- Welcome
- Important notice
- About the author
- About this site
- Site guide + Search box
- Dedications
- Acknowledgments
- My personal pantheon (of the great and the good in survey research)
- Recent and planned activities
- Textbooks for Research Methods and Data Analysis
- 1: Survey Analysis Workshop (SPSS)
- 1a: Statistical concepts and methods
- 1b: Teaching with Survey Data
- 1c: Developing research projects using survey data
- 1d: Workshop and presentations for ASSESS (SPSS users in Europe)
- 2: Survey Research Practice
- 2a: Survey Research Methodology, Practice and Training
- 2b: Major survey series
- 3: Subjective Social Indicators (Quality of Life)
- 4: Survey Unit, Social Science Research Council (UK)
- 5a: Polytechnic of North London (1976-1992)
- 5b: Survey Research Unit (1978-1992)
- Village life in Normandy
- Contact
- Origins of the British Crime Survey
- British Crime Survey
2a: Survey Research Methodology, Practice and Training
.[Page last updated 5 Sep 2017]
Publications on survey research and survey methods
There are literally hundreds of books, papers and articles (not to mention joiurnals) on survey methods, including basic "How to" texts, complex techniques (eg sampling) historical accounts and critical examinations of the method itself. For a good general introduction, see:
What is a survey?
(American Statistical Association booklet, 68 pp., 2004 by Fritz Scheuren combines as chapters a series of separate earlier pamphlets starting with the 1980 pamphlet What is a survey? by Robert Ferber, Chair, Paul Sheatsley, Anthony Turner and Joseph Waksberg)
Statistics: Power from Data!,Statistics: Power from Data! is a superb website set up by Statistics Canada, most of which covers surveys. Each chapter is written in plain English, with no statistical jargon and with few or no formulae. Because it's in Canada, the whole thing is also available in French.
It is worth listing the contents in full:
Data, information and statistics
Planning a survey
Sampling methods
Data collection
Data processing
Organizing data
Graph types
Analytical graphing
Measures of central tendency
Measures of spread
Information: Use in society
Problems with using information
Confidentiality, privacy and security
Computers and data
The UK Data Service (UKDS: previously Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) based at Essex University has the following useful publications:
The following links are to other pages on this site.
The place of survey research in the social sciences lists some key publications on the development of survey research and the debate on the place of survey research in the social sciences.
Survey methods textbooks
Journals for survey research
Articles on survey research
Training in research methods
In 2000 the (UK) Economic and Social Research Council issued a Green Paper seeking views on the future of archiving. I submitted evidence in two instalments in the form of memoranda to Prof Martin Boddy. Although the Green Paper was principally directed towards archiving, my comments also include a detailed critique of, and proposals for, training in social research methods. ESRC Green Paper on Archiving (1) was sent on 9 March 2001 and ESRC Green Paper on Archiving (2) on 14 March 2001: they should be read together.
Training courses in survey methods
Training courses offered by universities, survey organisations and consultants.
Postgraduate courses: MSc, MA,, PG Diploma and PG Certificate courses offered by UK universities, including the Diploma of the Market Research Society
Summer Schools: courses at University of Essex (UK) and University of Maryland (USA)
Short courses: details of regular and ad-hoc courses offered by Natcen, UK universities and others
Postgraduate courses: MSc, MA,, PG Diploma and PG Certificate courses offered by UK universities, including the Diploma of the Market Research Society
Summer Schools: courses at University of Essex (UK) and University of Maryland (USA)
Short courses: details of regular and ad-hoc courses offered by Natcen, UK universities and others
Research initiatives wish-list
Ideas for development of survey research is an extract from a 1992 letter to Prof Denise Lievesley (then Director of the Data Archive at Essex) with ideas for future research initiatives in the UK. Ideas date back to the 1970s and we're still waiting.