Only for MAS in Science, Technology and Policy and Science, Technology and Policy MSc.
Abstract
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.
