Advanced data collection methods create the means for science to progress. Unfortunately, important findings in the nascent field of survey methodology, which dedicates itself to improving the science of survey data collection, have been largely isolated from many substantive fields, including the social, behavioral, and health sciences. Even though these disciplines stand to prosper from important advances in the field of survey methodology, researchers collecting survey data in these fields generally do not have any exposure to these advances. This knowledge gap can be decreased by providing researchers in many areas of scientific inquiry with exposure to the recent methodological advances in survey methodology so that their scientific data collections can benefit from improved efficiency and data quality. Especially important are new survey methodologies that have been labeled ?responsive survey design,? which were developed in response to growing uncertainty about the impacts of various survey design features on survey costs and errors. Responsive survey designs allow investigators to dynamically respond to rapidly evolving field data collections, maximizing the scientific gain possible within fixed budget constraints. The proposed research education program aims to break down barriers between researchers in the health, behavioral, and social sciences and survey methodology by exposing these researchers to the newest literature on state-of-the-art survey data collection techniques and engaging them with hands-on examples of easy-to-use methods. The proposed research education program has the following four specific aims: 1. Provide survey researchers worldwide in the health, behavioral, and social sciences with rigorous training in novel scientific approaches to continuously improving the survey data collection process. 2. Provide participants with online networking tools to continuously exchange ideas, stay aware of state- of-the-art developments, and report both successes and implementation difficulties. 3. Organically measure and adapt to the research education needs of researchers collecting survey data. 4. Expand the offering of short courses from the program to other locales and online formats that will appeal to an even broader international audience of researchers applying survey research methods.
Survey research is a ubiquitous research methodology used in the social, behavioral, and health sciences to make inferences about specific populations. Unfortunately, many of the investigators conducting research in these fields of study have not benefitted from rigorous training in the newest scientific approaches to the collection of survey data, and this lack of exposure to important developments in survey methodology can lead to inefficient data collection practices and reduced data quality. This project will develop and implement an organic research education program that will provide participants with exposure to state-of-the-art developments in survey methodology and practical tools for improving their survey data collection activities.
