REVISED SYLLABUS
SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS
Spring 2014
Instructor:
Leonard Saxe, Ph.D.
Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and Social Policy
Lown 320
Tel: 781-736-3952
Email: saxe@brandeis.edu
Office hours:
Office hours are by appointment. Please contact Gloria Tessler
(tessler@brandeis.edu)
Goals
The goal of this course is to provide doctoral and public policy master’s students with an
understanding of the principles of survey research design and experience applying these concepts
to the development, conduct and analysis of surveys. Survey research data are essential tools for
social policy analysts and the course is designed to provide both conceptual and practical skills.
The course has been designed for social policy students, both in the Heller Ph.D. program and
the Master’s in public policy. The goal is to prepare students to be able to use/interpret survey
research (e.g., in a dissertation) or to conduct survey research (both simple and complex
designs). A Heller Research Methods course (e.g., HS401), or its equivalent, is a prerequisite,
along with one semester of graduate-level statistics.
Focus
The course focuses on theoretical and practical issues attendant to the development and use of
survey research. Issues such as sampling designs, instrument construction, and nonresponse
analysis will be considered. A variety of exemplar surveys, drawn from the variety of fields that
represent Heller concentrations and from other policy-oriented opinion polls, will be used
throughout the semester. The course will be organized as a lecture/discussion and laboratory.
The objective is to link discussion of conceptual issues with an opportunity to apply the ideas to
actual survey design, conduct and analysis.
Requirements
Students are expected to attend all class sessions, participate in discussions and complete
assignments according to the course schedule. The course includes three hours of class meetings
each week, plus readings and written assignments. Grading will be based on class participation,
completion of several short assignments, and a final project.
Text
Groves , Robert M., Fowler , F. J., Couper , M.J., Lepkowski , J.M., & Singer , E. (2009). Survey
Methodology. 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Additional readings:
From various journals (available electronically from the library), including Public Opinion
Quarterly and websites such as http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/.
Week 1: Why Conduct a Survey?
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 1
Additional Readings:
Kahneman, D. (2011). Don't blink! The hazards of confidence. The New York Times
Magazine. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/23/magazine/dont-blink-the-hazards-ofconfidence.html?pagewanted=all)
Nate Silver
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/oct-15-distracted-by-polling-noise/
http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/which-polls-fared-best-and-worst-inthe-2012-presidential-race/
Laboratory:
Review a survey report (from popular media and dissect its goals, design, analysis and
reporting.
Assignment (Due in Lab, Week 2)
Select a recent survey reported in a "respected" national media outlet (newspaper,
website, etc.). Prepare a one paper memorandum that includes a description of the survey
(in your own words) -- why it was done and what it found. In addition, examine the
information that is provided (in the publication or at the website of the survey researcher)
and assess the way in which they have complied with "minimal disclosure standards." Be
prepared to present briefly in class.
Week 2: How are surveys conducted and what are researchers’ ethical obligations?
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 11
American Association for Public Opinion Research. 2005. “AAPOR Code of
Professional Ethics & Practice.” American Association for Public Opinion Research,
Lenexa, KS.
(http://www.aapor.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=AAPOR_Code&Template=/CM/Cont
entDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1806)
American Association for Public Opinion Research. 2009.
http://aapor.org/AAPOR_Raises_Objections_to_Actions_by_Strategic_Vision_LLC.htm
Week 3: Survey Inference and Error
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 2
Lavelle, Bridget, Michael D. Larsen, and Craig Gundersen. 2009. “Strategies for Surveys
of American Indians.” Public Opinion Quarterly 73:385-403.
Saxe, L., Kadushin, C., Tighe, E., Beveridge, A., Brodsky, A., Livert, D. & Rindskopf,
D. (2006). Community-based prevention programs in the war on drugs: Findings from the
“Fighting Back” demonstration Journal of Drug Issues, 22, 263-294.
Assignment 2 (Due in class, Week 4)
Using the Fighting Back survey as an exemplar, identify potential measurement and
sample errors. Discuss how the survey dealt with/avoided error. There is no need to do a
comprehensive assessment; rather, select a few issues re: measurement and sampling.
Write a brief memorandum (no more than a page) that describes the issues. Please do so
to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts underlying measurement and sampling
(discussed in Chapter 2). Be prepared to present briefly during laboratory time.
