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Episode 06: Keep Asking (Good) Questions and Tricks to Writing Surveys On Theology

Podcasts| Lifeway Research | Feb 14, 2017

http://ministrysites.s3.amazonaws.com/podcasts/keepasking/EP3%20-%20KEEP%20ASKING.mp3

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Summary

Most statistics are just percentages–not complicated in and of themselves. But when you are comparing two studies that appear to say two different things, take a closer look at the survey questions. The exact wording of that question is going to be your best ammunition because a lot of times if people are comparing two studies, the questions were actually asked differently.

A lot of organizations want to write their own surveys but struggle and stumble in the process. A lot of times, in ministry, we have the not invented here mentality of somebody in another place who writes a survey, how can they really understand what’s happening in my church and in my situation?

When you write a survey, you are wanting to count or measure something. Be able to answer the question: What do you want to measure? To work backwards is incredibly hard. You can write a question. We learned to do that in English class in second grade or something, how to write a question. How to write a question that gives you actionable information for the decision you have to make, that’s what a good questionnaire is. There’s a lot to that.

Whether doing the research yourself or working with a research provider, be intentional from the very beginning that the end goal is more than a notebook on a shelf. Go in with the mindset that it can change your thinking.

Check out the full transcript on the next page to hear a few tricks the research team uses to “stay out of hot water” when doing research on theology.

See also  U.S. Pastors Identify Their Greatest Needs

Be sure to Tweet your questions and comments to us: @LifewayResearch and individually: @smcconn, @statsguycasey, and @lizettebeard. Join us next time for another edition of Keep Asking.

(See the full transcript for the episode –with links–on next page)

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