I think
that this theme has been the most interesting so far. Especially the seminar,
or workshop, was really good. Since I recently did my bachelor thesis (last
spring) and within the study we did a questionnaire survey to collect data it
was really interesting to investigate the quantitative methods more and compare
them to qualitative methods. In the paper that I chose it was interesting to
study their methods and how they could have improved that instead of study and
analyze their results.
The
workshop was really fun this week, I call it workshop because I think it was
more like a workshop. Olle talked about qualitative and quantitative methods
and what kind of advantages and disadvantages there is for the methods. We also
talked about what the advantages and disadvantages are between sending out a
survey on the web and sending it out on paper. We sat in smaller groups and
discussed these subjects and when we talked in the whole group we got points if
we had come up with an advantage or disadvantage that no one else had come up
with. It was fun because it became a competition between the smaller groups to
see who could get most points.
I have
learned a lot from Olle what to think about when setting up a survey. One thing
that he talked about was how important it is to test the survey so that all the
questions are good and so that it works on all platforms etc. Because that is
something that I haven’t thought about earlier and I think it is easy to miss
smaller things because the questions are so obvious for oneself since I am the
one working with the subject and therefore have a lot of knowledge, some that
the one participating in my survey does not have.
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the workshop this week and that you think you learned a lot. It seems that the knowledge was mainly of a practical kind - i.e. how to do a good survey.
SvaraRaderaHi Åsa,
SvaraRaderaI also did a survey in my bachelor and I wished I had taken this course before that. I also, just like you, learned a lot from Olle this week.
Concerning the last part of your blog, it so easy to be blind to flaws due to the fact that you know your study and survey so well form working with it. Therefore is so important to test the questionnaire before and also to see if the questions you ask are the right one for your study. But I guess it also said easier than doing.
Keep up the great blogging!
Sofia
Hi Åsa! Did Olle show your seminar group the interactive web-survey that he had done for Karolinska? The one that was about health? I thought that was really cool since the feedback gave the respondents an incentive to do the survey truthfully and thoroughly. Just like you I had a questionnaire in my bachelor essay and I got the feeling from the answers that my respondents didn't really cared about it when answering. The idea of giving your respondents feedback interactively is something I will for certain take with me for the future.
SvaraRaderaKeep up the good work!
Johan
Hello, the last point you mentioned is very interesting and important, especially because when I made researches of this kind, I do not spend much time evaluating surveys or questionnaires and now is that I can understand how important it is. I agree with you that when one conducts a survey often we assume that those who undertake the survey have the same knowledge of the subject to us.
SvaraRaderaThis theme was very interesting and the way the workshop was conducted I found it very helpful in understanding the main points of the theme. Good reflection and good job!
Isaac Rondon