An initial consultation is the first step for investigators interested in using Survey Research Center services. Because each project is different and has different resources, the timeline of the consultation can vary quite a bit. Consultations are provided on all aspects of survey research projects and are available at no charge.

Grant proposal and budget preparation

• Research aims and objectives
• Structure of the research, including consideration of alternative study plans
• Data analysis options
• Estimated budget, including line item calculations
• Project timeline

Survey project design

• Appropriate survey methods, such as written or web-based questionnaires or telephone or personal interviews
• Study populations
• Appropriate sampling techniques, including whether respondents should be identified or anonymous
• Appropriate contact protocols
• Participant compensation and use of incentives
• Data management planning
• Institutional Review Board documentation

Questionnaire design and evaluation:

• Implementation of questionnaire design principles
• Formatted as internet surveys or paper booklets
• Effective cover letters or telephone scripts
• Question evaluation employing qualitative methods, such as focus groups or in-depth interviews; and/or quantitative methods, such as statistical item and scale analysis
• Knowledge of instruments in the public domain that have been proven to be valid and reliable

Multiple data collection methods are available in the Survey Research Center to meet your project’s need, whether used alone or in combination (mixed methods).

• Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews: The Survey Research Center has its own state-of-the-art telephone call center with six call stations for conducting quantitative and qualitative computer-assisted telephone interviews in English and Spanish. The call center operates with Cisco Call Recorder software, which records all telephone interviews and allows for question-by-question monitoring and quality control. The call center operates seven days a week and is open mornings, afternoons, and evenings to maximize survey completions. Standards of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and Association of Academic Survey Research Organizations (AASRO) are used for all data collection.
• Internet/Web: The Survey Research Center has state-of-the-art online data collection and management software applications, Qualtrics. Survey participants can be automatically contacted by e-mail as appropriate, with the system optionally tracking failed e-mail contact attempts. A remote data entry module is available so field staff can collect data on a laptop disconnected from the Internet. Upon completion, data are available in fully labeled and formatted files for analysis in your choice of statistical software (e.g., R, SAS, STATA).
• In-person Interviews: The Survey Research Center has a team of professional interviewers, including bilingual interviewers who have experience interviewing children, adolescents, adults, seniors, including members of multiple cultural and ethnic groups. In addition, staff have experience recruiting and interviewing professionals, including those in the medical, public health, and social service occupations. In-person interviews can be conducted in locations convenient to participants, including their home, health care settings, and community-based locations.
• Paper and Pencil Mail Surveys: Based on the available budget, staff work with each research partner to determine mailing sequences (e.g., number of follow-ups, pre-paid versus post-paid incentives) that will optimize response rates while reducing respondent burden. 
• Focus Groups: The Survey Research Center can assist with all stages of focus group research including study design, participant recruitment, and focus group moderation.
• Data management: Well-managed data are accurate, organized, and reflect the aims of your survey research project. Funding agencies are increasingly calling for publicly accessible data to allow verification of results by third parties. The Survey Research Center will assist you to create, organize, and secure your project’s data. (drop down to read more)
  • Database design, development, and security
  • Data Entry
  • Coding, including keying of closed-ended questions and coding of open-ended questions
  • Participant tracking and tracing
  • Incentive tracking and audit procedures

Well-managed data are accurate, organized, and reflect the aims of your survey research project. Funding agencies are increasingly calling for publicly accessible data to allow verification of results by third parties. The Survey Research Center will assist you to create, organize, and secure your project’s data.

• Database design, development, and security
• Data Entry
• Coding, including keying of closed-ended questions and coding of open-ended questions
• Participant tracking and tracing
• Incentive tracking and audit procedures

Survey Research Center staff can provide the statistical analysis services you need for your project, from simple data summaries to complex multivariate analysis.

Descriptive statistics of the data set

1. Frequency distribution
2. Central tendency (mean, median, mode)
3. Dispersion (range, standard distribution)

Inferential quantitative analyses to test hypotheses

1. Parametric tests (e.g., t-test, ANOVA)
2. Non-parametric tests (e.g., Wilcoxon rank sum, Mann-Whitney)
3. Regression analysis (linear or nonlinear, weighted or unweighted)

Formal qualitative analyses

1. Organization/categorization into concepts
2. Analysis of influence of one concept on another
3. Corroboration by evaluating alternative explanations

The Survey Research Center can assist you with summarizing and presenting the research results based on the needs and requirements of your research partners and funders. This can range from a basic statistical report to a more elaborate narrative report with discussion of the findings.

• Detailed, narrative reports of results
• Discussion of the findings
• Executive summary and professional briefings
• Tabulations of raw data
• Charts and graphs
• PowerPoint presentation