Students
SOCX830 – Doing Social Survey Research
2017 – S2 OUA
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Hang Young Lee
Contact via hangyoung.lee@mq.edu.au
W104, 2nd Level, Australian Hearing Hub
Friday 11am to 12pm or by appointment
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This is a unit in applied survey research and data analysis. It will explain key survey techniques used and give you the chance to try them out in practice. The unit covers choosing survey methods, administering surveys and writing good survey questions. It also looks at some of the debates around the potentials and limits of surveys. Qualitative researchers often rely on surveys to prepare themselves for fieldwork or to 'triangulate' their results from interview work. But ultimately, surveys are designed to enable statistical analysis of data, and therefore the unit covers some of the statistical techniques used. Understanding how quantitative analytical methods work with and augment qualitative methods requires some knowledge and use of statistics and a statistical package.
All enrolment queries should be directed to Open Universities Australia (OUA): see www.open.edu.au
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.open.edu.au/student-admin-and-support/key-dates/
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Learn foundational knowledge of social survey methods
- Critically analyze sociological research
- Develop insight into theoretical accounts about survey responses
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple-choice Test | 20% | No | Week 6 |
| Analysis Tasks | 30% | No | Week 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
| Survey Research Project | 40% | No | Week 13 |
| Participation | 10% | No | On-going |
Multiple-choice Test
Due: Week 6
Weighting: 20%
This test will be administered during Week 6. The test is intended to assess students’ fluency with the key concepts, terms, theories, and procedures of social survey research methods. Students will have 60 minutes to complete the test. It will cover materials from week 1 to week 5 on social survey. It will consist of 40 multiple-choice questions.
More information on the test will be provided on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Learn foundational knowledge of social survey methods
- Develop insight into theoretical accounts about survey responses
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
Analysis Tasks
Due: Week 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Weighting: 30%
Students will have six analysis tasks, which are take-home assignments. From week 7 to week 12, students will be required to complete and submit analysis tasks in due time after the class. These tasks are intended to assess students’ skills to analyze survey datasets using the software R/RStudio. They consist of several statistical problems that students should address. Each task contributes to 5% of students’ overall assessment.
Detailed guidelines will be provided on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
Survey Research Project
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
This project is a research paper in which students will apply the skills they have learned in the classes to a topic of their own choosing. Students can choose between two types of survey research project to complete this assignment. The first type of research project is writing a research proposal. In the research proposal, students will design their own social surveys (e.g., the construction of survey questionnaires) that address their own research questions. Students need to review previous studies on their chosen topic and have to develop their own research hypotheses. It is not necessary to implement their designed surveys, but students will be required to provide a detailed explanation of how they would administer their designed surveys (e.g., the design of sampling) and which kind of statistical analysis is most suitable for testing the hypotheses. This research proposal will be evaluated primarily by students’ ability to design social surveys, to formulate research questions and hypotheses, to write survey questionnaires, and to administer social surveys. The second type of research project is writing a complete research paper. In the research paper, students will analyze existing survey datasets (e.g., Australian General Social Survey, Household Income & Labour Dynamics of Australia) to address their own research questions, but will not be required to design their own social survey. In the research paper, students will propose their own research questions, develop hypotheses (including the literature review), explain the dataset, variables, and analytic method, analyze the dataset, and report the statistical result. The research paper will be evaluated primarily by students’ ability to formulate research questions and hypotheses, to find a suitable dataset and variables, and to analyze the survey dataset. I recommend students to discuss with the unit convenor about their research project as early as possible.
More information on the project will be provided on iLearn.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically analyze sociological research
- Develop insight into theoretical accounts about survey responses
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Participation
Due: On-going
Weighting: 10%
Participation.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Learn foundational knowledge of social survey methods
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Delivery and Resources
The first five classes focus on the design and implementation of social surveys, and the next seven classes on data analysis. Lectures and statistical labs are mixed, and the class will run between 6 pm and 8 pm (and longer if needed) on every Tuesday.
Textbooks
This course draws on two required textbook.
- Vaus, David de (2014) Surveys in Social Research, 6th Edition, Allen&Unwin.
- Illowsky, Barbara and Susan Dean (2017) Introductory Statistics, OpenStax. (Available for free at https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/Statistics-OP.pdf)
It is recommended to read the following textbook if students seek for comprehensive understanding of using the software R.
- Verzani, John (2014) Using R for Introductory Statistics, 2nd Edition, Taylor&Francis.
Survey and Statistical Software
Students will learn to use an online survey software Qualtrics. Qualtrics is an online survey platform that makes it easy to build a survey and to collect survey data. Students can create Qualtrics Free Account at the following website.
- Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com/free-account/
For the second part of the unit, students will learn to use statistical software R for the quantitative data analysis. Students can download software R and its integrated development environment(IDE), RStudio for free at the following websites:
- R: https://www.r-project.org
- RStudio: https://www.rstudio.com
R and RStudio are available in iLab as well. In the class of Week 5, students will learn how to install R and RStudio.
Information about iLearn
Important information about the weekly schedule for SOCX830, course readings, and assessment are all available on the course iLearn page(http://ilearn.mq.edu.au). If students do not have access, please contact IT help. Students are required to check iLearn and their student email regularly for course updates and information. Students may need to download and print materials.
