Assignment #3:
Surveying your interest group

This assignment has two parts: the first is a survey that your group will design and administer, and the second is the analysis of the survey results. The first part you will write as a group, dividing the work up in the way you see best. The second part you may write individually or as a group. You may each write separate analyses, or you may all put your names on one analysis, or you may divide up the work into logical sections and each write a single part, while proof-reading and developing ideas as a group (it's a huge assignment, I'd go with the last).

1. The survey portion of the assignment needs to take the form of a survey. Look at your packet and the sample survey on-line for a better understanding of what a survey should look like.
2. The paper portion of this assignment should look something like a lab report. Try to make the document pleasing and easy for your reader to follow. Sections like the following should help you organize the information and divide it up visually:

Introduction—an introduction to the assignment and the issues you hope you survey will clarify. This will require significant thought before you write the survey questions. What are you trying to discover?

Survey Description— a discussion of the actual survey, which will be included as an appendix to your paper. How many people responded to the survey? How many people was the survey sent to? How did you organize the survey? How did the questions and the formats of the questions work together to get you the info you want and need? Offer specific examples of questions or formats to backup your claims.

Findings—the raw data, described both in verbal and tabular form, organized to show the most interesting findings. You'll need to write about what you chose to filter for and what any statistical deviations might mean. The raw data will also be included as an appendix.

Data Analysis—this is where you analyze what you think the data means. You will need to provide detailed, carefully supported analysis. That means you draw conclusions that are supported by the data you found. You think about the data carefully, and do you best to represent them accurately.

Conclusions—Finally, you draw conclusions based on your group's interests. What does this mean in terms of what students might want and need? What was unexpected? What was expected? What leads you to believe there might be problems with the survey instrument? What should the reader take away from this survey about how your interest group would be best served by a comp course or writing sequence?

1. You have received a packet on surveying and have spent extensive time in the Group Decision Center learning about the ways they can help you with your survey. Now you need to write a survey. I strongly suggest you work with Linda and Nick to post your survey to the web and get a large sample.
2. Decide who will receive your survey and how you can make e-mail contact.
3. Decide how long they will have to take the survey. A week?
4. Write up your survey and bring a typed draft to go over with Betsy—by Friday Oct. 12:

• Introduction
• Survey questions
• Closing

1. Bring your carefully proofread survey to Linda and/or Nick. You need to have it saved on disk in text format (bring them the disk), and you'll need a paper copy to go over with them. Talk to Linda and Nick about sending survey results to interested parties, about question design to get the best possible information. Be sure to THANK them for their help and input. They are very busy students like you who have kindly offered to help us!
2. When you get a web address from Linda and Nick, you'll need to send out a carefully worded e-mail to your sample group. This is the "Introduction" portion of your survey, a brief version of which will also appear on the survey itself.
3. Once you get data, begin working on part 2.

Planning and Drafting: Paper

4. Carefully look over format issues. If I were doing this, I'd put one person in charge of each section, but then work closely together after the rough drafts are written to proof and smooth out the logic in the various parts.
5. Each section will probably be minimally 2 pages long (single spaced, with headers, bulleted lists, etc.) To do a very good job, they could be up to five pages long. This requires a lot of thinking about what this all means, but the info will be there. Work together to develop each section to at least two pages—projects with fewer pages show an inability to engage with complex ideas—the central criterion for grading these assignments.

The target due date for this is October 29, 2001. Please let me know by that date when your work will be done, if it is not turned in.

• shows attention to the needs of your audience—is visually well-organized for accessibility of information, is clearly and concisely written so meaning and conclusions are clear.

• demonstrates an understanding of the complexity of survey data collection and a willingness to engage with and work through complex ideas.

The survey needs to be very well written and carefully constructed before it can go out. The paper can be a strong second draft when it comes to me for feedback leading to development.

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Info on surveys
Sample survey
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