Course: Issues in Survey Research Design
Schedule
| Session | Topic | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | ||
| 1 | Overview of Course and the Survey Design Process | Lecture 1
Discussion |
| 2 | Choosing Your Own Survey Research Project
Class Preparation Questions: Describe a research question you would like to explore in this class and any initial thoughts you have about the survey that you would like to do or any special design challenges you already see ahead? |
Lecture 2
Discussion |
| Module 1: From Whom Should You Collect Information? | ||
| 3 | Selecting Target Population and Sampling Frame
Class Preparation Questions: What is (are) the unit(s) of analysis for your study? To what population would you like to generalize findings? |
Lecture 3
Discussion |
| 4 | Hard-to-Reach Populations
Class Preparation Questions: Are there hard to reach populations that are of interest to you? How might you collect sufficient information from them? |
Lecture 4
Discussion |
| 5 | Reducing Non-Response
Class Preparation Questions: How big a problem will non-response be? How could you minimize non-response? |
Lecture 5
Discussion |
| 6 | Discussion of Class Participants' Sample Plans | First Assignment Due |
| Module 2: How Should Information Be Collected? | ||
| 7 | Overview and Face-to-Face Interviewing
Class Preparation: What if you chose to use face-to-face interviewing to collect data, what would be the advantages versus disadvantages? |
Lecture 7
Discussion |
| 8 | Telephone Interviews
Class Preparation Questions: What if you chose to use face to face or telephone interviewing to collect data, what would be the advantages versus disadvantages? |
Lecture 8
Discussion |
| 9 | Mail, Self-Administered, Web-based Questionnaires
Class Preparation Questions: What if you chose to use mail or web-based surveys to collect data, what would be the advantages versus disadvantages? |
Lecture 9
Discussion |
| 10 | Computer Assisted Interviewing
Class Preparation Questions: What if you chose to use computer assisted interviewing to collect data, what would be the advantages versus disadvantages? |
Lecture 10
Discussion |
| 11 | Discussion of Class Participants' Sampling and Data Collection Proposals | Second Assignment Due |
| Module 3: Constructing the Instrument | ||
| 12 | Instrument Construction: Events
Class Preparation Questions What will your main outcome and independent variables be? How will your measures be influenced by your data collection strategy and the people you are studying? |
Lecture 12
Discussion |
| 13 | Instrument Construction: Opinions
Class Preparation Questions What types of variables are your main outcome and independent variables? Attitudes, Knowledge, Behavior,Events, Demographic Characteristics or what? What problems may respondent face trying to answer questions about these variables? |
Lecture 13
Discussion |
| 14 | Evaluating Survey Questions
Class Preparation Questions: How will your measures maximize the quality of the information collected? |
Lecture 14 (not available) Discussion |
| 15 | Discussion of Class Participants' Instruments | Third Assignment Due |
| 16 | Interview Error
Class Preparation Questions: What management and implementation strategies do you plan to use to ensure the quality of your data? |
Lecture 16
Discussion |
