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Survey Research Methodology

Surveys—from in-person to web-based, and discrete choice to stated preference—are an important means of collecting sociological, statistical, and demographic data. RAND has pioneered the use of surveys in several fields, including the development of the Delphi method of opinion gathering, and examined the statistical accuracy of various survey formats and web-based surveys.

Report
Today's Army Spouse Panel Methodology: 2018 and 2022 Cohorts
The Today’s Army Spouse Panel offers the opportunity for spouses of U.S. Army soldiers to provide valuable feedback for the Army to use in data-driven decisionmaking. This report details the methodology used to establish this panel.
Oct 24, 2023
Commentary
Generating Evidence Using the Delphi Method
The Delphi method, developed at RAND in the 1950s, is a group-based process for eliciting and aggregating opinion on a topic with a goal of exploring the existence of consensus among a diverse group of experts. It's become best practice for quantifying the results of group elicitation processes.
Oct 17, 2023
Commentary
The American Mathematics Educator Study: Unraveling the Formula for Equitable and Excellent Mathematics Teaching and Learning
Authors lay out a research agenda for the American Mathematics Educator Study by synthesizing what they know from mathematics education research regarding key factors that shape equitable, high-quality mathematics teaching and learning.
Oct 5, 2023
Journal Article
Concepts of Burden in Giving Care to Older Relatives: A Study of Female Caregivers in a Mexico City Neighborhood
We interviewed 41 women in Mexico City through semi-structured interviews about their caregiving experiences to elderly relatives. Participants viewed caregiving burden as multi-dimensional, including positive and negative elements.
Jul 13, 2023
Report
Technical Documentation for the Seventh American School District Panel Survey
This report provides technical information about the spring 2023 survey of the American School District Panel. The authors describe the survey administration and weighting processes they used to produce nationally representative estimates.
Jul 12, 2023
Journal Article
Methods for Collecting Panel Data: What Can Cultural Anthropology Learn from Other Disciplines?
We review the unique challenges of collecting panel data, including measurement error, reducing attrition, and ensuring continuity in management, archiving, documentation, financing, and leadership.
Jul 11, 2023
Journal Article
Unvaccinated Adolescents' COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions: Implications for Public Health Messaging
COVID-19 vaccine uptake remains low for US adolescents and contributes to excess morbidity and mortality. We explored differences between vaccine-acceptant and vaccine-hesitant unvaccinated US adolescents using national survey data.
Jul 6, 2023
Journal Article
Integrating Traditional Practices and Social Network Visualization to Prevent Substance Use: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Among Urban Native American Emerging Adults
A community-informed and culturally grounded opioid prevention intervention can be developed for urban AI/AN emerging adults and can help to build resilience and hopefully decrease opioid use among this underserved population.
Jun 21, 2023
Journal Article
Treatment Goals for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Patient Engagement and Goal Collection
We worked with a steering committee and surveyed patients with rheumatoid arthritis to test a new method for engaging patients in healthcare valuation using patient goals.
May 4, 2023
Journal Article
Patient-Reported Quality Measures for Palliative Care: The Time Is Now
A recent CMS analysis revealed a lack of patient-reported measures in palliative care, particularly in symptom management and communication. We used a patient-centered approach to develop and test two measures for patients receiving palliative care.
May 4, 2023
Journal Article
Methodology for a Six-State Survey of Primary Care Nurse Practitioners
To overcome the limitations of administrative data, we fielded a cross-sectional, mixed-mode (mail/online) survey of primary care NPs in six states to collect data directly from NPs on their clinical roles and practice environments.
Apr 12, 2023
Journal Article
Surveying Primary Care Nurse Practitioners: An Overview of National Sampling Frames
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of national sampling frames that can be used by researchers interested in surveying or studying the U.S. primary care nurse practitioner workforce.
Apr 12, 2023
Journal Article
Practice Patterns, Work Environments, and Job Outcomes of Rural and Urban Primary Care Nurse Practitioners
This study compares urban and rural NPs using data from a survey of 1,244 primary care NPs in Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
Apr 12, 2023
Report
Technical Documentation for the Sixth American School District Panel Survey
This report provides technical information about the fall 2022 survey of the American School District Panel. The authors describe the survey administration and weighting processes they used to produce nationally representative estimates.
Feb 16, 2023
Report
The Today's Army Spouse Panel Proof-of-Concept Study: Methodological Report
Researchers evaluate the effectiveness of the Today's Army Spouse Panel, an operational proof of concept survey panel of U.S. Army spouses, in recruiting participants and providing timely information representative of Army spouses.
Jan 17, 2023
Report
Florida K–12 Mathematics Teachers' Credentials and Preparation: Findings from the 2022 Learn Together Surveys
The authors present findings on Florida mathematics teachers' credentialing pathways, preparation program content, and program resources' availability and helpfulness to offer a current picture of the mathematics teaching workforce in Florida.
Dec 12, 2022
Journal Article
Reasons Primary Care Practices Chose Patient Experience Surveys During Patient-Centered Medical Home Transformation
In 2008–2017, 15–18% of U.S. primary care practices sought or maintained patient-centered medical home recognition. We interviewed a sample of 105 of these practices to determine why patient experience surveys were chosen.
Dec 7, 2022
Journal Article
Association of COVID-19 Vaccination With Influenza Vaccine History and Changes in Influenza Vaccination
Using the RAND American Life Panel (ALP), we examine relationships among COVID and influenza vaccination amongst those who historically never, sometimes, or always vaccinate for influenza.
Nov 16, 2022
Journal Article
Use Of And Willingness To Use Video Telehealth Through The COVID-19 Pandemic
We examined use of and willingness to use video telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic in a longitudinally followed cohort.
Nov 16, 2022
Journal Article
Paying for PrEP: A Qualitative Study of Cost Factors That Impact Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Uptake in the US
We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 men who have sex with men who presented for routine health care at a STD clinic about their experiences with accessing and paying for PrEP.
Nov 11, 2022

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Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Narayan Sastry

Adjunct Senior Social Scientist

Narayan Sastry is an adjunct senior social scientist at RAND. He is also a research professor in the Population Studies Center and Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Sastry has been at the University of Michigan since 2006. He was previously a…
Michael S. Pollard

Senior Sociologist

Michael S. Pollard is a senior sociologist at RAND and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His primary research areas include social networks and health (physical, mental, and health behaviors), demography, and family. His recent work has focused on the health implications of…

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