University of Maine ENG 317: Business & Technical Writing © 2012 Charlsye Smith Diaz, Ph.D.

It’s time to finalize your topic selection. When you are ready, submit the Topic Worksheet to your instructor for approval.

This video was provided by communication expert: Michael Walter Mitchell. Mitchell has a masters degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been teaching English and history at various secondary schools. Filmmaker: Paul Volniansky

You can get a lot of data from 5 questions, so we are trying to limit your workload. Yes, in this case, we are saying do less work! Why limit the survey?

Company Logo Survey UMaine students generally or a specific group of UMaine students Use SurveyMonkey.com to launch and manage your survey Meet the requirements of the UMaine IRB and the requirements of this assignment Ask 5-6 well written survey questions

relevant accurate A relevant question is one that participants have the information and experience to answer. (Ex: Surveying UMaine students about being grandparents isn’t relevant to most students.) A relevant question is one that participants have the information and experience to answer. (Ex: Surveying UMaine students about being grandparents isn’t relevant to most students.) An accurate question will get the kind of information you want to collect. (Ex: The question, “Do you prefer blue or yellow walls?” tells you nothing about the color of walls people love.) An accurate question will get the kind of information you want to collect. (Ex: The question, “Do you prefer blue or yellow walls?” tells you nothing about the color of walls people love.)

Company Logo Leading 1 Loaded 2 Based on assumptions 3

Which question is a leading question? List the ways that you are better served by the upgrades to the dining facilities on campus. How many group projects did you complete last semester? A leading question may direct a participant toward a certain answer. Which question is a leading question? List the ways that you are better served by the upgrades to the dining facilities on campus. [This question leads you to write positive comments.] How many group projects did you complete last semester? [Although this question seems like it could be a leading question, you could answer “zero.”]

Starbucks allows guns in its stores, if local law permits carrying one. Which question is a loaded question? Do you agree with this policy? Will you protest Starbucks’ support of the NRA’s lethal pro- gun agenda this weekend? A loaded question uses words to indicate bias, such as emotionally charged words or politically charged phrases. Do you agree with this policy? Will you protest Starbucks support of the NRA’s lethal pro-gun agenda this weekend? [This is the loaded question.]

Which question is based on assumption? List the types of PPE you used for this project. How many credits have you earned toward graduation? A question based on an assumption suggests the participant is familiar with the subject or knows what special terms mean. Which question is based on assumption? List the types of PPE you used for this project. [This question assumes the survey participant knows what PPE is.] How many credits have you earned toward graduation? [We can assume that all students know what “credits toward graduation” are.]

 Open-ended questions simply allow the participant to respond however they want: What did you eat for breakfast? These questions are difficult to count and chart. Be very careful when using these for surveys.

 The IRB requires that every survey have an Informed Consent Statement on it. Copy and revise the statement below. This statement must appear on your survey and on the SurveyMonkey site. (This statement is also on your IRB handout.) This survey is for a research project in ENG 317: Introduction to Business & Technical Writing. My name is PROVIDE ALL GROUP MEMBERS’ NAMES, and I am a senior business student. I’m doing a survey about University of Maine student study habits for a report and a class presentation. Participation: You need to be at least 18 to participate. Participation is voluntary. You can stop the survey at any time. The survey has 10 questions and it should take only a minute or two to fill out. Risks: Risks for participating are minor—just your time. Confidentiality: I’m not collecting any names, so the survey is anonymous. Presentation: I’m going to use the information for a class presentation and then destroy survey data. Contact Information: Please contact us if you have any questions: Your Name (on First Class) List all students working on this survey project. Instructor: Max Jones (on First Class)

 Take the 7.3 Quiz  Submit the Topic Worksheet  Prepare a proposal for your survey project. (See the assignment sheet.) Next Steps

Background 2 Introduction 1 Proposed Timeline 3 Qualifications 4 14 Appendix A: Survey Questions with Informed Consent 5 Just a reminder…