Survey Design

This 10-week course will cover current topics in survey research with a hands-on-design where students run, prep and analyze a survey. Current topics will involve reading the literature, discussing survey challenges and writing and problem solving. Topics will include:

• Sampling – probability, Internet, list – pros and cons, practical and theoretical issues with methods
• Instrument design and testing – role of literature, focus groups, methods of testing, combining measures from other surveys
• Design and testing of scales
• Managing survey response in real time to minimize bias, nonresponse adjustment
• Considerations of survey cost and survey management, survey contract management

In the hands-on portion, the class will focus on a specific topic and design and implement an internet-based survey. The survey would be sufficiently large to allow students to gain experience in:

• Measurement and testing of questions (possibly including focus groups)
• Identification of respondents, sampling (possibly with stratification), contact, and nonresponse analysis
• Processing and analysis, including open-ended coding, derived variables, and item nonresponse
• Sample and nonresponse weighting (time permitting)
• Analysis and presentation of results
• Cooperation and field issues