Master 2020/2021

Questionnaire Design for Social Surveys

Type: Elective course (Linguistic Theory and Language Description)

Area of studies: Fundamental and Applied Linguistics

Delivered by: School of Linguistics

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 2 year, 3 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Instructors: Yury Lander

Master’s programme: Linguistic Theory and Language Description

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 2

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course will cover the basic elements of designing and evaluating questionnaires. We will review the process of responding to questions, challenges and options for asking questions about behavioral frequencies, practical techniques for evaluating questions, mode specific questionnaire characteristics, and review methods of standardized and conversational interviewing. the University of Michigan: https://www.coursera.org/learn/questionnaire-design

Learning Objectives

• to introduce students to designing and evaluating questionnaires

Expected Learning Outcomes

• knows the basic elements of designing and evaluating questionnaires
• knows practical techniques for evaluating questions
• implements methods of standardized and conversational interviewing

Course Contents

• Introduction and Unit 1: Overview of Standardized Interviewing
  Introduction; Different types of questions, Measurement error in questions: Bias and variance; Standardized and conversational interviewing; From specifying a concept to asking questions.
• Unit 2: Response Process
  Comprehension; Retrieval; Judgment; Response.
• Unit 3: Asking Factual Questions
  Facts and quasi facts; Memory and recall; Asking sensitive questions; Mode, privacy and confidentiality.
• Unit 4: Measuring Attitudes
  Context effects in attitude questions; Use of different scales; Offering don’t know options; Response order effects.
• Unit 5: Testing Questionnaires
  Expert reviews and focus groups; Cognitive interviews; Behavior coding; Quantitative techniques.
• Unit 6: Putting It All Together
  The questionnaire from start to finish; Things to put at the end; Mode Choice: Implementations for layout; Self-administered questionnaires.

Assessment Elements

• online course
• discussion with a HSE instructor
• online course
• discussion with a HSE instructor

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.3 * discussion with a HSE instructor + 0.7 * online course

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Brinkmann, S. (2013). Qualitative Interviewing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=603936

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Seidman, I. (2019). Interviewing As Qualitative Research : A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences (Vol. Fifth edition). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=2168597