Data Collection vs Data Construction: How Methodology and Substance are Inextricably Interwoven
The first in a new NCAER seminar series on Data Collection Methodology was organised by the NCAER National Data Innovation Centre on March 18, 2021. This first seminar, presented by Stanley Presser, Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, is part of a series of provocative discussions on data collection methodologies in which distinguished speakers in the field share their views and one or more discussants reflect on them from an Indian perspective. Data Journalist Rukmini S. was be the discussant for this seminar. This first seminar was held virtually.
Professor Presser argued that data collection is a misleading metaphor because data are constructed not collected. Hence, methodology and substance are inseparable. The implication is to upend the distinction between “results” and their “interpretation”. He illustrated the argument by two examples of social change in the United States, one involving volunteering activities and the other, attendance at religious services.
professor Presser is interested in the interface between social psychology and survey measurement. His research focuses on questionnaire design and testing, the accuracy of survey responses, non-response, and ethical issues stemming from the use of human subjects. His journey as a social science researcher exemplifies the title of his talk: how methodology and substance are inextricably interwoven. His books on the subject, as co-author and Chief Editor, include Questions and Answers in Attitude Surveys (with Howard Schuman), Survey Questions (with Jean Converse), and Methods for Testing and Evaluating Survey Questionnaires (as Chief Editor). He has served as Editor of Public Opinion Quarterly, and as President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, and is an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association. He was Director of the Maryland Survey Research Center from 1989 to 2000.
Rukmini S. is one of India’s few data journalists and was the first Data Editor of an Indian publication while at The Hindu. She was most recently Editor—Data and Innovation at HuffPost India. Rukmini writes mainly on gender, crime, law, caste, inequality and is passionate about engaging storytelling. She studied in Mumbai and London, worked in Delhi, and now lives and works in Chennai
Dr Santanu Pramanik has presented on “Quality of Survey Data and Survey Estimates” on February 24th in a workshop in Research Methodology for Social Science scholars Organised by Madras Institute of Development Studies, Chennai. The workshop aims to address critical gaps in training social science researchers in the country. While doing this, it recognises the importance of both quantitative and qualitative traditions and their combinations in relevant contexts. Social scientists continue to follow the methodological development in natural sciences and technology studies to enhance their explanatory domain. At the same time, aggregate measures and estimates are better understood with the process through which they are estimated or with an emphasis on the subjective location of the researcher and the importance of interpretive, ethnographic methods. Specific objectives of the workshop …
1.to help research scholars build critical perspectives on dominant strands of research followed in theoretical and empirical research;
2.to expose scholars to key strategies, frameworks and tools followed in research design, critical review, and collection, processing, and analysis of data in quantitative and qualitative traditions; and
3.to expose scholars to recent developments and challenges in philosophy and practice of social science research.
For more details on workshop please click here https://www.mids.ac.in/research-methodology-workshop/
This course introduces students to the stages of questionnaire development. The course reviews the scientific literature on questionnaire construction, the experimental literature on question effects, and the psychological literature on information processing. It will also discuss the diverse challenges posed by self versus proxy reporting, and special attention is paid to the relationship between mode of administration and questionnaire design. Students will also get a hands-on experience in developing their own questionnaire.
Instructor: Ashley Amaya
Teaching Assistant: Mariel Leonard
Video lectures by Frauke Kreuter
Syllabus
As a refresher training to meet the more specialized needs of NDIC teams, the second data manager training was conducted at NCAER. Jonathan Harison, Data Manager, and Gina-Qian Cheung, CTO, SRO, facilitated a training session at NCAER. SRO/NDIC prepared a tailored training agenda/plan so that technical training could be provided to NDIC team. The NDIC team headed by Sonalde Desai and Santanu Pramanik participated in the training and discussion on SurveyTrak/Blaise operations and how to use different tools and data for quality data collection in surveys.
Agenda
As part of training and capacity building activities of NDIC, we introduced data collection methods course for NDIC researchers and others at NCAER during 2018 fall semester. This was an online course offered by the Joint Program in Survey Methodology (JPSM) of University of Maryland.
Syllabus
