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Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection Techniques for Health Measurements (Online)
October 31, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
This 6-hour course will be offered via Zoom over 2 mornings (10/31/23 and 11/2/23). Attendance is required as the course will not be recorded.
Course overview:
Measuring someone’s health by means of questionnaires is a challenging task. The concept of health is very broad – it encompasses a person’s physical, social and mental state – which makes conceptualization difficult. In addition, there is a high risk of socially desirable answers, since people like to indicate that they are doing well. Finally, health research is often conducted among people who are not fit or the elderly for whom surveys are a cognitively demanding task.
This course will focus on both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques to measure health. First, participants will learn about collecting qualitative data on health through semi-structured interviews and researcher driven photo-elicitation interviews. Ensuring the scientific quality of these forms of data collection will be discussed on the basis of Guba and Lincoln’s trustworthiness criteria. Finally, we pay attention to analyzing qualitative data by means of a thematic analysis. Second, we give an introduction to the design and implementation of quantitative surveys. Participants will learn more about the design of survey questionnaires and the survey features that affect data quality. Special attention will be paid to the design of response scales.
Level: Beginner, some basic knowledge on survey research methodology is helpful
Course Objectives:
At the end of this course participants will be able to:
1. describe and recognize the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages and practical consequences of quantitative data collection (surveys) and qualitative data collection methods (semi-structured and photo-elicitation interviews) in a health research setting;
2. apply knowledge of the basic questionnaire design decisions in actually implementing and designing questionnaires
3. set out quality criteria for assessing qualitative research and discuss these criteria with regard to their own research;
4. apply the basis of the thematic analysis to own data.
This course will count as 6.0 CSS short course credit hours.
Instructors: Marieke Haan, PhD and Yfke Ongena, PhD
Marieke Haan is senior lecturer at the Sociology Department of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. She teaches courses on Methodology & Data Collection and Qualitative Research Methods. Her research interests include mixed-device surveys, health surveys, and qualitative research methods in diverse fields (e.g., sociology, psychology and medical sciences). Marieke’s most recent published papers focused on positive health perceptions of older adults, hospital waiting room surveys, and mobile device use in surveys.
Yfke Ongena is senior lecturer Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Her research interests include interviewer and respondent interaction in survey interviews, data collection in health surveys and social desirability response bias. In collaboration with Marieke Haan and medical professionals, she has published several articles on surveys in the health domain.
Registration fees:
- UNC Chapel Hill Students (including current Certificate of Survey Science program students): $0, with a $35 deposit to hold your spot (deposit is refundable upon your attendance for at least 66% of the course)
- UNC Chapel Hill Faculty/Staff/Postdoc/Resident/Visiting Scholars: $80
- Non-UNC Chapel Hill University Student/Employee (must have active university email): $105
- Government/Non-Profit/Corporate: $130
Additional course information:
- Registration closes at 12:01am 10/28/23. No late registrations will be accepted.
- Cancellation/ Refund Policy: A full refund will be given to those who cancel their registration no later than 10 days prior to the course. If you cancel within the 10 days prior to the class, no refund will be given. Please allow 30 days to receive your refund.
- Zoom link for this course will be sent prior to the course. Registration must be made at least 3 days prior to the course date to receive the Zoom link.
For questions regarding this class, please contact Jill Stevens at jill_stevens@unc.edu