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Web Survey Bibliography

Title Diversity of Methods: Assessment of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Multiplier Effects.
Year 2010
Access date 31.05.2011
Abstract

In his 2003 AAPOR Presidential Address, Mark Schulman challenged survey researchers “…to move beyond our desks and our libraries and make contact with the real world,” and summarized his message noting “neither qualitative nor survey research has a monopoly on uncovering the hidden truths. They often have a multiplier effect when they are used together.”

Research conducted for the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) provided the opportunity to both move beyond our desks and examine Schulman’s multiplier hypothesis. ORI’s mission is to prevent scientific misconduct and promote research integrity. To find out how faculty view their role in training future scientists to be responsible researchers, ORI sponsored a web survey of 3,534 recipients of 2005–2006 National Institutes of Health grants and a pilot test of in-person interviews with nine faculty members who had also completed the web questionnaire. We will use the data from these studies to compare the web survey responses with the in-person interviews to answer two research questions: (1) Are there response differences related to how faculty understands the questions and form their answers in the quantitative and qualitative experiences? and (2) What are the multiplier effects—how, if at all, is the quality of information enhanced when both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to study a topic? The topics we will compare related to educating doctoral students are: (1) faculty role descriptions, (2) graduate student education responsibilities, (3) activities conducted with doctoral students, and (4) support from academic departments and institutions for training students in the responsible conduct of research. To conduct this comparison we will use methodological research from conversational and cognitive interviewing and questionnaire development.

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Year of publication2010
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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