Group of students sitting on the floor during a class discussion
Gleeson Library atrium

Survey Research

Course GEDU 711 | Every spring semester.

Course GEDU 706 | Applied Educational Statistics
Course GEDU 708 | Research Methods in Education

Catalog Description:

General Education course descriptions in the USF General Catalog online.

Objectives or Outcomes:


  1. Determine whether survey research is the best available methodology for a proposed research design;
  2. Determine which type of survey is most appropriate;
  3. Set up guidelines for experimental designs of surveys as well as crosssectional, cohort, and case-control designs and provide checklists of risks to avoid for internal and external validity;
  4. Determine proper wording of questions, feasible number of questions,
    • to standardize response choice,
    • to ask questions about attitude, knowledge, behavior,
    • to avoid biased wording,and
    • to distinguish among response formats that use nominal, ordinals and numerical measurement;
  5. Write questions that are most effective for telephone interviews and in-person interviews;
  6. Write cover letters that will motivate and increase response rate;
  7. Know the myriad sampling techniques such as random sampling, stratified random sampling, systematic sampling, snowballing sampling, quota sampling, and focus groups;
  8. Discuss inclusion and exclusion criteria, the logic in estimating standard errors, sample size determination, and the sources of error in sampling;
  9. Measure reliability and validity;
  10. Analyze survey data;
  11. Present effective written and pictorial survey findings.


Students will be required to:

  1. Read weekly on assigned topics
  2. Respond to regular quizzes and participate in "term identifications"
  3. Make a class presentation on a given topic
  4. Create a survey
  5. Complete a "take-home" exam

Criteria for Evaluation:

  • 40% class preparation, weekly reading, participation, quality of discussion
  • 20% class report
  • 30% final "take home" exam
  • 10% quizzes

Possible Course Textbooks:

None; use of textbooks on survey research in the library for class report.