Program Overview

Program Overview

The Survey Design course is a mandatory component of the Sociology program at the University of Copenhagen. This course provides a comprehensive introduction to quantitative social science methods, with a particular focus on surveys.

Course Objectives

The primary aim of this course is to equip students with insight into and hands-on experience with key methodological concepts and the various phases of a survey investigation. Upon completing the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Explain key concepts in the survey literature
• Describe advantages and disadvantages of different data collection methods
• Articulate personal assumptions underlying problem formulation and the formation of concepts
• Understand fundamental research and sampling design
• Classify variables according to their levels of measurement
• Distinguish between theoretical and empirical hypotheses
• Reflect on key insights from the methodological literature
• Explain the logic of non-response analysis and key concepts such as representativeness, population, sample, and analytical sample

Course Content

The course includes a dedicated module introducing students to the use of software for statistical analysis. The content covers:

• Problem formulation to reporting
• Key methodological concepts
• Phases of a survey investigation
• Use of software for statistical analysis

Learning Outcomes

After completing the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Justify the choice of a research topic
• Formulate and justify a clear research question
• Identify and define relevant sociological concepts
• Develop survey questions that operationalize theoretical concepts
• Prepare data for analysis and carry out basic univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses
• Conduct a non-response analysis
• Discuss and contextualize analytical results
• Report the full process and results of the survey

Literature

The course textbook is "Survey: Design, Sample, Questionnaire, Analysis" by Frederiksen, Morten, Peter Gundelach, and Rikke S. Nielsen. A reader is also available for purchase.

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course includes lectures, exercise sessions, and small-group instruction in the statistical program Stata. Both group and individual work outside class hours are required.

Workload

The total workload for the course is 206 hours, broken down into:

• Lectures: 14 hours
• Preparation: 164 hours
• Exercises: 28 hours

Assessment

The course assessment is based on continuous evaluation, including oral presentations and small written home assignments. An overall assessment is registered at the end of the semester.

Exam Details

• Type of assessment: Continuous assessment
• Type of assessment details: The student must participate in a number of test events
• Aid: All aids allowed, except for the use of generative AI software and large language models for generating novel content
• Marking scale: Passed
  ot passed
• Censorship form: No external censorship
• Re-exam: The student independently formulates an exam question based on predefined guidelines from the instructor

Course Information

• Language: English
• Course code: ASOB16134U
• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Level: Bachelor
• Duration: 1 semester
• Placement: Autumn
• Study board: Department of Sociology, Study Council
• Contracting department: Department of Sociology
• Contracting faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Course Coordinators: Andrew Christopher Herman

Additional Information

The course is part of the Sociology program at the University of Copenhagen. Students are expected to participate in a number of test events and complete small written home assignments. The use of generative AI software and large language models is prohibited for generating novel content. The course is taught in English and is worth 7.5 ECTS credits.