Assignment:
Part 1
1. Write 10 questions for a one-page questionnaire that concerns your proposed research question. Your questions should operationalize at least three of the variables on which you have focused, including at least one independent and one dependent variable (you may have multiple questions to measure some variables). Make all but one of your questions closed-ended. If you completed the research proposal exercises, you can select your questions from the ones you developed for those exercises.
2. Conduct a preliminary pretest of the questionnaire by conducting cognitive interviews with two students or other persons similar to those to whom the survey is directed. Follow up the closed-ended questions with open-ended probes that ask the students what they meant by each response or what came to mind when they were asked each question. Take into account the feedback you receive when you revise your questions.
3. Polish up the organization and layout of the questionnaire, following the guidelines in this chapter. Prepare a rationale for the order of questions in your questionnaire. Write a cover letter directed to the appropriate population that contains appropriate statements about research ethics (human subjects issues).
Part 2
Add a qualitative component to your proposed study. You can choose to do this with a participant observation project or intensive interviewing. Pick the method that seems most likely to help answer the research question for the overall survey project.
*you can pick either question 1 or 2 to write, not both.
1. For a participant observation component, propose an observational plan that would complement the overall survey project. Present in your proposal the following information about your plan: (a) Choose a site and justify its selection in terms of its likely value for the research, (b) choose a role along the participation-observation continuum and justify your choice, (c) describe access procedures and note any likely problems, (d) discuss how you will develop and maintain relations in the site, (e) review any sampling issues, and (f) present an overview of the way in which you will analyze the data you collect.
2. For an intensive interview component, propose a focus for the intensive interviews that you believe will add the most to findings from the survey project. Present in your proposal the following information about your plan: (a) Present and justify a method for selecting individuals to interview, (b) write out three introductory biographical questions and five "grand tour" questions for your interview schedule, (c) list at least six different probes you may use, (d) present and justify at least two follow-up questions for one of your grand tour questions, and (e) explain what you expect this intensive interview component to add to your overall survey project.
3. Which qualitative data analysis alternative is most appropriate for the qualitative data you propose to collect for your project? Using this approach, develop a strategy to analyze your textual data.