Carnegie Mellon University
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Survey Resource Center

Institutional Research and Analysis is now providing survey research and design support for undergraduate and graduate students.

Unless otherwise noted, student drop in hours are on Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, during the academic year. There is no need to schedule an appointment during open hours. The Survey Resource Center is located in the Institutional Research and Analysis suite.

Although our preference is to have students engage in a thorough research process, we will work with students wherever they are in the process, for example:

  • discuss how to clarify their research questions
  • help them construct survey items to answer their research questions, giving attention to instructions, item wording, measurement properties of response sets, and item order;
    or review an existing survey instrument, including instructions, item wording, measurement properties of response sets, and item order
  • explain how to test survey items and revise them when necessary
  • share best practices for survey administration and maintaining respondent confidentiality
  • provide guidance for analyzing collected data
  • show examples of reporting results and findings
 
We will supplement the in-person support with a series of very brief, detailed, single-topic handouts.

We believe the Survey Resource Center could be particularly valuable for students who choose to use surveys for course projects/theses/dissertations, but who have not had instruction on how to measure attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, etc.; how to create good instruments; or how to test survey items.

We will also provide support to students who want to do surveys outside of coursework, for example, related to a student organization, a residence hall, student government, or for their personal interest.