This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills to develop the survey instruments needed for data-driven decision making and advice. It is also designed to help provide an understanding of how large survey projects are run for political campaigns and academic studies.
This course is being held online via Zoom and run on Australian Eastern Daylight Time (UTC +11)
(Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne Daylight Savings time)
Taught by an instructor with real-world experience as a pollster, campaign consultant, survey researcher and data scientist, this masterclass will focus on teaching you about survey design.
This course will be run over 2 days in three sessions per day:
- 10.00 am - 11.30 am - Session 1
- 12.00 pm - 1.30 pm - Session 2
- 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm - Session 3
This course is being held online via Zoom and run on Australian Eastern Daylight Time (GMT +11)
Dr Shaun Ratcliff is a political scientist, survey researcher and applied data scientist.
He is the Principal at Accent Research, where he works with clients on complex social and political research, studying how the public thinks and behaves, what influences their beliefs and actions, and ways to engage with them.
He was previously Director of Data Science at YouGov, and before that, a Lecturer at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney where he remains an Honorary Associate and continues to teach data science.
He has a PhD in Political Science from Monash University.
We are in the middle of a data revolution. This has impacted the academic, private, not for profit and public sectors.
Data collection is a significant part of this, and surveys are an important tool for gathering information on how individuals think and behave. However, there have been some high profile misses in recent years: the 2016 US Presidential election and Brexit being the most significant of these. What caused these errors, and can good survey design save us from making the same mistakes?
Taught by an instructor with real-world experience as a pollster, campaign consultant, survey researcher and data scientist, this masterclass will focus on what makes good (and bad) survey design.
Designed for both researchers with some experience running surveys and newcomers to survey research, we will explore how surveys can be effectively used to collect data. We will cover how modern survey research works, and sometimes doesn’t, the importance of sampling, how technology and social trends are changing survey research, and the best ways to write effective survey questions. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills to develop the survey instruments needed for data-driven research, decision making and advice.
Day 1
1. The anatomy of a survey
2. The importance of a good sample, and how will you contact your respondents?
3. What makes a good survey question.
Day 2
1. Reducing measuremnet error (from respondents and your survey design).
2. Technological and social change, and challenges to survey research
3. Opportunities for survey for research, and Conclusion
This workshop will take place online ‘live’ via zoom.
There are no specific software prerequisites, just email, a web browser and a word processor
No Prerequisites needed.
Some light reading will be provided before the course begins.
This online course was as enjoyable and instructive as face-to-face courses. The small group and engaging presenter meant that there was ample opportunity to interact with course mates and question/seek clarification. I actually find reading and comprehending slides faster and easier in an online environment, leaving more time to focus on the spoken presentation, so that was a plus from this format. Despite the well-known and discussed limitations of ALL online meetings, I would happily recommend this course, in this online format, to colleagues and friends.
Great in-depth coverage of survey design and related concepts, applicable to a range of disciplines
Small classes and the ability to ask questions as well as drop comments in the zoom chat during the course was very helpful.
The online format was great, largely due to Shaun's presentation style.
The first day was pitched at exactly the right level for me. I have some survey design experience, but no technical training, so it crystallised some of what I knew, and introduced some new knowledge. The second day was a bit faster and territory I was less familiar with, but it was still a useful overview and I can now do a bit more of my own research when it
becomes relevant for my work.
Delivery of this course is online - via Zoom.
Please ensure you have the following:
- Reliable Internet connection with at least 5Gb per day of data available (i.e. a 5 day course will use about 25Gb of data just on the Zoom application)
- A computer/laptop with the Zoom application installed (free)
- A webcam (built in to most laptops)
- A headset with a microphone (not required but ideal)
- A second monitor/screen if possible
Please also check the course page for specific software requirements (if any).