Assignment 1: SURVEY DESIGN
Due 11:59pm EST on Sunday of Week 4
Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to create a survey using the knowledge that you have obtained throughout the class.
Directions and Grading:
In this assignment you will design your own survey with 10 items/questions. You will go through each step listed below and create a paper that is at least 4-6 pages in length – not including your title page.
Step 1: Choose your topic
In this section of the paper, you will outline your topic choice. You can pick any topic that interests you and this topic can come from any field. For example, you could pick a topic about political attitudes, which type of entertainment people enjoy, attitudes about crime and punishment, opinions about the federal government, or any other issue you choose. Just be sure that you can create a 10 item/question survey using your topic.
You will need to outline your topic choice and why you picked this topic for your survey. This section should be at least one strong paragraph in your paper.
Step 2: Data
This section of the paper has three parts. First, you will decide whether or not you want to conduct a research project using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods. This answer will determine the type of items/questions you include in your survey. Explain your reasoning behind your choice. What are the advantages and disadvantages behind your selection?
Second, you will decide if your items/questions will be closed, open-ended, or a mixture of both. Remember, your choice of quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods will determine the type of items/questions that you choose for your survey.
Finally, what will be your method of data collection? Would you conduct the survey through personal interviews, over the telephone or computer, through the mail, or through email? Why did you choose this method of data collection and what are the advantages and disadvantages of your chosen method?
Step 3: Research question and variables
Once again, this section of the paper consists of multiple parts. First, you will need to first come up with your overall research questions. For example, if you picked attitudes toward crime and punishment, then you would need to think of a research question that will address this topic. So, you could create a research question such as "how do college students view crime and punishment in our society?"
Second, you will determine the independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV) in your research question. Clearly state your variables in this section of the paper. Explain why you picked your independent variable and dependent variable. Start by defining independent and dependent variables and show that you understand why your independent variable is in fact your independent variable and not your dependent variable. Do the same for the dependent variable.
Step 4: Hypothesis
In this section of the paper, write a hypothesis about what you think is the likely answer to this research question. Remember, your hypothesis should be testable and falsifiable. Explain the reasoning behind your hypothesis and how it is both testable and falsifiable.
Step 5: Survey items/questions
For this section, you will create the actual items/questions that will go in your survey. You have to create at least 10 items/questions for this assignment. You can create more if needed for your topic. These survey items/questions can be laid out in bullet form in the paper. You will be graded based on validity of the items/questions and whether or not the items/questions follow the design requirements mentioned in the contents this week.
Step 6: Explain the validity and reliability of the survey
In this final section, you will explain why your survey is valid and reliable. How does the survey address your original topic? Would participants be likely to give the same answers if they took your survey over again?
Also, you can watch the following video to learn about important pitfalls to avoid when designing questions for your survey.
