Module SGIA40P15: Surveys, Survey Experiments and Analysis

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA40P15: Surveys, Survey Experiments and Analysis

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To provide students with an understanding of the design of surveys and their application to the study of politics and public policy.
• To familiarise students with the principles of experimental design and to explore the practical application of survey experiments to the study of politics and public policy.
• To be able to critically assess different modes of survey administration and consider their competing benefits and disadvantages.

Content

• Indicative content will vary from year to year, but topics that may be covered include:
• Principles of experimental design
• Theories of survey response
• Total survey error approach
• Dealing with missing data and nonresponse
• Modes of survey data collection
• The effects of sampling approaches
• Types of survey experimental designs
• The distinction between descriptive and causal research.

Learning Outcomes

• Advanced knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings of survey and survey experimental design
• Advanced knowledge of the different types of questions that can be asked in surveys and what types of data they can generate
• Advanced knowledge of the theoretical perspectives used to understand how people respond to different survey questions
• Advanced knowledge of sampling techniques and data collection strategies
• Advanced knowledge of survey experimental designs and their applicability to the field of politics and public policy.

• The ability to produce high-quality surveys to answer key questions in politics and public policy
• The ability to apply knowledge of survey experimental designs to answer key causal questions in politics and public policy
• The ability to communicate the results from a survey or survey experiment to an audience in politics or public policy.

• Communication skills: the ability to communicate and justify research design decisions
• Research skills: The ability to critically reflect on the value of survey and survey experimental designs to the question to be answered
• Ability to use computational aids to construct surveys.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching and learning are through a series of 1-hour lectures and labs.
• Lectures will familiarize students with latest literature in survey and survey experimental and show how these can be applied to political questions and aid political research.
• Labs will allow students to practice applying survey design skills using computational aids and practically examine the data they produce.
• Summative assessment is a 2,500-word survey design project where students will be expected to create a project that includes consideration of sampling, question wording and survey design.
• Formative assessment is a 750-word survey design project outline.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment is a 750-word proposal for a survey design outline.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University