Skip to content
New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

By clicking “Sign up for GitHub”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub? Sign in to your account

Updated #40

Open
wants to merge 2 commits into
base: main
Choose a base branch
from
Open
Changes from all commits
Commits
File filter

Filter by extension

Filter by extension

Conversations
Failed to load comments.
Loading
Jump to
Jump to file
Failed to load files.
Loading
Diff view
Diff view
136 changes: 127 additions & 9 deletions 02_activities/assignments/a3_questionnaire_design_part_b.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -3,21 +3,139 @@
## Requirements
1. Comment on the quality of your sample. Do you expect it to be representative of your target population? Why or why not?

```
write your answer here...
```
I think the quality of my sample is good but not perfect. When evaluating the quality of a sample and whether it will be representative of the target population, several factors need to be considered. Let's break down the key aspects that influence whether a sample is likely to be representative:
Random Sampling: If the sample is selected randomly, every individual in the target population has an equal chance of being selected. This method increases the likelihood of the sample being representative because it reduces selection bias.
Non-Random Sampling: If a non-random method (e.g., convenience sampling, purposive sampling) is used, the sample may not be representative, as it might over-represent certain subgroups while under-representing others. Non-random methods introduce bias, making it less likely that the sample will accurately reflect the diversity of the target population.

The representativeness of the sample depends on the sampling method, sample size, the demographics of the sample, and any potential biases in the data collection process. If random sampling methods are used with a sufficiently large and diverse sample that mirrors the key characteristics of the target population, you can reasonably expect the sample to be representative.

2. Given the class content (error, survey quality, ethics) covered since Part A of the assignment, do you wish to make any changes to your original survey? If so, make a copy of your original survey and make any desired changes. Describe the changes and your reasoning. Provide a link here for submission.

```
write your answer here...
```

Survey Design for Scenario: Relationship Between Music Taste and Age

Target Population: Individuals aged 19 and older across diverse age groups and backgrounds who are familiar with popular music.
Sampling Frame: Current students, alumni, and faculty at the University of Toronto, as well as members of online communities and social media groups related to music and sociology.
Sampling Units: Individual respondents within the target population who consent to participate.
Sampling Strategy: Stratified sampling by age group to ensure representation across different age brackets (age group : 19-24, 25-34, 35-44, etc.). Recruitment through university channels and music-related online communities.

Your 5-10 question survey:

1. Age group?
2. Describe your current music preferences? (Select all that apply)
3. In your teenage years, what genre of music did you primarily enjoy?
4.How often listen to current popular music?
5. Do you feel that your music tastes have changed significantly as you've aged?
6.If your music tastes have changed, what factors do you think influenced these changes? (Select all that apply)
7. How do you perceive the quality of today’s popular music compared to the music from your teenage years?
8. To what extent do you agree with the following statement? “I am open to discovering and enjoying new music regardless of genre or release date.”
9. What influences your music taste the most currently? (Select all that apply)
After reviewing your original survey design, it’s important to ensure that your questions are clear, unbiased, ethically sound, and effectively capture the information you need to meet the research objectives. Based on the topics discussed in class (such as error, survey quality, and ethics), here are some suggested changes and improvements to your survey:

Key Aspects to Address:
Clarity and Simplicity: Ensure that questions are easily understandable to avoid response error.
Bias and Leading Questions: Avoid phrasing that may lead respondents toward a certain answer (i.e., leading questions or response bias).
Ethical Considerations: Maintain informed consent, confidentiality, and avoid questions that could be intrusive or inappropriate.
Suggested Changes to the Survey:
1. Age Group Question:
Original:
"Age group?"
19-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 and above

Suggested Improvement:
Ensure the language is clear, and the categories cover all respondents. Also, consider adding an option for prefer not to say to respect privacy. Additionally, consider breaking the categories into more granular ranges to capture more detailed age-related trends, but balance it with simplicity.

Revised:
"Which of the following age groups do you belong to?"

18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65 or older
Prefer not to say
2. Describe Your Current Music Preferences:
Original:
"Describe your current music preferences? (Select all that apply)"
Pop, Rock, Hip-hop/Rap, Jazz, Classical, Electronic/Dance, Other:

Suggested Improvement:
The question is well-phrased, but to avoid overlapping categories (e.g., is EDM part of electronic?), it might be helpful to add a clarification prompt for the "Other" category. For greater precision, consider offering a dropdown or list format with an "Other" option at the end.

Revised:
"Which of the following genres best describe your current music preferences? (Select all that apply)"

Pop
Rock
Hip-hop/Rap
Jazz
Classical
Electronic/Dance
Other (Please specify): _______________
3. Teenage Music Preferences:
Original:
"In your teenage years, what genre of music did you primarily enjoy?"
Pop, Rock, Hip-hop/Rap, Jazz, Classical, Electronic/Dance, Other:

Suggested Improvement:
This question could be biased depending on the age group (e.g., older respondents might not recall their teenage music preferences). To mitigate this, use a neutral phrasing and offer an "I don't remember" option.

Revised:
"What genre(s) of music did you primarily enjoy during your teenage years?"

Pop
Rock
Hip-hop/Rap
Jazz
Classical
Electronic/Dance
Other (Please specify): _______________
I don’t remember
4. Frequency of Listening to Popular Music:
Original:
"How often listen to current popular music?"

Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Rarely
Never
Suggested Improvement:
This is a simple, direct question, but the wording could be slightly improved for grammatical correctness. Also, it's beneficial to provide more response options (e.g., "Several times a day"). Additionally, you might want to clarify what is meant by "current popular music."

Revised:
"How often do you listen to current popular music?"

Several times a day
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Rarely
Never
I don’t know what you mean by 'current popular music'



3. Could the purpose of your survey have been fulfilled through an observational study? If yes, how? If no, why not?

```
write your answer here...
```
The purpose of my survey is to explore how music taste, particularly the perception of popular music, changes with age. This objective focuses on identifying patterns in music preferences across different age groups and understanding how personal tastes evolve over time. To determine whether this purpose could be fulfilled through an observational study, we need to consider the nature of the data and the methods of both surveys and observational studies.
Definition and Applicability
An observational study involves observing and recording behaviors, actions, or phenomena as they naturally occur without any manipulation or intervention. In this type of study, the researcher doesn't influence the subject or the environment but rather watches and records what happens.
Characteristics of Observational Studies:
No control over the subjects or environment.
Focuses on real-world behaviors and phenomena.
Data is typically qualitative example behaviors, actions or quantitative like frequency of an action.
Could an Observational Study Fulfill the Purpose?
In this case, while an observational study could potentially provide some insights into music preferences, it would not be as effective or comprehensive as a survey in fulfilling the specific purpose of your study. Here's why:
Exploring Subjective Opinions and Perceptions:
This survey is designed to collect self-reported data on personal preferences, past experiences, and perceptions. This involves subjective opinions that cannot easily be observed.
An observational study would struggle to capture internal perceptions or opinions, such as how individuals feel their music taste has evolved over time. While you could observe people listening to certain types of music, you cannot easily infer their personal experiences, emotional connections, or the reasons behind their preferences.

## Why am I doing this assignment?

Expand Down
Loading