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This comprehensive overview provides insights into the techniques necessary for creating effective surveys. It covers the critical elements of developing a survey plan, including identifying reliable scales, formulating valid survey items, and best practices for instrument design. The guide highlights the importance of good survey questions and the characteristics that ensure survey integrity. Additionally, it includes a variety of question types, scaling methods, and tips for maintaining clarity and focus. Ideal for researchers and practitioners seeking to enhance their survey methodology.
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Research and Assessment Techniques: Surveys Your Name Your Institution Date
Outcomes Create a survey plan Identify reliable scales Develop valid survey items Design a survey instrument
Icebreaker What is the difference between a good survey question and a bad survey question? Good survey questions tell you exactly what you want to hear. Good survey questions tell a factual story. Good survey questions evaluate the opinions or perceptions of individuals.
Purpose and Use A survey is used to: Provide a snapshot of how a group of people feel and/or perceive reality at a given point in time (perceptual/attitudinal data). A survey should not be used to: Describe or explain facts.
Maintaining Survey Integrity Measurement Error • Sampling • Instrument design • External threats Validity • Face • Content • Construct Reliability • Internal consistency
Creating a Survey Plan Purpose statement Sampling design Methodology Instrumentation Implementation
Types of Scales Dichotomous • Yes/no • Gender Nominal • Age • Job classification Ordinal • High to low • 8:00 am – 10:00 pm Interval • 3 point frequency • 5 point agreement • 7 point satisfaction • 10 point importance Tips: Choose your scale before you write your survey questions. Limit your survey instrument to 2-3 scales.
Interactive Activity Work with a partner to label the scale choices in the worksheet.
Key Scale Attributes Variance Discrimination Accuracy Symmetry Tip: Use the smallest number of points in a scale to satisfy the four scale attributes.
Interactive Activity Work with a partner to critique the sample scales using the four scale attributes as a guidelines.
Types of Questions Multiple Choice Open-ended Dichotomous Ranking Demographic Checklist
Key Question Attributes Focus Brevity Clarity Tip: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart.
Question Attributes Jargon vs. Clarity • Use words that are common or frequently used. Lack of Knowledge vs. Knowledge • Don’t ask more than the respondent knows; Assume nothing Complexity vs. Simplicity • Keep questions short and focused on a single issue or topic
Question Attributes Barreling vs. Specificity • Avoid complex questions by splitting them into two or more questions Leading/Loaded Questions vs. Reasoning • Prompt respondent to answer with a reasoned opinion rather than an emotional response Loose Bundling vs. Anchoring • Anchor the concepts in specific behaviors or contexts
Interactive Activity Work with a partner to critique the sample instrument using the question attributes as a guidelines.
Question Anchoring Topic: The Quality of Communication of College Events Behaviors – Skills – Contexts – Values – Attitudes Positive Attributes Accurate Concise Timely Varied Widespread outreach Negative Attributes Inaccurate/Misleading Confusing Untimely Singular Narrow outreach Tip: Use a minimum of three questions/items to assess a single topic.
Sample Questions/Items I receive information about events on campus in time for me to make a decision about whether to attend. I receive clear information about the campus events (e.g. time & location). I don’t receive enough information about events on campus.
Question Anchoring Topic: Effective Professional Development Activities Behaviors – Skills – Contexts – Values – Attitudes Positive Attributes Negative Attributes
Question Anchoring Topic: Effective Professional Development Activities Behaviors – Skills – Contexts – Values – Attitudes Positive Attributes Offered at convenient times Relevant topics/activities Well-organized Adequate variety Engaging delivery Broadly advertised Negative Attributes Offered at inconvenient times Irrelevant topics/activities Disorganized Insufficient variety Boring Not widely advertised
Sample Questions/Items I received enough information about professional development activities so that I could make a decision about attending. The topics for professional development activities were relevant to what I teach. The facilitator of the professional development activities was engaging.
Interactive Activity Question Development: Review survey plan. Identify a topic(s) and anchor the concept with positive and negative attributes. Write three questions per topic.
Instrument Design Introductory Paragraph • Purpose of survey, how info will be used, who will use info, voluntary and confidential Question Sequencing • Easy to difficult, general to specific • Demographics first Limit Scale to Two Different Types Limit Forced-choice Items to 25 Limit Open-ended Question to 2
The BRIC Initiative BRIC: http://www.rpgroup.org/projects/BRIC.html The RP Group: http://www.rpgroup.org/ Contact: Rob Johnstone Project Director, rjohnstone@rpgroup.org Priyadarshini Chaplot Project Coordinator, pchaplot@rpgroup.org