Introduction
In this chapter students learned about methods and concepts sociologists use to conduct research. They employ a variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, each with benefits and drawbacks. In this activity students will take a closer look at the procedures and planning involved in one of the most widely used methods of sociological research—the survey.

Lesson Description
Students will visit the Survey Research Methods Section of the American Statistical Association. They will explore topics about various survey research methods, answer questions about the material they have read, and then design a survey of their own, reflecting the principles of reliable and effective survey research.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different types of survey research.
2. Students will be able to explain how a sample is chosen in conducting survey research.
3. Students will be able to design a reliable and effective survey of their own.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. The sample for a survey is not selected haphazardly or only from persons who volunteer to participate—it is scientifically chosen so that each person in the population will have a measurable chance of selection. This ensures that the results can be reliably projected from the sample to the larger population.
2. The ideal size of a focus group is generally between six and twelve people. If the group is too small, one or two people may dominate the group, or it may not accomplish much if people have little to contribute. A group that is too large may lack cohesion or break off into side conversations, or people may become frustrated at having to wait too long to speak.
3. Advantages of mail surveys include cost effectiveness, potential for geographical stratification, and more honest responses from participants. Disadvantages can include coverage errors, difficulty in wording questions, and errors incurred from questionnaires that are too long, too personal, illegible, or difficult to follow.
4. Cell phones, answering machines and caller IDs, and falling response rates pose challenges to the future use of telephone surveys.
5. Students' surveys will vary but should reflect the principles of effective survey research methods.

Go To Student Web Activity