Survey Methodology

Course Goals
The goal of this course is to offer a comprehensive, hands-on examination of survey research including questionnaire construction, programming a Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system, sampling frames, survey methodology, caller training and supervision, data collection, and data analysis.

The course will require topical reading assignments and hands-on projects as well as written assignments examining questionnaire design, question development, survey administration, use of focus groups, sampling theory, determining required sample size, developing sampling frames, data analysis, creating final reports, and data presentation.

Working in conjunction with Winthrop University’s Social & Behavioral Research Laboratory (SBRL), the student will learn how to program and create survey instruments in the SBRL’s computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI) system. The student will learn and employ caller training and supervision techniques and will be responsible for training callers and project supervision for the semi-annual survey fielded by the SBRL.

At the end of the course, students will understand sampling methodology, questionnaire design, survey biases, survey data collection, and other issues related to survey research and the use of survey data.

Material for the exams will be drawn from readings, lectures, and class discussions. Make up exams must be scheduled two weeks in advance in the case of an unavoidable planned absence; otherwise, make ups will be given only in the case of a documented illness or emergency. “Documented” means a legitimate doctor’s note dating from prior to the exam. Any student health center note describing vague symptoms dated the day of or after the exam will not be acceptable.

Survey Project
Each student will design and program two surveys: one for telephone and one for internet. The student must decide on an issue or series of issues she or he wishes to explore, determine a target population, design a survey instrument at will allow those issues to be addressed or answered, program the survey, plan a sampling frame and present her or his surveys to the class.

The polling paper is your opportunity to explore a topic of survey research further using course and outside readings and basing your paper on your experiences in the survey lab and/or data collected for a poll you worked on. Topics must be discussed and approved by the professor. The paper will be a minimum of 10 pages in length, not including any tables or graphs (double-spaced with 1 inch margins and a font approximately the size of this one [12 pt Times New Roman], there will be no “headers,” you will use a title page [not counted toward total number of pages], bottom-center pagination, and an upper left-hand corner staple [no “paper covers”]…these are the basic “rules” of the paper; failure to follow any of these precepts will result in an automatic deduction of one full letter grade)

The Polling Paper is due by the beginning of class at the final exam meeting time. Late papers WILL NOT be accepted. All papers must be submitted to Turnitin.com. Papers not submitted to Turnitin.com will not be graded. Instructions on how to submit papers will be given in class.

Every student will be required to gain first-hand experience in the survey research lab. Each student must work as a caller, a supervisor, aid in the scheduling of callers, and aid in the training of callers.

Every student will serve as a 'Discussion Leader' twice during the semester. The discussion leader will take the primary role in presenting the topical material for that evening's class. Handouts/discussion points/outlines are encouraged. You will be graded on your presentation of the material, knowledge of the material, and ability to engage fellow students on the material.

Class announcements will be made via the class listserv. If you have an active winthrop.edu email account, you should be automatically added to the listserv, otherwise you must add yourself to the listserv. You are EXPECTED to regularly check your email for class announcements! If you are not on the class listserv, go HERE for instructions on how to sign up (the course designator to sign up is: PLSC514001).

Withdrawal Date: The last day to withdraw from the course with an automatic grade of “N” is March 7, 2012

Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to education. If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course, contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 323-3290 and make an appointment to see a professional staff member. Once you have your official notice of accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities, please inform me as early as possible in the semester.

Groves, Robert M., Floyd J. Fowler, Jr., Mick P. Couper, James M. Lepkowski, Eleanor Singer, and Roger Tourangeay. 2009. Survey Methodology Second Edition. (Wiley Series in Survey Methodology.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fowler, Jr., Floyd. 1995. Improving Survey Questions: Design and Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct will not be tolerated. Winthrop’s Conduct Code defines academic misconduct as:

”Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to providing or receiving assistance in a manner not authorized by the professor in the creation of work to be submitted for academic evaluation including papers, projects, and examinations; presenting, as one's own, the ideas or words of another for academic evaluation without proper acknowledgment; doing unauthorized academic work for which another person will receive credit or be evaluated; and presenting the same or substantially the same papers or projects in two or more courses without the explicit permission of the professors involved. In addition, academic misconduct involves attempting to influence one's academic evaluation by means other than academic achievement or merit. More explicit definitions of academic misconduct specific to certain academic disciplines may be promulgated by academic departments and schools.”

I will prosecute cases of academic misconduct to the fullest extent of university policy, and that can mean expulsion from the university. Obviously, any student caught cheating or plagiarizing, in any manner, on an exam or assignment will receive a zero for that assignment in addition to academic prosecution. Additionally, I reserve the right to award the student an "F" in the course for ANY act of academic misconduct if I feel it is warranted. This is in addition to academic prosecution by the Dean of Students.

**ADDITIONALLY, the Department of Political Science has it's own policies on plagiarism and academic misconduct: Poli Sci Statement on Plagiarism In the immortal words of Brad Hamilton: "Learn it; Know it; Live it!"**

Syllabus Changes: This syllabus is subject to change by the instructor throughout the semester.

Class Policies:

Please provide a respectful learning environment for your fellow students. Repeated tardiness, cell phone disruptions, reading materials unrelated to the course (such as the student newspaper), and use of communication technologies (e.g., web browsing/ IMing/ texting during class) during class will adversely affect your grade.

Attendance Policy: Beginning with the third time a student is declared absent, the student will lose a full letter grade for each absence. Any student caught IMing, texting, or browsing the web will be declared “Absent” for that class.

Please arrive at class on time and switch off all pagers, cell phones, and alarms during class. The only exceptions to this rule are if you have children or an emergency family situation (e.g. family member in surgery). For these circumstances, you may leave your phone on vibrate and you must leave the class to answer a call.

Grade Appeals: If you wish to dispute a grade on a particular assignment for any reason other than an obvious arithmetic error on my part, you will need to type a one-page explanation of your position and turn it in, along with the original graded assignment, at least one week after the assignment is returned to you. I will then consider your appeal and make a determination.

Appeals must be submitted in hard copy format; no appeals submitted via email will be considered.

For appeals regarding your final grade in the course, please consult the Student Handbook and Catalog for procedures.

Readings Schedule

Jan. 10
Class intro

Jan. 17
Chpt 1 Groves et. al

Jan. 24
Chpt 11 Groves et. al

Jan. 31
Chpts. 2 and 3 Groves et. al

Feb. 7
Exam 1

Feb. 14

Chpt 4 Groves et. al (you'll love it)

Feb. 21
Chpt 5 Groves et. al

Feb. 28
Chpt 6 in Groves et. al

March 6
Survey Projects

March 20
Exam 2

March 27
"Improving Survey Questions" Chpts 1-4

April 3
No Class

April 10
"Improving Survey Questions" Chpts 5-6 and Chpt 8 in Groves et. al

April17
Chpts 9 - 10 in Groves et. al

April 27
Final Exam period - Polling Paper due

Lab Experience	10%
Survey Project	20%	March 6
Final Exam - Paper	20%	6:30pm Friday, April 27
Discussion Leader x2	15%
Exam 1	20%	Feb. 7
Exam 2	15%	March 20