The 2016 Methods Summer Programme is now closed. Details for the 2017 Programme will be available soon.
The social survey is a core methodology in the social sciences. Surveys allow researchers to measure attitudes, behaviours, values and norms. This means that survey data can be used to study a wide variety of research questions: including questions about variation between groups or variation over time.
This course will provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of survey research methods. It will focus on all aspects of the survey research process, from the design of surveys prior to data collection, up to and including the analysis of survey data and reporting of results. Participants will develop specialist knowledge about a range of issues, including different sources of bias, response psychology, measurement theory, and non-response.
By the end of the course, participants will have a greater ability to critically evaluate survey-based research, including both academic and non-academic publications. In addition, the course will provide a dynamic environment in which to develop a range of practical and technical skills. This includes the ability to design high quality surveys, and the confidence to analyse and interpret complex survey data using different statistical techniques. The aim is that participants will continue to benefit from the course throughout their careers, whether as consumers, users, or producers of research.
Course Suitability
This course is ideal for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, early-career academic researchers, and researchers in the public and private sector.
Course Benefits
Participants will:
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Gain a comprehensive understanding of the entire survey research process.
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Be able to assess the quality of (1) existing surveys, (2) survey data analysis, and (3) reporting about the results of surveys – e.g. in published research.
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Gain the ability to carry out or commission high quality surveys.
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Gain an in-depth understanding of the different ways of conducting survey research, including face-to-face, internet, postal and telephone surveys.
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Learn about the fundamental links between concepts, measures and empirical data in the context of survey research. This includes how to define constructs, how to measure these constructs, and how to design questionnaires in order to minimise bias.
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Learn about survey data analysis, and gain practical experience of analysing survey data using regression models that take account of different aspects of survey design such as stratification and non-response.
Prerequisites
Understanding of basic descriptive statistics and inference (e.g. t-tests, simple linear regression)
The aim of this course is to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of survey research methods. It is intended for participants who plan to design and carry out their own survey, as well as those who need to understand and use data from existing surveys.
The aims of the course will be achieved by focussing on several main objectives:
1. We will provide participants with a methodological framework that covers the entire survey process. This framework allows researchers to identify and avoid multiple sources of error. As a result, participants will be able to maximise the reliability and validity of their survey-based findings.
2. We will enable participants to develop the practical knowledge and statistical skills that are required to carry out high quality survey research. This includes experience of working with a range of different types of survey, using real-world examples.
3. We will work with participants to tailor the course to their own research needs. For example, participants will be able to focus on specific concepts, questions, and survey designs.
A series of interactive lectures will be used to communicate the core syllabus. The syllabus includes the following topics: an overview of the survey process; sources of survey error; sample design; question design; question testing; sampling error; non-sampling error; methods of data collection; the psychology of survey response; preparing and working with existing survey data; methods of analysis; non-response, imputation, and the use of survey weights.
Seminars will provide participants with an opportunity to improve their understanding of each of these topics, while simultaneously developing a range of practical and technical skills. The course will include computer classes using the statistical software ‘Stata’. It will also provide participants with a broader knowledge of the literature on survey research methods.
Software used
Stata; no previous knowledge is required.
Main Texts
Groves, R. M., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M. P., Lepkowski, J. M., Singer, E. and Tourangeau, R. (2009). Survey Methodology. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.
Heeringa, S. G., West, B. T. and Berglund, P. A. (2010). Applied Survey Data Analysis. CRC Press.
Ben Wilson is a Fellow in the Department of Methodology and an affiliated member of the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics. Prior to joining the LSE, he worked as a senior researcher at the Office for National Statistics.
Ben is an expert in survey methods, social statistics and demography. His current research focuses on a range of demographic topics, including migration, partnership, childbearing, and reproductive health.
Please note: A full timetable will be provided at registration on Monday 15 August. The below timetables contain approximate hours only.
ME401 Timetable
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ME401 Timetable
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