Practicum in Social Research

Covers the steps involved in social survey research, from site selection and questionnaire design all the way through data dissemination. It assumes a basic level of familiarity with social science research methods, particularly the logic of causal inference. We will discuss the linkage between research questions, site selection, and questionnaire design. We will also discuss in detail many of the practical considerations involved in fielding a survey, including balancing available funds and personnel with ideal sampling strategies and balancing the focus on a particular research topic with the responsibility to collect enough general information to make the data useful to a variety of users.