Information about Turnitin and GradeMark
All written assessments for SOCX830 need to be submitted via Turnitin. Please see detailed information about Turnitin assignment submission procedure at http://www.mq.edu.au/courses/open_universities_australia/welcome_to_online_learning/assignment_submission_procedure/turnitin_assignment_submission_procedure/. A link to Turnitin is available via the Assessments tab on the iLearn page. Please contact the unit convenor if students cannot find it (do not leave it until the day of the assessment). Assessments will be marked via GradeMark and returned to students electronically.
Unit Schedule
| Wk | Date | Lecture Topics | Lab Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Aug |
Introduction to Social Survey Research
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No Lab |
| 2 | 8 Aug |
Research Design
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No Lab |
| 3 | 15 Aug |
Sample and Questionnaire
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Qualtrics: Introduction to Qualtrics |
| 4 | 22 Aug |
Survey Administration
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Qualtrics: Creating Online Surveys |
| 5 | 29 Aug |
Measurement and Scale
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R: Introducing R and RStudio |
| 6 | 5 Sep | Multiple-choice Test | R: Data Management |
| 7 | 12 Sep |
Univariate Analysis
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R: Univariate Analysis |
| 8 | 3 Oct |
Normal and Sampling Distribution
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R: Normal and Sampling Distribution |
| 9 | 10 Oct |
Confidence Intervals and Testing Hypotheses
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R: Confidence Intervals and Testing Hypotheses |
| 10 | 17 Oct |
Bivariate Analysis
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R: Bivariate Analysis |
| 11 | 24 Oct |
Linear Regression Analysis
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R: Linear Regression Analysis |
| 12 | 31 Oct |
Linear Regression Analysis2
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R: Linear Regression Analysis |
| 13 | 7 Nov |
Logistic Regression Analysis and More |
No Lab |
Policies and Procedures
Late Submission - applies unless otherwise stated elsewhere in the unit guide
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Extension Request
Special Consideration Policy and Procedure (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration)
The University recognises that students may experience events or conditions that adversely affect their academic performance. If you experience serious and unavoidable difficulties at exam time or when assessment tasks are due, you can consider applying for Special Consideration.
You need to show that the circumstances:
- were serious, unexpected and unavoidable
- were beyond your control
- caused substantial disruption to your academic work
- substantially interfered with your otherwise satisfactory fulfilment of the unit requirements
- lasted at least three consecutive days or a total of 5 days within the teaching period and prevented completion of an assessment task scheduled for a specific date.
If you feel that your studies have been impacted submit an application as follows:
- Visit Ask MQ and use your OneID to log in
- Fill in your relevant details
- Attach supporting documents by clicking 'Add a reply', click 'Browse' and navigating to the files you want to attach, then click 'Submit Form' to send your notification and supporting documents
- Please keep copies of your original documents, as they may be requested in the future as part of the assessment process
Outcome
Once your submission is assessed, an appropriate outcome will be organised.
OUA Specific Policies and Procedures
Withdrawal from a unit after the census date
You can withdraw from your subjects prior to the census date (last day to withdraw). If you successfully withdraw before the census date, you won’t need to apply for Special Circumstances. If you find yourself unable to withdraw from your subjects before the census date - you might be able to apply for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, we can refund your fees and overturn your fail grade.
If you’re studying Single Subjects using FEE-HELP or paying up front, you can apply online.
If you’re studying a degree using HECS-HELP, you’ll need to apply directly to Macquarie University.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy_2016.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/complaint_management/procedure.html
Disruption to Studies Policy (in effect until Dec 4th, 2017): http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html
Special Consideration Policy (in effect from Dec 4th, 2017): https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Results
Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.
Academic Honesty
Academic Honesty is an integral part of the core values and principles contained in the Macquarie University Ethics Statement. Its fundamental principle is that all staff and students act with integrity in the creation, development, application, and use of ideas and information. This means that:
- All academic work claimed as original is the work of the author making the claim
- All academic collaborations are acknowledged
- Academic work is not falsified in any way
- When the ideas of others are used, these ideas are acknowledged appropriately
- See the link above for more information from Policy Central.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Graduate Capabilities
PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative
Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically analyze sociological research
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment task
- Survey Research Project
PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Learn foundational knowledge of social survey methods
- Develop insight into theoretical accounts about survey responses
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
Assessment tasks
- Multiple-choice Test
- Analysis Tasks
- Survey Research Project
PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Critically analyze sociological research
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment task
- Survey Research Project
PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability
Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Learn foundational knowledge of social survey methods
- Critically analyze sociological research
- Develop insight into theoretical accounts about survey responses
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Develop useful data analysis skills including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment tasks
- Analysis Tasks
- Survey Research Project
PG - Effective Communication
Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Develop useful skills in writing good survey questions
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment tasks
- Multiple-choice Test
- Analysis Tasks
- Survey Research Project
- Participation
PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens
Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Develop useful skills in administering social surveys effectively
- Conduct original research using quantitative research methods
Assessment tasks
- Multiple-choice Test
- Analysis Tasks
- Survey Research Project
- Participation