PSCI 203W Survey Research Methods
- Fall 2025
This course explores how to use surveys to make inferences in the social sciences. The course begins by situating surveys in the larger research process, touching on validity, ethics, and the evolution of surveys. It then focuses on sampling including canonical topics such as probability and non-probability sampling as well as non-response and reaching hard to survey populations. The course next turns to how respondents answer questions and how to write optimal questionnaires. The final classes cover analyses and reporting, and various domain specific topics (e.g., survey experiments, election polling). Students will complete a research project that involves designing and collecting their own survey data.
- Fall 2014
Public opinion surveys are a vital component of contemporary politics. In this course we will explore the fundamental elements of survey research: selecting a sample, designing and implementing a questionnaire, interpreting the results, and presenting the findings. This semester, we will pay special attention to surveys about current public policy issues like the environment, immigration, and health care. We will also examine polling done for the 2012 presidential election and the 2014 congressional elections. PSC 203 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
- Fall 2013
This course offers an introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis, with particular emphasis on surveys of the mass public. We will study selecting a sample, designing and conducting a survey, interpreting the results of a survey, correcting for bias in a survey, and measuring the accuracy of a survey. This semester, we will pay special attention to the accuracy of public opinion polling preceding the 2008 primary and Presidential elections. PSC 203 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
- Fall 2012
This course explores how to use surveys to make inferences in the social sciences. The course begins by situating surveys in the larger research process, touching on validity, ethics, and the evolution of surveys. It then focuses on sampling including canonical topics such as probability and non-probability sampling as well as non-response and reaching hard to survey populations. The course next turns to how respondents answer questions and how to write optimal questionnaires. The final classes cover analyses and reporting, and various domain specific topics (e.g., survey experiments, election polling). Students will complete a research project that involves designing and collecting their own survey data.
- Fall 2011
This course offers an introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis, with particular emphasis on surveys of the mass public. We will study selecting a sample, designing and conducting a survey, interpreting the results of a survey, correcting for bias in a survey, and measuring the accuracy of a survey. PSC 203 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
- Fall 2010
This course offers an introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis, with particular emphasis on surveys of the mass public. We will study selecting a sample, designing and conducting a survey, interpreting the results of a survey, correcting for bias in a survey, and measuring the accuracy of a survey. This semester, we will pay special attention to public opinion polling for the 2010 midterm elections. PSC 203 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.
- Spring 2009Michael PeressSpring 2009
This course offers an introduction to the understanding of politics through data analysis, with particular emphasis on surveys of the mass public. We will study selecting a sample, designing and conducting a survey, interpreting the results of a survey, correcting for bias in a survey, and measuring the accuracy of a survey. This semester, we will pay special attention to the accuracy of public opinion polling preceding the 2008 primary and Presidential elections. PSC 203 satisfies the Techniques of Analysis requirement for undergraduate majors and minors in political science.