Social Research Glossary A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Home
Citation reference: Harvey, L., 2012-24, Social Research Glossary, Quality Research International, http://www.qualityresearchinternational.com/socialresearch/
This is a dynamic glossary and the author would welcome any e-mail suggestions for additions or amendments.
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Bias
Bias refers to distortion, one-sidedness, partisanship or any other process of (systematic) misrepresentation.
Bias has several meanings. In general it refers to partisanship or distortion.
More specifically, in survey research bias is either (a) bias of the researcher or (b) statistical bias.
Bias of the researcher may be a conscious or unconscious effect. This can operate in the way in which, for example, the researcher frames particular questions in a questionnaire, leads respondents to provide particular answers, or interprets and codes their replies.
Statistical bias occurs when a sample fails to reflect accurately the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn owing to systematic effects of the sampling procedure. Bias, then, is different from sampling error, which is random and occurs normally as a result of random sampling procedures.
Bias unlike sampling error is difficult to estimate.
See also
Researching the Real World Section 1.10.4
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