GV205-5-AU-CO:
Measuring Public Opinion

The details
2023/24
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
15
28 February 2023

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

Public opinion is a fundamental element of politics. The three quotes above are a testimony to this. Public opinion informs and affects the behavior of various political actors such as interest groups and political parties. This all provides a good reason to study public opinion and how one can measure it. But apart from the real-world relevance, surveys are also highly relevant across the social sciences and especially in political science.

Module aims

The aims of this module are to give students:
a sophisticated conceptual understanding of public opinion;
an understanding of how we know what we know about survey methodology;
a detailed knowledge of the core tenets of survey research: questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork;
practical experience of those core tenets;
an ability to collect and analyse survey data;
the capacity to follow survey-based research published in leading journals.

Module learning outcomes

The outcomes of this module will be:
an ability to critically assess claims about public opinion by pollsters, journalists, politicians, family, and so on
a completed and analysed survey which can be cited as an example of project work
a CV enhanced with practical skills of questionnaire design and data analysis;
experience of independent learning based on the project-based assignments

Module information

There will be a Moodle site assigned to this module, and all materials –lecture notes, class exercises, datasets, assessment details and requirements, and also some of the readings –will be placed there.Together, the students will decide in Week 16 whether the remainder of the module will be available on Listen Again.

This module is part of the Q-Step pathway. Q-Step is an award which you can gain simply by enrolling on specific modules and will signal to employers your capability in quantitative research. Learn more about the Q-Step pathway and enhance your degree now.

Learning and teaching methods

This module runs for the ten weeks of the autumn term. Each week there will be a two-hour seminar session. The final three sessions will take place in a computer lab. 

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Essay    40% 
Coursework   Questionnaire Design     60% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mr Iakovos Makropoulos, email: i.makropoulos@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Iakovos Makropoulos
Module Supervisor: Dr Iakovos Makropoulos (i.makropoulos@essex.ac.uk) / Module Administrator: Jasini Hobbs - govquery@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
No
No
No

External examiner

Dr Stefano Pagliari
City, University of London
Senior Lecturer in International Politics
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 20 hours, 18 (90%) hours available to students:
2 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Government

Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.