Academic researchers, researchers in the public and private sector, national policymakers and policymakers from international organizations are increasingly dealing with surveys. In designing and implementing a survey, the researcher takes important decisions that can have a profound effect on the conclusions we can draw from the results of the survey. Thus, central to the quality of a survey is t
Learning objective
After the course, participants are ready to apply the learned towards their own surveys, and are able to critically assess existing survey designs, survey documentation and survey-based empirical findings.
Content
This course covers the essentials of survey design and implementation and is divided into two parts. In the first – design – part, we will consider the state-of-the-art survey literature and the theoretical underpinnings of survey research. Design issues will include questionnaire construction and testing, sampling, question ordering and instrument length. In the second – implementation – part, we will address issues of methods of administration (paper-and-pencil, interviews, computer-based), survey programming, survey administration, interviewer training and participant recruitment. Course participants who are thinking about conducting a survey as part of a seminar paper/research project are encouraged to introduce their research design (draft) in the course. This course will emphasize hands-on experience in the design and implementation of surveys.
Performance assessment
Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course