Week 4: Sampling Frames and Coverage Error
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 3
Beveridge, A., Kadushin, C., Saxe, L., Rindskopf, D., & Livert, D. (2000). Survey
estimates of drug-use trends in urban communities: General principles and cautionary
examples. Substance Use & Misuse, 35, 891-923.
https://moodle.brandeis.edu/file.php/13176/SurveyEstimates-1.pdf
Blumberg, Stephen J. and Julian V. Luke. 2007. “Coverage Bias in Traditional Telephone
Surveys of Low-Income and Young Adults.” Public Opinion Quarterly 71:734-39.
http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/71/5/734.full
Link, Michael W., Michael P. Battaglia, Martin R. Frankel, Larry Osborn, and Ali H.
Mokdad. 2008. “A Comparison of Address-Based Sampling (ABS) Versus Random Digit
Dialing (RDD) for General Population Surveys.” Public Opinion Quarterly 72:6-27.
http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/72/1/6.full
Laboratory:
Sampling frame exercises
Assignment (Due Week 5):
Begin the process to select a study that will be the focus of your midterm project
(summarizing/critiquing an extant survey). The study should be in an area of interest/
relevance for you and one about which you have some grounding. For this stage of the
critique project, merely identify a study and write one paragraph describing why you
selected it/what you hope to learn from studying it. In addition, indicate what kind of
documentation is available about the study’s methods. Detailed guidelines will be
provided in class.
Week 5: Sample Design
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 4
Selected studies that illustrate different types of sampling designs (simple random,
cluster, stratified, multistage).
Laboratory:
Review students’ selected studies and discuss how to characterize the studies (e.g., in
terms of sample design, mode). Also, begin discussion of the areas that each of the
critiques will consider.
Assignment (Due week 6)
Develop an elaborated outline of your critique or a first draft of the paper. For the
purposes of this assignment, focus on the issues that you want to address in your critique.
Bring your outline/draft to class.
Week 6: Data Collection Methods
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 5
Selected readings (by concentration area) on use of mail, telephone, internet, in-person
surveys
Laboratory:
Review critique outlines/drafts.
Assignment (Midterm, due Week 7):
Develop a critical assessment of a survey that has been conducted in an area of interest to
you. As part of the critique, demonstrate your ability to summarize the substantive and
methodological features of the study. The project can be done either as a review (e.g., for
a journal) and/or a policy memorandum for an organization dealing with the issue of the
survey. Detailed guidelines to be provided in class.
Week 7: Survey Critiques
Presentations and discussion of critiques
Week 8: Nonresponse
Readings
Groves et al., Chapter 6
Peytchev, Andy, Rodney K. Baxter, and Lisa R. Carley-Baxter. 2009. “Not All Survey
Effort is Equal: Reduction of Nonresponse Bias and Nonresponse Error.” Public Opinion
Quarterly 73:785-806. http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/73/4/785.full.pdf
Groves, Robert M. and Emilia Peytcheva. 2008. “The Impact of Nonresponse Rates on
Nonresponse Bias: A Meta-Analysis.” Public Opinion Quarterly 72:167-187.
http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/content/72/2/167.full.pdf
Laboratory:
Exercises in non-response analysis
Week 9: Survey Questions/Instrument Design
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 7, 8
Brener, Nancy M., Danice K. Eaton, Laura Kann, Jo Anne Grunbaum, Lori A. Gross,
Tonja M. Kyle, and James G. Ross. 2006. “The Association of Survey Setting and Mode
with Self-Reported Health Risk Behaviors among High School Students.” Public Opinion
Quarterly 70:354-374. https://moodle.brandeis.edu/file.php/13176/Public_Opin_Q-2006Brener-354-74.pdf
Additional exemplar studies in relevant areas
Laboratory:
Practice creating/testing survey questions
Assignment (due Week 10):
Select a focal problem for the final project. The project can either be a plan for a survey
study (sampling, mode, analysis) the development of an actual instrument (perhaps,
including pilot tests) or the analysis of an existing survey dataset. Any of these may be a
component of a dissertation proposal or a project that social policy researcher would
conduct as a member of a research team. Detailed guidelines to be provided in class.
Week 10: Survey Interviewing
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 9
Olson, Kristen and Andy Peytchev. 2007. “Effect of Interviewer Experience on Interview
Pace and Interviewer Attitudes.” Public Opinion Quarterly 71:273-286.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=sociologyfacp
ub
Laboratory:
Practice conducting one-on-one and focus group interviews
Assignment (due Week 11):
Continue development of final project.
Week 11: Coding and Analysis
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 10
Laboratory:
Review plans for final project.
Week 11: Planning a Survey
Readings
Groves et al., Ch. 12
Laboratory:
Continue discussion of plans for final project.
Week 12: Final Project Presentations