Survey Research Methods

4.0 credits

This course explores how to use surveys to make inferences in the social sciences. The course begins by situating surveys in the larger research process, touching on validity, ethics, and the evolution of surveys. It then focuses on sampling including canonical topics such as probability and non-probability sampling as well as non-response and reaching hard to survey populations. The course next turns to how respondents answer questions and how to write optimal questionnaires. The final classes cover analyses and reporting, and various domain specific topics (e.g., survey experiments, election polling). Students will complete a research project that involves designing and collecting their own survey data.