We are in the middle of a data revolution. Research and decision-making in the private, not for profit and public sectors is not immune from its effects. Modern policy research in particular has become increasingly data driven.
High quality data collection is a significant part of this, and the use of survey-type instruments, from the Census to polling, has become increasingly important. However, there have been some large public failures in recent years. Why have there been problems with the Census, how have surveys gotten some recent elections so wrong, and how can they be effectively used to collect data for research, target campaigns and messaging, or design policy?
Taught by instructors with real-world experience as campaign consultants, survey researchers and data scientists, this masterclass will focus on teaching you about survey design. You will be shown how political survey research works, and sometimes doesn’t, how technology and social trends are changing survey research, and the best ways to write effective survey questions. It will provide you with the knowledge and skills to develop the survey instruments needed for data-driven decision making and advice. It is also designed to help provide an understanding of how large survey projects are run for political campaigns and academic studies.
- Teacher: Shaun Ratcliff