This is the first component of your course project.

Before rushing out to collect data, it is important to clearly define what you are trying to accomplish and what you are trying to answer from your study. This assignment provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to define your goals and begin to formulate a data collection strategy to meet those goals.

Using the Initial Survey Design Template [DOC], identify a topic of interest in your personal or professional life. Explain your reasons for selecting the topic and your thoughts about the study design. As you fill out the template, keep in mind that surveys are usually done to answer some sort of question. This topic could be something based on your professional activities or your personal interests. In other words, you get to make the subject of the statistical analysis your own.

Make sure you have watched the Week 1 Project Video. Your instructor walks you through the course project and the template for this assignment:

Address the following in the template:

1. Describe the topic of your survey.
2. Explain why the topic is important. (How might the results of the study be used in your personal or professional life?)
3. Identify and describe the potential variables to be included in data gathering.
4. Define the population to be studied.
5. Explain why this is the best population for your study.

When you have completed this assignment, submit it to the assignment area. Before submitting it, refer to the Project: Initial Survey Design rubric to ensure that it meets the grading criteria.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assignment , you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and rubric criteria:

• Competency 2: Evaluate the adequacy of data collection methods.
  • Define potential variables to include in data gathering related to a survey topic.
  • Explain why a specific population is appropriate for a study.
• Competency 4: Solve problems in your personal and professional life by applying statistical procedures.
  • Define a survey topic in relation to its importance in one's personal or professional life.

View Rubric