Grand Finale

Wow, I can’t believe that I am sitting here writing my final blog post. I feel like I could snap my fingers   and it was the first post. I remember thinking I thought that this was going to be a difficult task to keep up, but in reality I think keeping a blog throughout the semester has really help me keep track of all the methods we have used, and relate them to different issues. Although this is how I feel, this week for the grand finale I will once again be looking into some of my peers blogs, and how they feel.

The first person’s blog I am going to discuss is  Laura's. Her blog is one that I have  frequently followed this semester, because I like her writing style, and the way she relates a lot of the issues to the entertainment industry, because that is what I am most interested in. In this particular blog, I like how she makes the reference to celebrities, and their use of twitter. She relates the act of re tweeting to the survery research method. I personally have the twitter application on my blackberry, so I am constantly tweeting away, but never stopped to think that I was engaging myself in the survey method. So now when I am on twitter, Laura’s post comes to mind!

Another person’s blog I found interesting was Alexis's. This semester we spent an entire class period almost going over all the different methods in creating the best survey. What questions to ask, what words are appropriate, and other general rules. But one aspect that we learned was we are not supposed to use something like “ Do you love Quinnipiac sports?” Because the word love is a strong emotion word, and we are supposed to stay away from them because they can be bias words. That is a fact that is drilled into my brain. But I liked the point that Alexis raised in regards to comparing these words to the fashion industry. I feel like whenever I flip through a magazine or watch an episode of What not to Wear… all anyone is every saying is “Oh I LOVEEEE that shirt, it fits great” or “HATE the dress, it is doing nothing for you”. Those words are used in comments made, but also in surveys like Alexis pointed out.

I think all of my fellow classmates have done a wonderful job this semester in the various posts that were done. So I want to say good job to everyone… we made it through the semester of blogging!

Also want to say thanks to all the people who decided to read my blog! Hope you guys have enjoyed some of the things I have said.

Everyone have a great Thanksgiving =)!

Experiments....

So last week we talked about surveys… this week were going to discuss experiments. Both of these forms are  very prelivent methods in research, but what we have to ask ourselves is.. what on earth is the difference between these two methods?

Some people when they hear the word experiment they think of a lab.. with chemicals and rats running around something like Dexter’s Labratory… when it comes to public relations.. we do not do anything along those lines!

An experiment I found humorous obviously dealt with Lohan and her roller coaster of a life. This “experiment” talks about how in prison she has to try these new foods and is on the prison diet. Although this article struck me as humorous…this really would not be considered  an experiment because something that an experiment requires is a control  group and an experiment group.

The best way I understand the two groups is to use the example of the placebo effect.  A good way to relate this to students would be to test the study of adderall  if it really makes students focus. Group A would be the experimental group.. and they would receive the “placebo”. They would think that the pill is going to make them focus, when in reality it is just sugar. And group B would be the control group and given the same amount of work to complete without any help. We could test the results to see who completed their work more thoroughly. This is just a brief example to help define the two groups and why they are used in experiments.

If you were ever in an experiment… which group do you think you were in?

Do you have a question for me?

If you are curious about a certain subject, the best way to find out some answers is to ask questions! What is the best way to do so? I will tell you… create a survey. Survey Research is very popular in the professional world as well as the academic world.

Looking at the professional world, what is going on currently that has to do with surveys? Well, lets think… it is now November, so what does this month signify?  ELECTION TIME !. Even though I am not personally into politics that much, the above website breaks down what happened during Election Day in five simple categories. The actual act of voting consists of you doing a survey. It is much more formal then a simple questionnaire, but it still follows the most of the same guidelines and this survey can truly impact everyones life so it is important to fill it out!

So what makes up a good survey? It is important to make sure you give instructions that are clear. There are always going to be some people that are not the sharpest tool in the shed, and when it comes to either circling the answer or checking it… they want to be told exactly what to do. So to avoid any headaches.. make sure you are clear with the instructions you give to your participants. The main points to think about when creating a survey are to make sure the questions are kept neutral. When giving options as the answers, it is important to make sure there are enough options. Also just to keep things appropriate for target respondents.

For college students it is that dreaded time of the year where we have to start thinking ahead and registering for classes for next semester. What is something that can help us get through this tedious process? Surveys by our fellow students!  The Qu review is a website that Quinnipiac students can use to rate their professors. There are various sites that universities can use but I wanted to show this one, because I had this teacher and I thought the way that that the evaluation is displayed shows an accurate example of a survey. It gives the scale of numbers for each column to rank, and at the end gives room for general comments.

Something to think about is the effects that can come out of filling out a simple survey....

The next time you are emailed, called, or handed a survey…. Will you fill it out?!