Although they are ubiquitous, a recent publication by UWSC researchers and collaborators calls to question the use of agree-disagree (AD) questions to measure attitudes and opinions. In “Towards a reconsideration of the use of use of agree-disagree questions in measuring subjective evaluations,” UWSC researchers provide a review and synthesis of research on the measurement properties and potential limitations of AD questions.
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Interested in surveying physicians? New UWSC research highlights the effectiveness of $5 and $10 sequential incentive combinations
While collecting high quality data from physicians is critical, response rates for physician surveys are frequently low. A proven method for increasing response in mail surveys is to provide a small, prepaid monetary incentive in the initial mailing. More recently, UWSC researchers have begun experimenting with adding a second cash incentive in a follow-up contact in order to increase participation among more reluctant respondents.
UWSC’s Faculty Directors Advance the Science of Asking Questions
Incoming UW Survey Center Faculty Director, Jennifer Dykema, and outgoing Faculty Director, Nora Cate Schaeffer, review several decades of literature about how characteristics of survey questions affect the quality of survey data in a new paper in the Annual Review of Sociology, “Advances in the Science of Asking Questions.”
UWSC Proud to Contribute to Edited Volume on “Interviewer Effects from a Total Survey Error Perspective”
Distinguished Scientist Jennifer Dykema is a co-editor of the recently published “Interviewer Effects from a Total Survey Error Perspective.” Written for managers of survey interviewers, survey methodologists, and students interested in the survey data collection process, the book uses the Total Survey Error framework to examine optimal approaches to survey interviewing, presenting state-of-the-art methodological research on all stages of the survey process involving interviewers. Three of the chapters on survey interviewing include contributions by UWSC staff.
Wave 3 of CalYOUTH Study Final Report Released
In 2017, UWSC conducted Wave 3 of the CalYOUTH study, surveying 616 21-year-old youth. This study follows up on surveys of the same young people when they were approaching the age of majority in California’s foster care system at age 17 and again when they were 19 years old. Similar to Waves 1 and 2, the study collected data on a wide range of youth outcomes in in areas such as physical and mental health, education and employment, and relationships and families.
Response option order and scale orientation effects on the web-based measurement of self-rated health
While self-rated health (SRH) is widely used to study health across a range of disciplines, little research examines how features of its measurement in surveys influence respondents’ answers and the overall quality of the resulting measurement. To address these shortcomings, UWSC researchers and Dana Garbarski (Loyola University Chicago) examined how response option order and scale orientation affect responses in an online experiment.
MIDUS: A UWSC Flagship Study showcased by Center for Healthy Minds (CHM)
The Midlife Development in the U.S. study (MIDUS) was recently featured in a newsletter from the Center for Healthy Minds, which UWSC considers one of its defining achievements. Now 20-years-old, MIDUS brings the limelight to …
UWSC featured in Wisconsin State Journal’s “Fueling Discovery”
“Quality surveys give people a voice in science” by UWSC Faculty Director Nora Cate Schaeffer, was part of the Wisconsin State Journal’s May 7, 2017 special section “Fueling Discovery”. The article about UWSC is featured …
UWSC Study Results Cited by New York Times
An April 25, 2017 New York Times opinion piece describing the college experience of a former foster care youth cited findings of the Midwest Young Adult Study, conducted by UWSC for Dr. Mark Courtney, a University of …
UWSC’s Assistance with Conducting the First Ever UW-Madison Student Climate Survey Highlighted in Inside UW-Madison News
In its May 2nd edition, Inside UW-Madison News shared an update on diversity efforts at UW-Madison. In the article, they described the 18 initiatives to be achieved in phases over a 10- year period. The …