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

Caselli M. (2005), Le fasi dell'indagine mediante questionario, in Caselli M., Indagare col questionario. Introduzione alla ricerca sociale di tipo standard, Vita e Pensiero, Milano: 53-72.

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

The laboratory is based on a mix of different teaching strategies. After a few lectures aimed at conferring the necessary technical and operational knowledge involved in the conception of a questionnaire, an experiential learning will be privileged through the simulation of the work of a professional team commissioned by a client to build a questionnaire that responds to precise inquiries. In this phase we will alternate group work (outside the laboratory hours), in which we will experience problem solving and active learning for the creation of a product (the construction of a questionnaire on a real research question) within of cooperative strategies (peer learning), to presentations by the teacher of the synthesis of the work carried out by the groups, which show how to improve the product and offer the complete version, subject to discussion. Finally, the simulation includes individual work for the test administration of the questionnaire designed and the completion of the pre-test form (outside the laboratory hours).

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 three parts:
1) a written examination on the methodological essays adopted, composed of four open-ended questions, which will contribute 10/30. The score 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 (collective) of the conceptual map and 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, which will contribute 13/30 of the total score.

3) an assessment (individual) of the administration of five pre-test questionnaires and the pre-test analysis sheet relating to them, to assess the ability to: conduct an interview with a questionnaire; identify any problems in understanding the questions or technical inadequacy of the expected response methods; "read" the climate of the interviewer-interviewer relationship, which will contribute 7/30 of the overall grade.

To past the exercise (partes 2 and 3), the score should be equal or greater than 12/20.

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

Teaching tools

PowerPoint files and other documents used during the lessons will be at the student disposal on IOL.

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Cremonini