EPE 619: Survey Research Dr. Kelly Bradley

Welcome Syllabus and course overview Let’s say Hello A little group work Introduction Presentation

On your card Name Major, Advisor and/or current position Why are you here? Contact Information Fun fact

Hello… I am Name Why are you here? Tell us something about you

Today’s Group Work What is Survey Research? What is a Survey? Discuss your goals for the class. Any questions or concerns regarding the course.

Introduction to Survey Research Survey research is the most popular and common research method used in social sciences as well as in our society. is one of the most important areas of measurement in applied social research. The broad area of survey research encompasses any measurement procedures that involve asking questions of respondents.

What is a survey? A "survey" can be anything from a short paper-and-pencil feedback form to an intensive one-on-one in- depth interview.

Why conduct survey research? Gather information not available from other sources Unbiased representation of population interest (depending on sampling) Consistency of measurement

Purpose The aim of survey research is to measure certain attitudes and/or behaviors of a population or a sample. The purpose of a survey is to collect information from many individuals, hoping to understand them as a whole.

Focus Survey research focuses on naturally occurring phenomena. Rather than manipulating phenomena, survey research attempts to influence the attitudes and behaviors it measures as little as possible. Most often, respondents are asked for information.

Types of Data Survey research is primarily quantitative, but qualitative methods can be used.

Sampling A researcher may be able to gather data from all members of a population. Most of the time, the population is so large that researchers must sample only a part of the population and make conclusions about the population based on the sample. Because of this, a good sampling scheme is often critical in survey research.

Survey Research Classifications Classified according to PURPOSE Exploratory survey: to form general ideas about the research questions Descriptive survey: to collect more specific descriptions of the variables of interest Explanatory survey: to develop understanding of relationships among variables of interest

Classification Classified according to TIME Cross-sectional survey: Data are collected at one point in time from a sample selected to represent a larger population. Longitudinal surveys: to collect data over time. Trend Studies: Surveys of sample population at different points in time Cohort Studies: Study of same population each time data are collected, although samples studied may be different Panel Studies: Collection of data at various time points with the same sample of respondents.

Classification Classified according to DATA COLLECTION APPROACHES Face-to-Face Survey Mail Survey Telephone Survey Web Survey

Survey Research Process Survey research (like all research) begins with identifying a problem and posing it as a research question. In higher education, Problem: "Freshman enrollments are down." Question: "What do college-bound high school students think of the university?"

Survey Research Process The survey research process includes: the design of a survey the acquisition of a sample the fielding of the survey the analysis of the collected data the presentation of results

Issues to consider in survey research What is your RESEARCH QUESTION? Population: accessibility, literacy, and language issues? Sampling: available data and participation of respondents? Questions: type, length, and complexity? existing questionnaire? Content: knowledge of? Bias: honest responses and social desirability? Administrative: cost, time, and equipment?

A little exploration Internet Sites Related to Survey Research

Let’s enjoy the semester