ISR’s 2010 Spring Seminar Series features courses on survey research in the first week and qualitative research methods in the second. In addition there are introductory courses on SPSS and SAS and a new course on regression.

The survey courses begin with a two-day session on questionnaire design. Each day offers a lecture in the morning and workshop in the afternoon. In the workshops, groups of students will develop survey questions for discussion. Important aspects of high quality data collection are discussed in a half-day lecture the next morning, and that afternoon provides an overview of survey sampling. The fourth and fifth days of this series provide a hands-on introduction to the analysis of survey data.

The qualitative research courses begin with a one-day seminar on research interviewing. The next day is devoted to focus groups and the third day deals with interpreting qualitative data, including textual materials from interviews and focus group. The week concludes with a two-day workshop on the computerized analysis of text using NVivo.

The capstone to our series is a day-long workshop on The Psychology of Survey Response by Professor Roger Tourangeau. Since the mid-1980s, Tourangeau has been a leader of the movement to apply cognitive psychology to surveys. He is Director of the University of Maryland's Joint Program in Survey Methodology.

The introductory SPSS and SAS courses are designed to equip participants to undertake basic statistical analysis of quantitative data. Introduction to Regression combines lectures and lab work to provide basic skills in statistical modeling.

These courses provide a hands-on approach to help researchers develop practical skills. They attract an interesting mix of graduate students, researchers from government and NGOs, faculty and university staff. In our teaching we strive to provide a successful introduction to each topic, while offering new insights for more experienced researchers.

Survey Research Methods (May 10-14, 26, 2010)

Principles and Practice of Questionnaire Design
Instructors:	Professor Michael Ornstein Renée Elsbett-Koeppen MSc Liza Mercier, BSc
Dates:	Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Times:	9:30am-Noon; 1-3:30pm
Locations:	Lectures: Room 1005, Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Building Workshops: Room 1014 (May 10) and Room 1009 (May 11)
Enrolment Limit:	30
This course provides a theoretical overview and practical guide to questionnaire design. The first morning session focuses on models of survey response - what respondents do when they answer survey questions - in relation to what the survey researcher wants to measure and the context of data collection. The second morning emphasizes practical aspects of writing survey questions and assembling them into an effective questionnaire. Topics covered include differences among self-administered, telephone and face-to-face surveys, open and closed questions, whether to solicit “don’t know” answers, demographic questions, and the effects of question order. Questionnaire design is understood as a process rather than a discrete task. The presentation includes many examples. The afternoon workshops are designed to extend and deepen your understanding of questionnaire design with some practical experience. Course participants will be divided into groups of about five and given a short survey design assignment, to be completed in an hour. The rest of the session will be spent discussing each group’s questions.

Survey Data Collection
Instructors:	Professor Michael Ornstein Liza Mercier, BSc
Date:	Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time:	9:30am-Noon (½ course)
Location:	Room 1005 Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Building
Enrolment Limit:	35
The course focuses on practical aspects of mailed and web surveys, with some discussion of telephone surveys. Topics covered include effective ways to solicit response, survey length and other predictors of response rates, alternative question formats and their effects on response distributions, and strategies to maximize response quality. At the heart of this process is a good understanding of why people will voluntarily answer a survey and what affects how well they answer. Note that this course is not about writing survey questions, nor does it teach you how to program a web survey.

Sampling for Population Surveys
Instructor:	Professor Michael Ornstein
Date:	Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Time:	1-3:30pm (½ course)
Location:	Room 1005 Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Building
Enrolment Limit:	45
This course provides a short, practical guide to sample survey design for survey researchers, emphasizing the strengths of alternative designs rather than the mechanics of sample selection. We begin with a description of different samples and their implications for analysis. Decisions about sample design are set in the context of the limitations imposed by the survey population, the information available for sampling, and cost. The emphasis is on surveys designed for a variety of analyses, rather than on the “classical” concern with optimizing estimation of a single outcome.

Course Fees

For York students, the fees are $40 per full-course
and $20 per half-course.

For York faculty and staff, the fees are $80 per full-course
and $40 per half-course.

Full-time students at other post-secondary institutions may register for a fee of $70 per full-course and $35 per half-course.

For external participants, the fees per course are:

Principles and Practice of Questionnaire Design .....	$240
Survey Data Collection ....................................	$60
Sampling for Population Surveys in a Nutshell .......	$60
An Introduction to Survey Data Analysis .............	$240
The Psychology of Survey Response ...................	$120
The Art & Science of Research Interviewing .........	$120
Conducting Focus Groups for Social Research .......	$120
Interpreting Qualitative Data: An Overview ..........	$120
An NVivo Workshop .........................................	$240
An Introduction to SPSS for Windows .................	$320
An Introduction to SAS for Windows ...................	$320
Introduction to Regression ................................	$320
All participants: Certificate of Completion.............	$5.00 each

Course fees must be paid at the time of registration.

See the registration form for payment options.

Refunds are available upon three business days' notice prior to the course start date and are subject to an administrative fee.

Please review our policy regarding refunds here.

Registration

You can register for courses by completing the on-line registration form.

To register in person (weekdays, from 9:00am to 12:00pm or 2:00pm to 4:00pm), please see:

Anita Valencia
Room 5075
Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Building

To register by mail, print a blank registration form, complete, and send to:

Anita Valencia
Institute for Social Research
Room 5075
Technology Enhanced Learning Building
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

You may also fax a completed registration form to: 416-736-5749

Certificate of Completion

Available on request, full attendance is required.

