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| WRITING QUESTIONS FOR SURVEYS: A WORKSHOP A two-day short course sponsored by the Joint Program in Survey Methodology |
MARCH 29-30, 2010
Presented at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center
NORA CATE SCHAEFFER
University of Wisconsin-Madison
COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Introduce a structural analysis of parts of a survey question
• Introduce cognitive interviewing as a method for testing survey questions
• Describe guidelines for diagnosing problems in survey questions and writing new survey questions
• Focus on the structure and wording of survey questions, whether for interviewer-administered or self-administered instruments
• Provide an opportunity to apply the guidelines and principles during in-class exercises
• Focus on improving individual questions and sets of questions.
• Summarize research that underlies key decisions in writing survey questions.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Individuals in government, business, academia, and non-profit organizations who will be writing or reviewing survey questions or survey instruments or analyzing survey data. This course gives practical guidance to those who have written survey questions but who are not familiar with research on question design, those who are just beginning to design survey instruments, and those who use survey data but do not themselves design survey instruments.
ARTICLE
Schaeffer NC. Presser S. 2003. ‘The science of asking questions,’ Annual Review of Sociology 29: 65–88. http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/eprint/rU4UOoizjrXROhijkRIS/full/10.1146/annurev.soc.29.110702.110112
THE INSTRUCTOR
Nora Cate Schaeffer is Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Faculty Director of the University of Wisconsin Survey Center. She has over thirty years of experience in survey methodology and questionnaire design and has taught Questionnaire Design at the University of Michigan’s Summer Institute in Survey Research. Her research has been published in Journal of the American Statistical Association, Public Opinion Quarterly, Sociological Methods and Research, and Sociological Methodology. She is co-editor (with Douglas W. Maynard, Hanneke Houtkoop-Steenstra, and Johannes van der Zouwen) of Standardization and Tacit Knowledge: Interaction and Practice in the Survey Interview.
COURSE MATERIALS
Registrants will be provided with a course lecture notebook.
MEALS
JPSM group continental breakfasts, lunches and refreshments are included in the course fee.
DAILY CHECK-IN
Course registrants should check-in with JPSM Onsite each day of the course.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
| MONDAY: MARCH 29, 2010 | |
| 7:30-8:30 | Registrant Check-in and Continental Breakfast |
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8:30-10:30 |
Introduction: Parts of a Survey Question |
| 10:30-10:45 | Morning Break |
| 10:45-12:00 | Cognitive Interviewing to Test Survey Questions |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:30 | General Guidelines for Writing Questions |
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2:30-2:45 |
Afternoon Break |
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2:45-4:15 |
Guidelines for Questions about Events and Behaviors |
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4:15 |
Adjourn |
| TUESDAY: MARCH 30, 2010 | |
| 7:30-8:30 | Registrant Check-in and Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30-10:00 | Guidelines for Questions about Events and Behaviors (continued) |
| 10:00-10:15 | Morning Break |
| 10:15-12:00 | Guidelines for Questions about Subjective Things |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:30 | Adapting guidelines for Self-administered Questionnaires |
| 2:30 | Adjourn |
FEES
The course fee is $600 for JPSM sponsor affiliates, $600 for full-time university students, and $810 for other participants. Sponsor Affiliate List: http://projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/info.cfm#sponsors.
REGISTRATION
Online registration is required. Short Courses: www.jpsm.org/shortcourses . Confirmation of acceptance will be sent after the registration form has been processed. Registration is not firm until you receive an acceptance email. The email will include directions to the course. The automatic web registration number is not an acceptance letter. The registration deadline is March 15, 2010.
PAYMENT
Payment by credit card is required. Payment may be done online during registration. Post registration payment may be done online at www.jpsm.org/shortcourses using the registration number or by calling (800) 937-9320. Payment is required by March 15, 2010.
CANCELLATION
Please notify JPSM as soon as possible if you need to cancel your registration. Cancellation requests should be done online at www.jpsm.org/shortcourses. You will be fully reimbursed if you cancel by March 15, 2010. Cancellation March 16-21, 2010 will require a $100 administrative fee, the remainder will be reimbursed. Cancellation on or after March 22, 2010 is subject to the full fee amount.
FELLOWSHIP
The Joint Program in Survey Methodology strives to increase the number of survey professionals from groups traditionally under-represented in the field. As part of this effort, a limited number of competitive fellowships are available to African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanic Americans, and Native American Indians for the short course. The registrant must be a US citizen or permanent resident.
The applicants should submit:
- Online Registration
- A 500-word essay describing their reasons for wanting to attend this short course and how their participation will enhance their chosen career path. The essay should indicate the applicant’s background (i.e. African-American, Latino, Hispanic American, or Native American Indian) and why financial support is needed.
- A letter of recommendation written by a person knowledgeable about the applicant’s aptitude and interest in survey methodology.
The online registration form, essay, and letter of recommendation are due by March 1, 2010. JPSM will evaluate the applications and inform the successful applicants by March 8, 2010. The fellowship covers the registration fee, materials to be distributed during the course and the JPSM group continental breakfasts, lunches and breaks. The essay and letter of recommendation may be faxed to (734) 764-8263 or emailed to JPSMShort@isr.umich.edu.
JPSM CITATION PROGRAM
The citation programs are built around the JPSM short courses. The JPSM Citation in Introductory Survey Methodology is designed to provide the working professional and interested students with state-of-the-art knowledge about current principles and practices for conducting complex surveys combined with practical skills of day-to-day utility. The JPSM Citation in Introductory Economic Measurement is designed for professional staff requiring a grounding in the principles and practices of economic measurement. Completion of the citation programs involves taking a semester-length JPSM credit-bearing course and eight JPSM short courses, of which four are specified core courses. For information on the Certificate and Citation Programs visit the website at http://www.jpsm.org or call (301) 314-7911.
WASHINGTON MARRIOTT AT METRO CENTER
775 12th Street NW, Washington, District Of Columbia 20005 USA
Phone: (202) 737-2200 Fax: (202) 347-5886
The hotel is situated adjacent to the DC Metro rail system, with easy access to Reagan National Airport (4.0 mi N), Washington Dulles Airport (25.0 mi E) and BWI Baltimore Washington Airport (40.0 mi S) as well as the Amtrak station.
OVERNIGHT ROOMS
Individuals are responsible for making their own overnight room reservations and for payment.
PARKING
Registrants are responsible for parking costs.
Onsite Parking: $30 a day
Parking Garages: Rates range from $13 to $20 a day
METRO CENTER STATION: Red, Blue, Orange Lines (G & 12th Street)
BUS STATION: Union Station (2.0 mi E)
TRAIN STATION: Union Station (1.6 mi E)
INQUIRIES
Questions for this course should be directed to the JPSM Short Course, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson Street, Room 4050, Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2321, Phone: (800) 937-9320, Fax: (734) 764-8263, Email: jpsmshort@isr.umich.edu.
SHORT COURSES: www.jpsm.org/shortcourses
SPONSOR AFFILIATE LIST: projects.isr.umich.edu/jpsm/info.cfm#sponsors
JPSM HOME PAGE: www.jpsm.org
TAX IDENTIFICATION (
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Primary Funding for JPSM is from the Interagency Council on Statistical Policy |