off beat request

[Boondocker]

If you have a few minutes please take a quick (10 question) survey for me (its about beliefs). There is no log in and takes about 2 minutes. The purpose of the survey is to generate some data to use to teach simple statistics in my classes as well as a jumping off point to talk about things like sampling. Many thanks .

[Gene]

Rodney, you could also use it to teach whether questions are valid. Given my professional background, I can argue with any survey question.

Gene

[Boondocker]

Yeah, it opens up all sorts of questions for discussion. I am adding this to my discussion on correlations where I show the link between global warming and pirates. ARRRRR

[robert claus]

Easy enough. It would be fun to sit in on the discussions.

[Gene]

I'm not surprised to learn pirates are the cause of global warming. We need a War on Pirates!

Gene

[till]

Done. Interesting questions..... Keep us posted on how your results work for you.

[Boondocker]

I can do that, Till. Right now it is pretty clear I have a very, very, biased sample. But that is grist for the grinder as well.

[maccamper]

Interesting indeed. No telling how the survey results from those questions will correlate.

I completed the survey as a nod to my MIS/statistics professor at The University of Tulsa in the 1990's. He would have gotten a kick out of the questions. Last I heard he was living in what he considers "God's Country" in Washington State.

Nancy Mac

[cameront120]

Originally Posted by maccamper

Last I heard he was living in what he considers "God's Country" in Washington State.

Nancy Mac

He's incorrect. He's living South of "God's Country", British Columbia.

[Boondocker]

Just took a peek, so far 44 respondents, and definitely a skewed sample.

[hissilver]

Good questions that have been asked thousands of times...helps to focus the mind beliefs and discount some nonsense.

[mistral blue]

Originally Posted by Boondocker

Just took a peek, so far 44 respondents, and definitely a skewed sample.

Just look at my answers. They're all correct.

[az-streamer]

unfortunately, surveys [and polls, and questionnaires, etc.]
will really only provide data regarding people who respond to
surveys.

this, in itself, is a self-determining sub-set of the over-all
population.

ie, a TMZ poll will only reflect the views of it's watchers
[admit it - you know who you all are]

a telephone poll will only provide the views of:

a. people with telephones, who
b. answer their telephones, and
c. are willing to take the time to answer some poll


research companies will send out thousands of questionnaires and base
their results on a return of 10% or less. whicj might be a good reason so
many new products fail.

i personally find most polls very skewed and very unreliable.

- next question, please -

[Boondocker]

Originally Posted by az-streamer

unfortunately, surveys [and polls, and questionnaires, etc.]
will really only provide data regarding people who respond to
surveys.[snip].................................................. ........[snip]
i personally find most polls very skewed and very unreliable.

- next question, please -

I am not terribly worried since the purpose is to provide a data set for the students to play with (work out central tenancies, correlations, and whatnot) and to provide the basis for a conversation about the topic of research methodology. The content, reliability, and validity are pretty much moot beyond that.

For whatever reason, students seem to respond better to real data sets so it is worth the effort to gather some data for them to play with. We are up to 66 respondents so far and I really appreciate everyone who has taken time to help me out with this. If there is any interest I can post any interesting outcomes- bearing in mind the survey is wholly unscientific for the purpose of much of anything.

[az-streamer]

as long as your students realize that this sub-set is just a bunch of crazy AS'ers and is only as relevant as the people who are replying, then - no worries.

as my dear, long-suffering wife will attest: many of my replies are:

non-responsive
inaccurate
ill-advised
out-of-context
irrelevant

and often

mis-informed

however - i stand by all of them!

[azflycaster]

Rodney,
I took the survey, but cheated by finding the correct answers with help from Google. I hope this does not adversely affect the results.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Rodney,
I took the survey, but cheated by finding the correct answers with help from Google. I hope this does not adversely affect the results.

Not a bad idea, but I'm not sure how Google knew if you believed in palm reading or voodoo dolls. It didn't know whether I did, so was no help in this case.

[Gene]

Having met Richard, I think he'd go with voodoo dolls. They can be very effective during those IBT meetings.

Gene

[Midnightmoon]

Took the survey for you. Never considered my stand on crop circles till today.

[SeeMore]

Are crop circles the ones under those wagon wheel sprinklers out West? If so, I guess I believe in them since they appear real green when seen from a Delta flight!

;-)