Conducting and Analyzing Surveys
As an effort to accomplish its mission, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning offers the service of assisting University departments and offices in designing and implementing research projects that will provide pertinent information. University offices should use the following procedures when requesting to conduct studies.
Assessment: The evaluation of some aspect of the University.
PROCEDURES and RESPONSIBILITIES
Faculty and staff wishing to conduct assessment studies or surveys should consult the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at the initiation of the project. Before an assignment is begun, the Office staff will clarify with the user(s) the purposes, expectations, strategies, and limitations of the research. Special care will be taken to recommend research techniques and designs that are appropriate for the purposes of the project.
Web surveys should follow the same procedures noted above. The user(s) should contact the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at the initiation of the project. Before an assignment is begun, the Office staff will clarify with the user(s) the purposes, expectations, strategies, and limitations of the research. Special care will be taken to recommend research techniques and designs that are appropriate for the purposes of the project.
The Office of Institutional Research and Planning will assist users in determining the focus group or sample population; planning the survey, which includes determining the samples and costs; developing the survey instrument, which includes designing the survey; conducting the survey, which includes designing the cover letter, whom the survey will be returned to, and the deadline; and processing the results, which includes determining acceptable response rates, summarizing the open-ended questions and data entry results. The institutional researcher shall ensure that all reports of projects are complete, are clearly written for decision-makers to understand, fully distinguish among assumptions, speculations, findings, and judgments, employ appropriate statistics and graphics, and adequately describe the limitations of the project, of the analytical method, and of the findings. Due to the accuracy and confidentiality associated with surveys, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning will receive the results and send them to the user(s).
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