Assignment Three: Questionnaire Design – Why are we doing this assignment? – S

Assignment Three: Questionnaire Design
– Why are we doing
this assignment?
– Specific educational objectives:
Learn how to:
1. Locate and evaluate questions used
for survey data collection
2.
Identify and fix the problems with a survey question
3.
Design a new survey question to measure a variable
4.
Organize questions into a very short questionnaire
5.
Correctly select and justify the best pre-testing method for a set of questions
6.
Create an on-line survey
– Why do we need to know this?

Social scientists are expected to know how to design and carry out short
surveys                            of
various groups (local communities, customers, victims of crime, employees,                         and so on).

Online surveys are becoming increasingly popular data collection method.
– By doing this
assignment, you will learn how to evaluate, fix, and design survey questions.

Basic knowledge of survey design is another skill that you will be able to add
to                            your CV and
put to use in your future employment.
– What is the
Assignment Three all about?
– you
have two options for your dependent variable (DV)

Option A: re-use the same DV as in your Assignment One

then, find and read one article that uses the same or very similar DV
–  that article has to show actual
wording of survey questions

Option B: Use new DV
– find
and read an article that uses survey or census data
–  that article has to show actual
wording of survey questions

then, use the same DV as that article you found and reviewed
– pick
three independent variables (IVs)

IV1: from the article reviewed, that you believe was well measured

IV1 cannot be the same one you used in the Assignment One

the article has to show the actual wording of the question

IV2: improved on a variable measured in the ABS Census Dataset or
the article reviewed

one that was not measured well in your assessment

IV3: new variable, measured neither in the article nor in the Census  

you developed it yourself 

develop questions based on these three IVs
– create
a short on-line questionnaire, with questions measuring your DV and 3 IVs
– draft
a short textual justification for the questionnaire design
– What exactly are you
supposed to produce?
– Due: at noon,
Friday, May 24, 2024, at MyUni
– Required file format  
1. Microsoft Word 2007 or
more recent version
2. Online survey, designed at
http://www.surveymonkey.com
– Length:
1.
Word File

Cover page
– 1 page, with name, student number and
date of                                                               submission
– Textual
Justification   
– 2 -2.5 pages (up to 1,500 words), single spaced

12 pt size Times New Roman

1 inch margins on all sides
– Questionnaire
– 1-1.5 pages (300-400 words), single spaced

12 pt size Times New Roman
2. Online survey
– one page
Structure of the Report
I. Textual Justification (2-2.5 pages)
1. Justify Variable Selection (1
paragraph)

Explain Dependent Variable (DV)
– what is it? level? any concerns with
the way it was measured?

Explain Independent Variable One (IV1)
– what is the underlying concept
– Explain Independent
Variable Two (IV2)
– what is the
underlying concept
– Explain Independent
Variable Two (IV3)
– what is the
underlying concept
2.
Explain Three Hypotheses (3 paragraphs)

Explain the Hypothesis One
– how do you think that IV1 and DV are
related?
– direction of
the relationship
– Provide a
causal justification (“story”)
– why do you think that these two
variables are related?

Explain the Hypothesis Two
– how do you think that IV2 and DV are
related?
– direction of
the relationship
– Provide a causal justification

why do you think that these two variables are related?

Explain the Hypothesis Three
– how do you think that IV3 and DV are related?
– direction
of the relationship
– Provide a
causal justification
– why do you think that these two
variables are related?
3. Justify Survey Questions
a)
for IV1 (one paragraph)

Why is this a good way to measure the concept in question?
– Why do you think that a respondent
would
– understand
the question?
– recall or know the answer?

want to sincerely answer the question?
– find acceptable option among
those offered?
b) for IV2 (one paragraph)

Why is this a good way to measure the concept in question?
– How is it
an improvement over the original version of
the survey
question? How is it better?
– Why do you think that a respondent
would
– understand
the question?

recall or know the answer?

want to sincerely answer the question?

find acceptable option among those offered?
c) for IV3 (one paragraph)
– Why is this a valid way to measure
the concept in question?
– Why do you think that a respondent would

understand the question?
– recall or know the answer?
– want to
sincerely answer the question?
– find acceptable option among those
offered?
4.
How would you pre-test this questionnaire (one paragraph)
– what pre-testing format would
you use and why
– options are: Focus Group,
Cognitive Interviews, Expert Reviews
(you can use only one)
– briefly outline why the
other 2 would not be well suited for this case
II. Questionnaire (1-1.5 pages)
– have a proper introduction paragraph
– will be explained in class
– order variables in a logical way
– also will be explained in
the class
– re-use the question for DV
– Option A: from assignment one
(from ABS Census Dictionary)
– Option B: from the article you
reviewed
– have three independent variables
– IV1: from the article
reviewed, that you believe was well measured
– IV2: improved on a variable
measured in the ABS Census Dataset or the article                             reviewed
– one that was not
measured well in your assessment
– IV3: new variable, neither measured
in the article nor in the ABS Census
– you developed it
yourself 
– have a meaningful closure paragraph for
the respondents
– I will explain in class how
to do it
– check out the model
assignment
III. References
– correct end of text reference for the
one source used
– Online survey location
– designed in SurveyMonkey
(free, on-line survey software)
– you must
provide the internet address of the survey in your Assignment
– this is so that I
can review your work there
– Note:
1. DV:
– must be either the same as the one you used
in the Assignment One or the same as the one used in the article you reviewed
2. IVs: cannot be
– the same as those you used
in the Assignment One
–  any of the variables used in the Model
Assignment One  
– identical to any variable
in the ABS Census Dataset
– obviously, IV2 can
be based on one of the variables in the ABS Census                                 Dataset, but cannot be the same as
that variable
– any of the variables used
in the Model Assignment 3
Format

name your assignments file using this form:
– “A3_Firstname_Lastname.doc”
– for example: “A3_Djordje_Stefanovic.doc”

text file

use correct grammar and spell check

sentence construction

make sure that sentences are grammatical

prefer short and focused sentences to very long and unfocused ones

use good style
– do not use
“can’t” or “don’t”

avoid using “this”, “that” and “it”

use paragraphs and full sentences – do not
use the point form

paragraph length

not shorter than 3 sentences, not more than 2/3 of the page

try to write as clearly as you can

social science jargon is avoided

if you have to use it then it is (briefly) defined and used correctly

Referencing
– Please follow the
guidelines:                                                                                           https://www.coloradomesa.edu/tutoring/documents/asalite.pdf

Proper referencing format should be used both for in-text references, as well
as                    in the “References”
section at the end.

end of text References should list

the single new article you used
– internet address of your on-line survey