Collecting Survey Data: Principles, design and execution

Presented by the ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods

Costs: $1,980-$2,200. Course outline and registration details are here.

The aim of this two-day course is to introduce participants to key elements of survey data collection and descriptive analysis:

• Core principles in designing social surveys
• Methods for measuring social and economic concepts, and
• Key decisions and challenges in the survey data collection process

This course will explore and analyse each of these elements using a combination of examples drawn from existing government and academic surveys, as well as policy and research questions identified by class participants.

By the end of the course, participants should have the key skills and knowledge to:

1. Generate research or policy evaluation questions that can be answered using social survey methods
2. Identify survey designs that can address these questions
3. Contribute to the development of social survey instruments

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This course is intended for those who are involved in the commissioning social surveys as part of their role (e.g. project managers and policy analysts), and those who have direct involvement in social surveys as part of their key responsibilities (e.g. with direct data collection responsibilities).

The course includes a combination of elements, including theoretical principles of survey design and measurement, interactive discussions of research and policy questions, and practical exercises. The discussions and exercises used throughout the course will provide participants with the opportunity to
integrate their own experiences and issues into the discussion.

COURSE OUTLINE

This course is delivered by experts in survey design, collection and analysis from the ANU and it’s subsidiary, the Social Research Centre. The core introductory course is delivered over two days, focussing on key elements of survey research design and implementation. There is also an optional third day for participants interested in more advanced and indepth elements of question and questionnaire design.

Dr Steven McEachern

Steve is Director of the Australian Data Archive at ANU, and lecturer in survey methods in the ANU Masters of Social Research. He was previously Director of the Computer-Assisted Survey Facility at the University of Ballarat, and has been actively involved in development and application of survey research methodology and technologies in Australian universities for over 15 years.

Dr Nicholas Biddle

Nicholas is a leading Australian quantitative social scientist and Deputy Director of the ANU Centre for Social Research. He previously held a Senior Research Officer and Assistant Director position in the Methodology Division of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).  Nicholas has a  long standing research interest in the field of behavioural insights and incorporating findings from other fields in economics. He has a focus on behavioural economics and how its insights could better inform existing policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, education, discrimination, welfare reform and wellbeing.

Shane Compton

Shane is an applied social policy researcher with 15 years of experience in Australian Government and research agency positions. At the Social Research Centre, Shane has end-to-end consulting responsibility for labour market, third party injury compensation, return to work, and service experience research. His research and project interests include whole-of-cycle consulting, studies with sensitive subject matter and potentially vulnerable audiences, data release strategies; and total survey error / data quality frameworks. He has a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and a Masters Degree in Applied Science.  Shane is also a member of the Australian Market and Social Research Society with Qualified Practicing Market Researcher (QPMR) accreditation.