A $5.00 administrative fee applies, for each certificate requested.

Additional Information

Additional information regarding registration:
please telephone 416-736-5061, weekdays,
from 9:00am to 12:00pm or 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Directions to York University (Keele Campus), building and parking lot locations click here. For additional information on parking click here.

Instructors

Renée Elsbett-Koeppen
Renée Elsbett-Koeppen received her MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Western Ontario. She manages health-related research projects at ISR, including the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System, a monthly study for more than 20 Ontario public health units. Other recent projects: barriers to diabetes care, access to primary health care, and Canada’s participation in an international study on gender, alcohol and culture.

David Flora is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at York University and the Coordinator of the Statistical Consulting Service. He received his PhD in Quantitative Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His primary research interest is quantitative methodology, focusing on longitudinal data analysis, psychometric analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.

Raymond Garrison is a Senior Supervisor in the Telephone Lab at ISR. He holds a Specialized Honours BA (magna cum laude) and an MA in Geography from York University, and is pursuing a PhD in Geography (ABD) at York. Mr. Garrison has presented and published papers on qualitative methods and has designed and implemented questionnaire surveys. He has extensive experience with interviewing techniques and textual analysis.

Bryn Greer-Wootten is Professor Emeritus in Environmental Studies and Professor Emeritus of Geography at York University. In 2002 he joined the staff in the Statistical Consulting Service, where he is currently an Associate Coordinator, and in 2004 was appointed an Associate Director of ISR. He has taught and carried out quantitative and qualitative research, with a particular interest in survey research, especially for environmental and social policy.

Stephanie Jones is a PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology in the brain, behaviour and cognitive science area. Her research interests include the mechanisms and reference frames used by the brain to localize visual and proprioceptive targets for the purpose of goal-directed movement, the processing of body representations, and visual and proprioceptive perceptual effects. Stephanie's statistical background includes Teaching Assistantships for PSYC 2020 – Statistics I & II, as well as statistics tutoring at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Hugh McCague completed a BMath (Honours) in Statistics at the University of Waterloo, and an MA in Statistics and PhD in Environmental Studies at York. He is a Data Analyst at ISR and a consultant and instructor in the Statistical Consulting Service. His research and publications concentrate on applications of mathematics and statistics in the history of art and architecture. He is Secretary of the Southern Ontario Regional Association of the Statistical Society of Canada.

Liza Mercier is a Project Manager at ISR where she manages a variety of mail, web and telephone surveys. She has a BSc in Health Studies from the University of Waterloo, with a background in public health, mainly in the areas of health education and health promotion. Her research interests focus on health-related social research.

Dr. Niru Nirupama is an Associate Professor of Disaster & Emergency Management in the School of Administrative Studies at York University. Her teaching and research include qualitative research, business continuity planning, disaster risk management, natural disasters, and multi-criteria decision making. She is co-editor of Indian Ocean Tsunami and co-author of Atlantic Ocean Tsunami Time Travel Atlas.

Professor Michael Ornstein
Sociologist Michael Ornstein, Director of the Institute for Social Research, has more than 30 years experience in the design and analysis of surveys. He is author of two books and more than fifty articles and book chapters, almost all based on surveys. He leads ISR’s Summer Program in Data Analysis and consults on questionnaire design, sampling and data analysis.

John Pollard received his MA in Sociology from York University. He also holds a BA in French from the University of Toronto and a BA (Honours) in Sociology from York. Mr. Pollard manages research projects at ISR and consults with faculty, students and staff on survey administration and questionnaire design. He has managed qualitative research projects, including focus group studies, for many years and he teaches in this area.

Roger Tourangeau is a Research Professor at the University of Michigan’s Survey Research Center and Director of the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland. He received his PhD in Psychology from Yale University. He is lead author of The Psychology of Survey Response and has published many articles on survey methods. He worked at NORC and the Gallup Organization before joining the University of Michigan.

Statistical Consulting Service (SCS)

The Institute for Social Research’s Statistical Consulting Service provides consultation on a broad range of statistical problems and on the use of computers for statistical analysis. Its services extend beyond the social sciences to other disciplines that make use of statistics. Consultation is available to assist in research design, data collection, data analysis, statistical computing and the presentation of statistical material.

Consultation is provided by a group of faculty drawn from York University's Departments of Sociology, Psychology, Geography, and Mathematics and Statistics, in conjunction with full-time professional staff at ISR. The faculty and staff have extensive experience with all forms of statistical analysis. Topics for which assistance is available include regression analysis, multivariate analysis, stochastic processes, probability theory, exploratory data analysis, scaling and cluster analysis, analysis of categorical data, structural equation modeling, survey data and longitudinal data, experimental design, survey sampling, and statistical computing.

Three times a year, the Statistical Consulting Service offers short courses on various aspects of statistics and statistical computing, including regular introductions to the SPSS and SAS statistical packages. Recent course offerings have included regression diagnostics, boot-strapping techniques, an introduction to the AMOS module in SPSS, graphical methods for categorical data, confirmatory factor analysis, model-based approaches to cluster analysis, introduction to the R programming language, and visual methods for statistical data analysis.

The Statistical Consulting Service maintains a regular schedule of office hours during the academic year. The Service primarily serves the York University community; for others, consultation is available on a fee-for-service basis. Please go to the Institute’s Web site at www.isr.yorku.ca/scs to make appointments online with SCS consultants.

. top