.

What ethnicity are you? White Black

SURVEY STUDY 9 c. d. e. f. 12.) a. b. Hispanic Asian Native American/Pacific Islander Other__________________ What is your gender? Male Female

Thank you for your participation!