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Dr Sally Stares

This course is available on the MSc in Applied Social Data Science, MSc in Human Geography and Urban Studies (Research), MSc in Marketing, MSc in Social Research Methods, MSc in Statistics, MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics), MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) (Research), MSc in Statistics (Research), MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) and MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) (Research). This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

This course is not controlled access. If you register for a place and meet the prerequisites, if any, you are likely to be given a place.

Knowledge of basic descriptive and inferential statistics, to the level of MY451 or equivalent.

This course provides a broad-based introduction to the design, implementation, and analysis of individual and household surveys. It is intended both for students who plan to design and collect their own surveys, and for those who need to understand and use data from existing large-scale surveys. Topics covered include defining target and survey populations, inference from sample to population, sampling error and nonsampling error; sample design and sampling theory; modes of data collection; web surveys; survey interviewing; cognitive processes in answering survey questions; design and evaluation of survey questions; deriving and applying survey weights; analysis of data from complex surveys; paradata and responsive designs; comparative and longitudinal surveys. The over-arching theoretical framework used to link the component parts of the course is the Total Survey Error framework. Theoretical concepts are illustrated with examples of diverse surveys from the UK and internationally. The course includes applied classes designing questionnaires using the software Qualtrics, question evaluation and cognitive interviewing and analysis of complex survey data using the statistical package Stata; no previous knowledge of Stata is required.

This course is delivered through a combination of classes and lectures totalling a minimum of 25 hours across Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

Three formative pieces of coursework: Designing and evaluating a questionnaire, using the Total Survey Error Framework, and secondary analysis of complex survey data.

Groves, R M, Fowler, F J, Couper, M P, Lepkowski, J M, Singer, E, and Tourangeau, R (2009). Survey Methodology (2nd ed.). Wiley.

Biemer, P. et al (2017) Total Survey Error in Practice. Wiley.

Tourangeau, R, Rips, L J, and Rasinski, K (2000). The Psychology of Survey Response. Cambridge University Press.

Project (100%, 3500 words) in the ST.

The project is a report of 3500 words maximum, focusing on concept definition, question design, assessment of the strengths and limitations of an existing survey drawing on the material covered in the course.