Conducting a Survey (Early Exit for Exchange Students) (paid version for the professional)

Course goals

In this course students get acquainted with different scientific theories of self-report and they will learn how to conduct their own survey, from the first stage of writing and testing the questions, via organising the questionnaire, to sampling, coding, screening the data, analysing the data, and writing about survey results. This course will make students better equipped for jobs as a junior researcher on (middle) large research organisations and research departments of large companies.

Relation between assessment and objective
Students learn how to interpret scientific theories and practical experiments about survey research, which will be graded in the form of an exam.
In addition they conduct their own survey, for which students need to write a research plan, synthesize information, analyse data, and report (written and orally) about their scientific research project. Knowledge on practical exercises related to analysing data will be tested via the final survey research report. 

Course aims:
a. Students develop fundamental knowledge and understanding in the state of the art in survey methodology (Knowledge and Understanding)
b. They apply their knowledge in a multi-disciplinary context to contemporary problems (Applying)
c. They are able to determine the most effective research methods to address a research problem (Applying, using software to operationalise a research question and distinguishing different research strategies)
d. They are capable of autonomous scholarly self-development (Learning skills)
e. They give proof of being a responsible and scholarly professional (Learning skills)
f. They are able to advise researchers in applying the current state of the art in methodology and statistics (Judgment)
g. They are able to produce publications up to the standards of international peer-reviewed books in the survey field (Communication)
h. They are able to present on research findings and insights to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously in English (Communication)

After taking this course students are able to conduct survey research.
 
Testing:
For the early exit students, there will ad ad hoc plan discussed at the beginning of the course. 
 

Content

Note: Students who do not meet the entrance requirements mentioned below will be asked to provide further information on their eligibility. The course coordinator will decide on their eligibility.

Assumed knowledge: Multivariate statistics, factor analysis, regression analysis. Participants should be familiar with a statistical software. However, please note that the practical examples in this course will be based on R only. 

You will learn the basics of conducting your own survey. During every meeting we will discuss a different aspect of survey research.

Every week we will discuss a phase of conducting a survey. The weekly lectures will cover the theoretical and statistical backgrounds of surveys. During the workgroup meetings you will work on your own questionnaires, provide feedback to other students and analyse your own survey data in small groups. Topics that are discussed are amongst others: the specification of research questions, questionnaire design, cognitive laboratory, sampling, introduction to non-response, survey modes and survey experiments.