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Survey Design

ASCN Workshop, 19-20 November 2010, Tbilisi


This workshop introduced participants to the main steps and issues in the design and use of surveys as a method for data collection. The workshop covered:

• how theoretical concepts are translated into a meaningful and user-friendly sequence of survey questions (conceptualisation, operationalisation, question formation and sequencing) to create a questionnaire;

• choosing appropriate question types (closed questions of various kinds, open questions) and question formation;

• choosing an appropriate sampling method (representative or non representative) and related questions of access for respondents; and,

• choosing an appropriate format for administering the questionnaire (face-to-face, telephone survey, internet survey, mail).

The workshop also examined issues related to mixed-methods designs (combinations of questionnaires and qualitative interviewing, in particular) and ethical/relational issues (how to manage interactions with respondents). In addition, it briefly took a look at issues regarding data analysis. The workshop sessions included (interactive) lectures on the above-mentioned issues and presentations on various research projects that used questionnaires.



Trainers


The workshop was conducted by Dr. Simone Baglioni and Dr. Lea Sgier.

Dr. Simone Baglioni is a lecturer in Politics at Glasgow Caledonian University (UK) and Research director of the Italian case in the European research project YOUNEX (7th Framework program) affiliated with Bocconi University in Milan (Italy). Prior to that, Dr. Baglioni worked as a researcher and lecturer in various universities (Florence, Geneva and Neuchatel) and was involved in several European funded projects, such as the UNEMPOL (The Contentious Politics of Unemployment in Europe), the TSEP (Third Sector European Policy) and the CID (Citizenship, Involvement and Democracy).

His areas of interest include: unemployment politics, collective action, social exclusion, civil society and social capital.

Contact: Simone.nonexisting@fake.comBaglioni@gcu.nonexisting@fake.comac.nonexisting@fake.comuk

Dr. Lea Sgier is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest and a lecturer at the Essex Summer School in Social Science Data Analysis and Collection, University of Essex (UK). Her areas of interest are: qualitative methodology, gender and politics, political representation, citizenship, the nation-state and nationalism.

Contact: sgierl@ceu.nonexisting@fake.comhu

Participants


The workshop was designed for participants who plan to carry out some form of survey (large- or small-scale, quantitative or qualitative, as part of a complex research design or as a stand-alone method). The primary target audience was the junior researcher with little prior experience in survey research. Participation in the workshop was limited to scholars affiliated with one of the research projects supported by ASCN. However, ASCN also admitted a few external scholars to the workshop.

Programme


The workshop took place on 19-20 November 2010 at Ilia State University. The programme for the 2-day workshop can be downloaded here:
fileicon Programme.pdf (pdf, 37.5 KB)