New Season, New Chapter: Qualitative Analysis
April 2022
Explore the strengths of qualitative data and when to incorporate it into your research in this introduction to qualitative analysis.
Between a Graph and a Hard Place
How to observe without being totally awkward
October 2021
Happy fall to all you data nerds out there! We appreciate you being here with us. Last time we discussed how to get permission from your participants when you want to do an observation. You might be wondering how you can actually do the observation without it being completely awkward and perhaps even cringey. Today […]
How to observe: Ask first!
September 2021
Welcome back! We left off talking about why you would use observations to collect data. Observation can be a great data collection tool when you want to see how different people interact with each other, a space, or a passive program. Observation is also helpful when it is difficult for someone to answer a question […]
August 2021
This is a “guest post” from the Colorado Virtual Library Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion blog.
Why Observe? Watch and Learn
July 2021
When I was a kid, one of my favorite summer activities was staring at hummingbirds. I would sit for hours, moving as little as possible, while I took notes about everything I saw. (Yes, I was a pretty weird eight year old.) I wanted to ask the hummingbirds so many questions, but I don’t speak […]
Surveys: Don’t just set it and forget it!
June 2021
Surveys are the rotisserie oven of the data collection methods. You simply “set it, and forget it!” That’s why it’s important to be strategic about how you’re reaching your target population. Otherwise, you may be leaving out key subsets of your audience—which are often voices that are already historically underrepresented. Is your survey equitable? Let’s […]
Bad Survey Questions, part 2
April 2021
Bad Survey Questions – pt. 2 Don’t let those bad survey questions go unpunished. Last time we talked about leading and loaded questions, which can inadvertently manipulate survey respondents. This week we’ll cover three question types that can just be downright confusing to someone taking your survey! Let’s dig in. Do you know what double-barreled […]
Bad Survey Questions, part 1
March 2021
In our last post, we talked about when you should use a survey and what kind of data you can get from different question types. This week, we’re going to cover two of the big survey question mistakes evaluators make and how to avoid them so you don’t end up with biased and incomplete data. […]
Are you ready to learn about surveys? Ο Yes Ο No
March 2021
1. What is a survey? If you’ve ever responded to the U.S. Census, then you’ve taken a survey, which is simply a questionnaire that asks respondents to answer a set of questions. Surveys are a common way of collecting data because they efficiently reach a large number of people, are anonymous, and tend to be […]
Does the (Data Collection Method) Shoe Fit?
February 2021
You wouldn’t go hiking in a pair of dress shoes, right? Like the variety of shoes in your closet, there are a variety of data collection methods in all different shapes and sizes. The trick is finding which data collection method fits! Today’s post will help you determine which method is best for your evaluation. […]