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43494-01 - Colloquium: Survey Research Methodology (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Daniel Auer (daniel.auer@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | The course is an applied methods colloquium taught at a master's degree level. The main goal is to prepare us for conducting simple research and writing a short version of an academic report using a survey or survey-experiment method. The course covers two major areas: (1) the nature of surveys, including the typical psychology of attitude expressions, issues of question wording, context, and social desirability. Moreover, we learn how to implement online surveys; (2) the logic of causal inference and how to analyze and interpret treatment effects (for survey experiments). Survey-based data collection enables various interesting empirical studies. For example, public opinion studies investigate simple but fundamental puzzles around us. Why did (or did not) somebody vote, think, or behave in a certain way? Would people hold different perceptions on the same topic, product, or policy if some "X" happened? We will cover related theory and discuss contemporary empirical applications from economics, political science, and sociology. In parallel, students will draft and field their own surveys. The topic can be chosen freely and may relate to students' term papers or MA theses. The goal of the practical part of this course is to highlight advantages and caveats of survey research in a hands-on manner. For learning about and conducting surveys and survey experiments, we will use Qualtrics as a survey software and Stata for computing simple statistics, such as treatment effects. (Students are welcome to use R for their own analyses but the applied sessions in class will only cover Stata). Basic knowledge of statistics and regressions (e.g., OLS) is beneficial. If you have concerns about necessary prerequisites, do not hesitate to contact me at the beginning of the semester (daniel.auer@unibas.ch). |
| Learning objectives | 1. Learn survey and survey experiment methods from an applied, practical point of view, 2. Learn how to use them in research by doing, 3. Learn fundamentasl and applications of causal inference. |
| Bibliography | tba |
| Comments | Students are asked to bring their own laptops. Qualtrics licenses will be distributed. The course will be taught "in class". |
| Weblink | Syllabus will be available here |
| Admission requirements | The course will use examples from economics, political science, and sociology, often related to inequality, attitudes, and individual preferences. For class assignments and research notes, however, students can choose their own topic of interest. Basic knowledge of regressions and Stata is useful (R as an alternative). Participation rule for MSD students: This is a mandatory class for all MSD students. Nonetheless, if you have attended the colloquium “50768: Survey Data Collection and Analytics” with Prof. Dr. A. Kachi and earned CP for it in a former semester you are not allowed to enrol for this colloquium 43494 and therefore, cannot earn CP anymore. |
| Course application | Registration: Please enroll in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch); Eucor-Students and mobility students of other Swiss Universities or the FHNW first have to register at the University of Basel BEFORE the start of the course and receive their login data by post (e-mail address of the University of Basel). Processing time up to a week! Detailed information can be found here: https://www.unibas.ch/de/Studium/Mobilitaet.html After successful registration you can enroll for the course in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch). Applies to everyone: Enrolment = Registration for the course and the exam! |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| unregelmässig | See individual dates | ||
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 21.02.2025 | 16.30-19.30 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 28.02.2025 | 14.15-19.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 07.03.2025 | 14.15-19.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 21.03.2025 | 14.15-19.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Friday 28.03.2025 | 14.15-19.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Seminarraum S15 HG.31 |
| Modules |
Modul: Erweiterung Gesellschaftswissenschaften M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Module: Interdisciplinary Research in Sustainability (Master's Studies: Sustainable Development) Module: Specific Electives in Finance, Controlling, Banking (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) Module: Specific Electives in Marketing and Strategic Management (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) Module: Technology Field (Master's Studies: Business and Technology) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | (1) Active participation, (2) Assignments, (3) Written seminar paper (3000 words). |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |