If you are reading this, then you are most likely in the middle of or about to start the senior thesis writing process. This process can be grueling, but it does not have to be. The best way to mitigate the thesis writing pain is to stay proactive and consistent in your writing, data collection, and data analysis. Since I did a survey for my thesis project, I will first provide general advice as well as specific advice to anyone considering doing a survey.
General advice
Start Thinking about a Research Question ASAP!
If you are about to start 491, block out some time to wander around the Internet investigating various research topics. The main questions to be asking yourself in this stage are, is there something that still needs to be explained or found? Is it feasible to do in ~8 months as a rookie researcher? And most importantly, am I interested in it?
Find an advisor!
It is best to have a draft research question when you start looking for an advisor. Your advisor is a priceless asset in helping you design your study, connecting you with on-campus research resources, and providing support along the way. Additionally, when you are starting to meet with your advisor, remind them of your research question, your topic, and be clear with your ideas so they are best equipped to help you.
Remember your North Star!
I don’t particularly enjoy journaling or writing down my thoughts. However, I wish I had at least drawn a concept map every few weeks after combing through dense academic articles to make sure I was incorporating new ideas into my research design while also staying consistent and avoiding feeling overwhelmed with new information. Just always ask yourself critical questions during the literature review process such as is this necessary in answering my research question? What is the expected relationship between my dependent variable and proposed independent/control variables?
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff!
This is an undergraduate research thesis. Allow yourself to make mistakes and do not overly dwell on them. It is necessary to make mistakes so you know how to improve and become a better researcher or consumer of research in the future.
Survey advice
Writing Survey Questions
The three things you need in front of you when you write your survey questions are the key findings from the literature (What still needs to be found?) your hypotheses (Are your survey questions a valid test of your hypotheses?), and your research question (Would these results answer my question?). It does not hurt to have some front-end knowledge of dummy variables and the different types of regressions. For example, do not be like me – avoid any free response questions if you can.
Surveys Are Forever
Remember once you collect survey data – you can’t go back! If you add or delete survey questions, be sure to have good reasons for doing so.
Clear Questions
Read each question word-by-word and ask yourself would I understand what this question asks if I knew nothing about the topic?
Data Integrity
You may wonder who on Earth would try to game an undergraduate research survey for their own benefit? Think again! If you are offering an incentive, a chance to win an incentive, or are distributing the survey online, use the highest degree of security features that your survey software offers. For Qualtrics users, enable all standard security features, enable IP address reporting, require reCAPTCHA authenticator, require zip code or student username, and create conditions in the “Branch Logic” tab to prevent bots and scammers from finishing your survey. There is no way to prevent these malicious actors from clicking on your survey, but you can take steps to identify them and eliminate them from your data.
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