Survey Research Project How To
Step by step instructions for designing, implementing, and analyzing survey research data
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As part of the Research Methods course, you will be asked to design a research proposal. Undergraduate students will propose survey methods, and graduates have a choice of quantitative or qualitative methods.
Below are instructional videos and resources that walk you step by step through the survey research process, starting with the topic selection for the project and then continuing through the survey construction, coding, analysis, and presentation stages. The table of contents provided to the right will take you to each section.
Step 1: Select a Research Topic
Step 1: Select a Research Topic
The first step of your survey research project is to select a research topic. You can choose any topic you want, but it must be something that is reasonable given your target audience (classmates, friends, and/or family) and appropriate for the course.
To help you brainstorm topics, here are some of the research questions students have done in previous semesters:
Are there gender differences in campus carry attitudes?
Are Criminal Justice majors more knowledgeable about wrongful convictions than non-Criminal Justice majors?
What is the impact of a Public Service Announcement video on perceptions of drinking and driving?
What is the impact of empirical research findings on attitudes towards sex offenders?
Do UT Tyler employees have different rape myth acceptance beliefs compared to UT Tyler students?
Does ethnicity impact perceptions of the United States government?
UT Tyler IRB Classroom Exemption Policy.pdfWill we need to get IRB approval for our study?
Will we need to get IRB approval for our study?
When research is being used for classroom purposes only, it usually falls under the classroom exemption policy and does not require review by the UT Tyler Institutional Review Board. However, the classroom exemption policy does not apply to all proposals. Topics deemed to be more than minimum risk require review by the UT Tyler IRB.
To the left is the UT Tyler IRB Classroom Exemption Policy, which outlines the topics and design designs that would require IRB review even when the research study is completed as a class project only.
Step 2: Create a Survey
Step 2: Create a Survey
In this video I show you an example survey that I created in Google Docs. This survey includes the informed consent form you will be using in your surveys, skip and fill questions, check all that apply questions, and open-ended response questions. You can download a copy of the survey instrument in this section as well.
Step 3: Prepare Your Survey in Google Forms
Step 3: Prepare Your Survey in Google Forms
In this video I show you how to set up a Google Forms survey using the example survey I created in Google Docs. This video also shows you how to preview your survey to see how questions are displayed and to check for any question flow problems.
Here is the link for the Google Forms survey (click here). This link allows you to see the collaborator view. Please do not make changes to this survey so as to ensure that it is available and consistent for all students who access it.
Step 4: Download Your Data
Step 4: Download Your Data
In this video I show you how to stop data collection and review the data collected in Google Forms. I also show you how to download your survey responses into Google Sheets so that you can begin data analysis.
Step 3: Code Your Data
Step 3: Code Your Data
In this video I show you how to code your survey data in Google Sheets using a survey codebook. In my courses, codebooks must include the following:
Variable name [All caps, one word only]
Question text
All possible responses
Numerical values for each response option
Numerical values for missing data (use a period for easy analysis)
Step 5: Analyze Your Data
Step 5: Analyze Your Data
You can use any statistical analysis software program you prefer to analyze your survey data. I have created how-to videos for four different statistical programs and provided them below. In each video, I upload the coded spreadsheet into the program and then show you to how to run descriptive statistics, create frequency tables and bivariate tables, and create pie graphs and bar charts.
This video shows you how to analyze your data in JASP, an open-source, free software program that can be downloaded onto your personal computer. Coding Note: In order for JASP to recognize missing data, you must use a period as the missing data value.
This video shows you how to analyze your data in Jamovi, another open-source, free software program that is downloadable onto your personal computer. Coding Note: In order for Jamovi to recognize missing data, you must use a period as the missing data value and set the Data Type to Integer (under Data Setup menu).
This video shows you how to analyze your data in SPSS, which is a commonly used statistical program. SPSS is not free, but UT Tyler has a campus license so you can access it for free in the computer labs on campus or by using the UT Tyler remote desktop. You can also rent a student license of SPSS for your personal computer for about $50 a semester. Coding Note: In order for SPSS to automatically recognize missing data, you must leave all missing data values blank.
This video shows you how to analyze your data in Miscrosoft Excel. While Excel is not designed as a statistical analysis program, you will be able to use the formulas in Excel to run the basic data analysis required for this project. Coding Note: In order to avoid Excel automatically including missing data in the analysis, you must leave all missing data values blank or use a period as a missing data value.
Step 6: Design Your Research Presentation
Step 6: Design Your Research Presentation
The final step of a research presentation is the presentation of your findings. Poster presentations are a common way that researchers disseminate important findings from their research studies. Research posters require careful, thoughtful design and preparation because they require a lot of information to be presented in a small space. The resources provided here are designed to help you create your research presentation. The University of Texas at Austin also has a great Guide to Creating Research Posters with samples, templates, and design considerations.
How to Make an Effective Poster PowerPoint.pdfBrown _ Producing Punchy Posters.pdfGundogen Koshy Kurar Whitehurst _ How to Make an Academic Poster.pdfCreating a Scientific Research Poster.docxCan we present our research at the UT Tyler Lyceum?
Can we present our research at the UT Tyler Lyceum?
Absolutely! You are welcome to present your research projects at the Lyceum Student Research Showcase. The Lyceum is held in the Spring semester of each year, but registration opens in the Fall semester so you can submit anytime. If you decide to participate in the Lyceum, you will need to do the following:
Notify Dr. Bailey that you will be participating in the Lyceum.
Submit a request to participate in the Lyceum. You must have an abstract and author list ready before submitting. Dr. Bailey will be the faculty sponsor for your research presentation.
Create a 4' by 3' poster on PowerPoint. The document provided here explains step by step how to create a research poster for the Lyceum.
You can design your poster any way you would like, but you must include the class number/title, Dr. Bailey's name, and the name of all participating group members.
Once you have finished designing your poster, you must submit your presentation to Dr. Bailey for review. Dr. Bailey will print your poster and provide it to you before the Lyceum showcase.
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