Notes
Slide Show
Outline
1
Background to PEAS project
  • Gillian Raab
  • Professor of Applied Statistics
  • Napier University
2
ESRC research methods programme
  • foster work that directly enhances methodological knowledge or improves and advances quantitative and qualitative methods;
  • encourage and support the dissemination of good practice, including the enhancement of training programmes and training materials for the research community;
  • http://www.ccsr.ac.uk/methods/
3
UK expertise in surveys
  • Universities have less than in NA or Europe
  • Most of it lies in survey organisations
  • The ESRC makes lots of data available via their survey archive
  • But there is limited expertise in universities on the best ways of analysing this
  • Government departments are also major users of these national survey data sets
4
Survey design and analysis
  • Big surveys are usually complicated
  • The design is intended to enable the survey to get accurate and precise results
  • The survey design ought to be reflected in the analysis
  • Usual statistical methods (e.g. t-tests, chi squared tests) don’t allow for this
  • But there are statistical methods which can
  • Developed 1950s to the present

5
PEAS project
  • I was  not analysing surveys properly
  • Started to try to improve while doing some contract work
  • Got good advice from Susan Purdon
  • Found that survey software was beginning to become more generally available but was hard to use
  • Applied to the ESRC with Susan to get funding to provide web based training material
  • Joined by Kathy Buckner for web and HCI expertise
  • Now ably assisted by Iona Waterston, web designer
6
PEAS aims
  • to develop a web-based resource which will take the survey analyst through exemplars of the use of different methods that are currently available for the analysis of complex surveys
  • to hold a series of workshops aimed at researchers who analyse survey data.
  • The web site will also contain a guide to survey design and analysis


7
Design/analysis links
8
Workshop 1 aims
  • For us to get a first impression of how people will use the material on the web site
  • To find out what people might like to find on the web site
  • To get feedback on the design and navigation aspects of the site
  • We are still very much under development, so not everything will work yet
  • To give the participants some information about survey design and analysis