Services
Background
Since 1989, the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
(IPPSR) of Michigan State University (MSU) has conducted social
scientific, policy, and political surveys through its Office for
Survey Research (OSR). Formerly known as the Survey Research Division,
OSR serves public, private, and nonprofit organizations and researchers
seeking to use surveys to learn about attitudes, needs, experiences,
and behavior of individuals and institutions.
Types of Services
OSR Conducts Telephone and Mail Surveys for Scientific or Policy
Research for Academia, Government, and Nonprofit Organizations.
Types of services offered include:
• Survey Design
• Mail, Web, or Telephone Survey Data Collection
• Survey Analysis and Report Writing
• Data Entry
• Focus Groups
• Instructional Support
Range of Survey Techniques Utilized
OSR offers a variety of survey techniques. It conducts surveys
by mail, web, and telephone. On a special, but limited basis, surveys
are also conducted face to face. Telephone surveys are conducted
using OSR's computer assisted telephone interviewing
(CATI) systems in its survey interviewing facility in Berkey
Hall on the MSU campus. In addition to fulfilling contracts to design
and conduct surveys, OSR analyzes data and prepares reports upon
client request. Each year, OSR manages approximately 30 survey projects,
including one-time projects and monthly, quarterly, and annually
recurring surveys.
Role and Scope of Survey Data Collection Experience
Since its inception, OSR has played a major survey data collection
role for more than 300 research projects of varying size and scope.
Some examples follow:
Small Projects & Portions of Projects:
• OSR helped design the annual nationwide survey questionnaire
for the American Board of Emergency Medicine. OSR continues to conduct
data entry and coding for this survey of 150 physicians in emergency
medicine residency programs.
• OSR regularly assists Michigan State University (MSU) colleges
in designing and tabulating dean performance review questionnaires.
These questionnaires are administered to MSU faculty and staff.
Large Projects:
• In 1996, OSR completed more than 5,000 Michigan citizen health
status and behavior interviews for the Michigan Department of Community
Health.
• In 1993-94, OSR conducted roughly 3,200 non-college educated
workforce needs interviews for an MSU economist.
Straightforward Projects:
• In 1998, OSR completed approximately 1,500 automobile complainant
interviews as part of government-required manufacturer arbitration
compliance.
• In 1994, OSR completed 600 resident services and facilities
assessment interviews as part of an Alpena, Michigan city government
strategic planning process.
 Complex
Projects:
• IPPSR's quarterly State of the State Survey (SOSS) uses random
digit dial (RDD) samples of telephone numbers drawn disproportionately
across seven different regions of the state to enable meaningful
regional comparisons and accurate statewide estimates.
• In 1996-98, OSR conducted 22 early childhood immunization
surveys using RDD sampling to locate children 19-35 months of age.
This survey involved parental records and consent, as well as physician
verification by mail.
• In 2001-02, OSR used RDD sampling techniques to locate and
interview approximately 3,600 Michigan adults aged 50 and over regarding
the knowledge and screening behaviors related to the five leading
types of cancer deaths in the state. Conducted for the Michigan
Cancer Consortium and the Michigan Public Health Institute, the
survey was designed to oversample African Americans, Arab Americans,
Native Americans, and Hispanics as well.
Variety of Surveys:
The range of surveys conducted by OSR over the past 10 years has
been incredibly diverse, focusing on topics such as:
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