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Office for Survey Research

...Legacy Survey Research Projects

Survey work is never truly done. Attitudes change, public policies reflect new attitudes and our healthcare and our work evolve. Past data can often be sifted for the answers to future questions. The Office of Survey Research at Michigan State University's Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR) prides itself on rigorous research for public, nonprofit and private organizations.

Our expertise is varied. Our legacy survey research falls into broad categories, from healthcare and healthpolicy, to industry and the workplace to business and development needs. While it is designed in detail to answer particular research questions, it also gives us broader insights into the ways to improve our lives, our health, our economic well-being and our world.

We offer a showcase of our selected survey work from the past, highlighting a few of those surveys from homeland security, healthcare and economic decisionmaking that are among the most recent to touch our lives.

• Attack on America and Civil Liberties Tradeoffs Study
• Economic Decision-Making Survey
• Michigan Osteoporosis, Diabetes and Arthritis Survey
• Michigan Cancer Behavioral Risk Factor Survey
• Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Math and Science Education (PROM/SE 1)
• Transient Ischemic Attack Evaluation and Management Study

Attack on America and Civil Liberties Tradeoffs Study
Initially funded by the National Science Foundation to Darren Davis and Brian Silver, in MSU's Department of Political Science, this nationwide study conducted by OSR  focused on America's response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The first wave of this survey was conducted between November 2001 and January 2002. The second wave, completed between February 2003 and June 2003, re-interviewed first wave respondents and a large "control group" of people for the first time. The third survey in this series began in June-July 2004 and concluded November 1, 2004.  It re-interviewed respondents from the first and second waves and added a new group of respondents as well.  Altogether, 1,774 individuals were interviewed during the third wave, 1,963 in the second, and 1,450 in the first.  The follow-up studies were funded by the Russell Sage Foundation. More information is available online.

Economic Decision-Making Survey
A national telephone survey of 3,000 adults, 18-64 years of age regarding the trade-offs they are willing to make between the possibilities of maximizing economic development or personal gain and the certainty of the economic development or personal gain.  Half the adults interviewed were from rural areas of the country and the other half from urban and suburban areas.  Completed in the Fall of 2006.  Professors Loveridge and Bokemeier were the principal investigators.

Michigan Osteoporosis, Diabetes, and Arthritis Survey
This was an RDD telephone survey of 2,668 Michigan adults with over-samples of individuals 45-plus years of age, African Americans and Latinos/Hispanics regarding knowledge and behaviors related to preventing/treating osteoporosis, diabetes and arthritis. A baseline survey was conducted in 2000-01. Interviewing for the second survey began in November 2004 and concluded in September 2005. Each interview lasted roughly 28 minutes. The results will be used by researchers and program planners to help better inform Michigan residents about ways to reduce their risk of these chronic diseases and to improve detection and treatment for those who suffer from these diseases.

Michigan Cancer Behavioral Risk Factor Survey
This was the third, random digit dial telephone survey of 4,340 Michigan adults 40 years of age or older and focused on knowledge and health behaviors related to the most common forms of cancer in the Michigan population. The survey concluded in February 2007. It included special supplemental samples of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Arab Americans and Native Americans. Each interview took roughly 20 minutes to complete. The results are being used by researchers and program planners in the state to help reduce residents’ risk of cancer and to improve outcomes for those who develop cancer.  The fourth survey in this series is planned to begin in January 2008.

PROM/SE 1 (Promoting Rigorous Outcomes in Math/Science Education)
This telephone survey of parents of children in grades K-12 is part of a comprehensive research and development effort to improve mathematics and science education, through both teaching and learning.  The survey involved interviews with 3,125 parent along with interviews among 32 partnering schools in Michigan and Ohio.  Funding was provided by the National Science Foundation and the MSU Office of the Provost.  The research team is led by Distinguished University Professor William Schmidt of the College of Education.

Transient Ischemic Attack Evaluation and Management Study (TEAM)
This was a 2005-2006 telephone survey of individuals who were seen at one of four Michigan Hospital Emergency Departments suffering from TIA (mini-stroke) symptoms and agreed to being contacted 90 days later.  The study results will be used to understand better the impact of initial treatment and diagnosis, as well as follow-up care, on the recovery of those with TIA-like symptoms.

MSU Celebration Surveys
Funded by grants for the National Social Norms Resource Center and the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, this was a series of web surveys of the MSU undergraduate student population to examine perceptions and behaviors related to alcohol consumption, especially around particular celebratory events within the University calendar, as well as students’ views on public service messages distributed as a part of the grant-funded effort to encourage safer behaviors.  Surveys have been conducted in Spring 2003, Fall 2003, Spring 2004, Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Fall 2006, and Spring 2007.

Detroit Marathon Survey
The 2005 Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon Survey was the first survey to invite the entire field of marathon participants to participate. Forth percent of the entrants agreed to take the web-based survey within three weeks of the race. The respondents closely matched the entrants in average age and gender distribution. The questionnaire covered a wide range of topics, including the individual’s motivation to begin distance running, previous race experience at all distances, training methods, dietary preferences, shoe selections, medical history, and predicted and actual performance in the race. Analysis of the data has been conducted by members of the Office for Survey Research, the Medical School faculty, and the Department of Kinesiology.  A follow-up survey of these same individuals who participated in the 2006 Detroit Marathon was conducted in October 2006.

STEPS BRFS
This was a series of annual Behavioral Risk Factor Surveys of members of Michigan’s Native American tribal communities for the Intertribal Council of Michigan (with funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.).  Three waves of the surveys have already been completed.  The surveys focus on the health habits and needs of adults in Michigan’s tribal communities.  The research will help assess health needs and improve health services.  Data collection for the fourth survey will begin around October 1, 2007.

Food Safety Surveys
This 2005-2006 project included two RDD phone surveys – one national (n=1,014) and the other the state of Michigan (n=407).  Both focused on the attitudes of U.S. adults regarding food safety – who should be responsible for it, who appears most at risk and how severe the risk is perceived to be.  The surveys probed people’s opinions about trust in the safety of the national food web and their attitudes about the federal government, the food industry and their own role in regards to food safety.  The results of the surveys were the basis for the first information released by the newly formed Food Safety and Policy Center at MSU.  In addition to the unique content of the survey, the surveys experimentally varied the calling protocols implement to compare standard rigorous calling protocols and an alternative one-call protocol.

 

Your Questions about the Office for Survey Research

We are excited to answer your questions about our capabilities and facilities, whether they involve legacy research or cutting-edge technology.

For more information about OSR or these surveys contact Larry Hembroff, OSR Director and Senior Survey Methodologist, or Karen Clark, Senior Project Manager.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Last Updated 7/23/07