About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about surveys as an important method of data-collection in social research, focusing in particular on: (i) some key characteristics of survey research, such as its basis in the hypothetico-deductive approach and its focus on collecting quantifiable data and statistical analysis; (ii) three key methods for avoiding bias in survey research – standardisation, replicability, and representativeness; (iii) probability and non-probability sampling and their uses; (iv) the key stages of survey construction – defining the survey’s aim, identifying relevant data, formulating the research question, designing survey questions, designing the project, and coding and analysing produced data.

About the lecturer

Professor Tim May is Honorary Distinguished Professor at Cardiff University. He has a wide range of expertise relating to research methodologies, sociological theory, and the philosophy of social science. His recent publications include Social Research: Issues, Methods and Process (2021, co-authored with Beth Perry), Thinking Sociologically (2019, co-authored with Zygmunt Bauman), Reflexivity: The Essential Guide (2017, co-authored with Beth Perry).