Survey Methods

1.5 Credits · Level: Graduate

Do you ever wonder where data come from? Evidence-based policy-making relies on data and data-- run through elegant econometric models-- inform billions of dollars of social spending globally. Where does all this data come from? How is it produced? And is it any good? Do the data we use meet quality standards of precision, accuracy, timeliness and relevance? In this course we will focus on the most common types of quantitative data from surveys and censuses used in developing countries and how these fit into a statistical system. Specifically we will look at how such quantitative data are produced: from the framing of an answerable policy question, through cognitive testing of questions, developing and testing questionnaires, designing and as importantly, implementing the right sample design, managing field work (and understanding how every aspect of this affects data quality), analyzing and disseminating data, and finally, to creating institutional memory. By the end of the course, students will have a solid understanding of the types of survey data most used in public policy in developing countries, have practical knowledge of how to actually generate high quality data in the field, and be able to make sound judgments on the quality of existing data.