Utrecht, Netherlands

Survey Research: Design, Implementation and Data Processing

Changes in technology and society strongly influence modern survey research. This course covers the essentials of modern survey methodology, organised by the Department of Methodology and Statistics in collaboration with Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Central to the course is survey quality and the reduction of Total Survey Error (coverage, sampling, nonresponse, including questionnaire and mode effects), while balancing logistics and survey costs. Best practice guidelines for surveys from design to implementation, analysis and reporting will be discussed.

This course covers the essentials of modern survey methodology and analysis and is organised by the Department of Methodology and Statistics in collaboration with Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Central to the course is survey quality and the reduction of Total Survey Error (coverage, sampling, nonresponse, and measurement error, including questionnaire and mode effects), while balancing logistics and survey costs. Topics include state of the art survey design, questionnaire construction and testing, modes of and devices for data collection, data processing and survey analysis techniques, such as nonresponse analysis and scale and index construction and the use of administrative data. Best practice guidelines for phases of the survey from design to implementation, analysis and reporting will be discussed. International comparative and longitudinal surveys are included.

Graduate students, academic researchers, researchers in the public and private sector, heads of departments, managers, and commissioners of research are increasingly dealing with surveys. This course is intended as an introduction at master/graduate level for those who are new to modern survey methodology and as a refresher course for those with some experience in survey methodology. Current developments will be reviewed and research literature will be discussed. After the course, participants are ready to apply the learned towards their own surveys, are able to critically assess existing surveys and survey documentation, and are able to take advanced training in survey methodology and analysis. A basic knowledge of methods and statistics (e.g. descriptive statistics) is required. In the course SPSS will be used, but specific knowledge of SPSS is not required.

Participants are requested to bring their own laptop. Software will be available online.

A good follow up is our Summer School course ‘Survey research: Statistical analysis and estimation’ (S16, 23-27 August)

Please note that there is always the possibility that we have to change the course pending COVID19-related developments. The exact details, including a day-to-day program, will be communicated 6 weeks prior to the start of the course.

Course leader

Dr. Vera Toepoel

Target group

Whether you are working with survey data, intend to commission a survey, or carry out a survey yourself, if you want to know more about designing modern surveys this course is for you. This course assumes minimally bachelor level knowledge of methods and statistics. In the course SPSS will be used, but specific knowledge of SPSS is not required. The course is intended for students, professionals, and managers from a variety of fields, such as social and behavioral research, marketing, business, health sciences, and official statistics, who would like to learn more about the survey process in the 21st century. A maximum of 40 participants will be allowed in this course. Please note that the selection for this course will be done on a first-come-first-served basis.

Course aim

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of theory and practice of modern survey design. This course is useful for both novices in survey methodology and for more experienced students, who want to refresh their knowledge. After the course, participants are ready to apply the learned towards their own surveys, are able to critically assess existing surveys and survey documentation, and are able to take advanced training in survey methodology and analysis.

Fee info

EUR 850: Course + course materials
EUR 250: Housing fee (optional)