82137 - Laboratory Of Quantitative Social Research 1

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical knowledge and technical skills needed for the design, construction and use of the standardized data collection tool (the questionnaire) used in the survey (sample surveys). At the end of the workshop the student will be able to understand the main problems and possible solutions inherent both the empirical translation of hypotheses of research derived from a theoretical approach (conceptualization and operation of concepts in variables), and the construction of the questionnaire, in merit, in particular, to determining aspects such as the content, form and formulation of the questions and the different ways of gathering information.

Course contents

The first part will illustrate: the design of research, from the formulation of research questions to the empirical translation of concepts; the procedures for arriving at a direct operational definition, or for identifying indicators of the concept on which information is to be collected; the types of properties and the nature of the variables associated with them; the formulation techniques of the questions of a questionnaire. In the second part a theme will be chosen and a questionnaire will be constructed through a group work guided by the teacher, retracing as much as possible the phases of construction of a questionnaire in use among professional researchers, until the test (pre-test).

Readings/Bibliography

De Rose C. (2017), Il disegno della ricerca, in De Rose C., L’indagine campionaria e il sondaggio d’opinione. Metodi quantitativi per la ricerca sociale, Carocci, Roma: 55-84.

De Rose C. (2017), La traduzione empirica dei concetti, in De Rose C., L’indagine campionaria e il sondaggio d’opinione. Metodi quantitativi per la ricerca sociale, Carocci, Roma: 125-177.

Meraviglia C. (2018), Intervista e questionario, in Meraviglia C., Metodologia delle scienze sociali. Un’introduzione, Carocci, Roma.

Teaching methods

Lectures and guided exercises; group work (outside the laboratory hours) for the construction of a questionnaire and its test administration.

Assessment methods

As indicated by the academic regulations of the course of study, the laboratory has the obligation to attend.

To certify the effective participation of students in a class, the teacher will collect the signatures of those present at every meeting. They are allowed a maximum of 4 absences.

Also in terms of regulation: "Students who study abroad (such as Erasmus or Overseas) are exempt from the obligation to attend courses whose lessons have been held during the semester of stay abroad. The student will have to agree with the teacher responsible for the course a suitable program to fill in any gaps due to the lack of frequency. "

The exam will take place in two parts, each of which will contribute 50% of the overall grade:
1) a written examination on the methodological essays adopted. The score, out of thirty, will correspond to the sum of the points awarded for each correct answer. Wrong answers are not assigned points (or subtract points to the total vote). To past the written test, the score should be equal or greater than 6/10.

2) an assessment of the questions of the questionnaire created through group work, aimed at verifying the ability of the student to identify the concepts related to the research questions and the ability to develop operational definitions for the identified concepts, and to make any corrections after the test administration of the questionnaire designed, which will contribute 2 / 3 of the total score. To past the exercise, the score should be equal or greater than 12/20.

The final grade is obtained by the sum of scores obtained in the written and in the group work.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint slides.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Cremonini