Using the Total Survey Error Paradigm to Minimize Comparability Error in Cross-National and Cross-Cultural Surveys

Cross-national and cross-cultural research thus has not only great promise, but is an absolute necessity to understand contemporary human societies. To be useful comparative survey research needs to meet high scientific standards of reliability and validity and achieve functional equivalence across surveys. This is challenging because comparative survey research is a large-scale and complex endeavor that must be well-designed and well-executed to minimize error and maximize equivalence. This goal can be notably advanced by the application of the total survey error paradigm to cross-national/cultural survey research.

First, this paper examines the concept of total survey error, including interactions between the error components, its application when multiple surveys are involved, and comparison error across cross-national surveys. Second, obtaining functional equivalence and similarity in cross-national surveys is discussed. Third, the challenges of doing cross-national surveys are considered and how combining traditional approaches for maximizing functional equivalence with the utilization of TSE can minimize comparison error and maximize comparative reliability and validity. Fourth, attention is given to minimizing comparison error in question wordings in general and the availability of on-line resources for developing and testing items to be used in cross-national surveys. Special attention is given to dealing with differences in language, structure, and culture. Fifth, issues relating to evaluating scales designed to measure constructs in comparative survey research are examined. Sixth, the combined use of the multi-level, multi-source approach and TSE in cross-national surveys is considered. Finally, the importance of documentation is discussed.