Data Collection

Instrument Development (National sample): We collected data from a nationwide sample of totaling 26 survey participants representing 22 programs, along with 17 follow up interviews. From the development process, we learned that language needed to be carefully chosen, precise, and with clear definitions of the words. The diversity of different types of programming makes it difficult to refer to variables universally - for example, some respondents preferred referring to their programs as “events” or “activities”, and words with multiple interpretations were ‘audience’, ‘personnel’, ‘staff’, ‘partners’ and ‘volunteers’.

The final Michigan sample includes 18 different informal physics programs and spans over six different institutions. The universities in our study are generally predominantly white institutions and are located in rural, suburban, and urban areas of the two Michigan peninsulas. While Michigan is not representative of the entire nation, its diverse demographic groups and variety of programs provide a good starting ground.