Assignment: Utilizing Various Survey Methods
Assignment: Utilizing Various Survey Methods

PSYC 3003 ASSIGNMENT
Think about what types of data you would collect utilizing various survey methods (e.g., interviews and questionnaires, focus groups).

Consider strategies researchers use to attempt to increase the participant response rates of surveys. Also, consider surveys and questionnaires that you have received in the past and your reasons for responding or not responding.
The Assignment: (1–2 pages)

For context, briefly provide the topic and study idea you developed for the Discussion this week (fewer than 50 words).
Propose a survey method for collecting data (e.g., a structured or nonstructured interview, a focus group, questionnaires) and your rationale for selecting this method as it relates to your specific study idea.
Explain one advantage and one potential disadvantage of the survey method you proposed as it relates to your specific study idea.
Explain at least one strategy that you could use to attempt to get individuals to respond to your proposed survey method.

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.