Module 7: Surveys and official statistics

Spot the Problems Exercise

1. Watch the (spoof) The Onion video, Most Children Not in Favor of Child Healthcare (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OETJFrpnwZc ). In 300-500 words, identify three or more problems with the survey and/or its interpretation by the commentator. Explain what changes you would want to see to treat this as a legitimate study. In your response, use at least two terms covered in the module (readings and/or videos), and be sure that all terminology used from the module is used correctly. Proofread carefully.
2. Post your response in your Learning Activity Discussion Board.
3. Provide a constructive response to at least one of your fellow group members’ posts. A constructive response is one that (a) uses supportive language to (b) identify for the author an area in which the work can be strengthened. For example, it may identify an issue where the wording is unclear or a point where terminology is used incorrectly, or suggest ideas for examples or ways to strengthen the argument, or let the author know of questions that the work raised for them. A constructive response goes beyond ‘I agree’ or ‘that is interesting’ to assist the author in improving the work. It should provide feedback that is intended to assist the author of the learning activity in improving their work.

Reminder: At the end of Module 8, you are required to select one learning activity for submission from Modules 5-8. You can use the feedback that you receive in the group forum to revise your selected learning activity prior to submission.

aggregate data grouped data for a specified geographic area.

ambiguous questions survey questions that are unclear and/or are misunderstood by the respondents, making their responses unreliable (e.g. questions with multiple stimuli).

census an enumeration or a record of the full population.

closed (or close-ended) questions questions that include a full set of acceptable responses for participants to choose from.

cross-sectional data the data collected from individuals at one point in time.

cross-sectional studies a type of research design intended to gather empirical evidence on an entire population or a representative sample of the population at a particular point in time.

ecological fallacy: the assumption that group level patterns imply individual level patterns

exhaustive: inclusion of all possible response options in a measure

forced choice question a question that asks respondents to select between a limited number of statements.

interviewer effect a situation in which a respondent provides the answer that he or she thinks the interviewer wants.

longitudinal data data collected from the same individuals over time.

longitudinal (or panel) studies studies that interview the same respondents at different points in time in order to study change.

metadata the technical documentation that accompanies secondary data.

microdata non-aggregated data that allows the researcher to consider individual units of analysis (such as individuals or households).

mutually exclusive the idea that two elements cannot coexist

non-singular a model that is open to different possible interpretations.

official statistics statistics that governments and international organizations release to the public.

open (or open-ended) questions questions that are framed in such a way that respondents can state their position without any cueing from the researcher.

secondary data data that are not collected directly by the researcher (e.g. official statistics and data gathered by other research teams).

skew the opinion an uneven distribution of opinion on a topic, in which a disproportionate percentage of the respondents hold an opinion on one side of the issue.

Note: Unless otherwise stated, glossary source is Berdahl, Loleen and Keith Archer. 2015. Explorations: Conducting Empirical Research in Canadian Political Science (Third Edition). Oxford University Press.