Instructions
In this forum you’ll have a chance to experiment with online survey tools by creating a survey and completing surveys created by your peers. (You might want to use this online survey to help research your analytical report.) Businesses are increasingly using online survey tools to conduct research; the advantages of these tools include lower cost, prompt response times, and easier creation and implementation than traditional surveys.
1. Check out the Web tools Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey, and pick one of these sites to use for this activity. MySurveyMonkey account is Lorraine713; Password is 0000000000
2. Develop a short (5-10 questions) online questionnaire on a topic of your choice. You can be creative about the topic. For example, you might want to research Web addiction among college students, with questions about Web use and its impact on students’ lives. Or, you might choose a food you’re passionate about (chocolate!) and consider how students view that food (qualities sought, favorite brands, etc.). Have some fun with this! In your survey, be sure to include the following:
o the title of your survey
o an introduction to the survey that clearly explains the purpose of the survey and assures the participants that their answers will be kept anonymous
o a conclusion that thanks the participants for taking the survey
o at least three different types or styles of question (for example, closed vs. open-ended, Likert scale, multiple choice, ordinal, numerical)
o as many of the APC CODE principles as you can (as described in the study notes for module 2).
3. When your survey is completed, create a forum posting that has your survey title in the subject line and a link to your survey in the text field.
4. Visit several of your peers’ surveys via the links they have posted, and take at least five of the surveys. (Next week you will discuss what you learned about creating and taking online surveys.)
Here are some examples from my classmates:
Food Choices Survey
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SFQ2DR3
What’s your favorite soda??
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8D9YC6T
How much do you eat out/order food?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6DGYT9K
Module 9: Primary Research Focus
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Purpose
This week we will focus on primary research. On-the-job research usually involves collecting information directly from real-world sources, rather than relying on secondary research. Here are some examples of primary research:
• In a restaurant, you are given a customer comment card asking whether you were satisfied with the service and the food.
• After taking your car in for repairs, you receive a survey in the mail asking you to rate the quality of the services provided.
• During a visit to the mall, you are invited to participate in a user study to try out a new snack food.
Your research process for the course project will include at least two interviews. In addition to those interviews, you may also want to develop a survey. This will give you practice at that. You need not create this week’s survey around your research project, but you can if you wish.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module, you should be able to
• identify a range of primary research strategies;
• apply effective survey design strategies;
• create and conduct an online survey;
• develop relevant, effective interview questions.
Learning Resources
• Any new instructor posts in the News and Announcements forum
• All the content in this module, including the Study Notes
• What is Primary Research and How do I get Started?(Markel, pp 131-143).
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/559/01/
• Survey Design. This article discusses the specifics of survey design strategies, including question construction, question order, and special considerations for e-mail and online surveys.
http://www.surveysystem.com/sdesign.htm#goals
• Research Methods Knowledge Base and Super Survey Knowledge Base. When you design a survey, there are a variety of ways to word any question. These links can help you develop your questions.
http://support.supersimplesurvey.com/knowledgebase
• Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey. For the forum activity this week, you will need to use an online survey tool. These are the two sites that I suggest you check out—many businesses and nonprofits use them to conduct online surveys. You can post a short online survey free at either site, or pay a fee for more extensive surveys, downloadable results, or other analysis tools. Explore these sites by registering, trying out the survey features, and checking out the tips for creating surveys.
http://www.zoomerang.com/
https://www.surveymonkey.com/
Learning Activities
1. Forum
Follow the instructions posted in this forum. Be sure to visit the surveys that your peers have created, and take at least five of them. (Next week you will discuss what you have learned about creating and taking online surveys.)