Part 1: Open-ended vs. closed-ended questions
Write two versions of a survey question. One question should be open-ended, meaning that the participant would respond in their own words. The other question should be closed-ended, meaning that it would be a multiple-choice question.
You can choose to write a question that asks about an aspect of the participant’s gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, etc. Or you can ask about the participant’s opinion on a certain topic, or experience that they have had.
What are the pros and cons of using the open-ended version of the question? What are the pros and cons of using the closed-ended version of the question? Do open-ended or closed-ended questions seem to be more frequently used to you? Why do you think that is the case?
Part 2: Reimagining the report
Find an example of a research report that is not published in a research journal (it is ok if you can’t find one related to your topic). Try to write the APA style citation of it and summarize what it is about. A short summarize.
You can try looking at these websites of applied research organizations in order to find a research report. Just remember that it needs to be a “report” on research and not just a position paper with policy recommendations on an issue.
Although these research reports are more attractive than research journal articles and might be easier to understand, there are many community members who may not be interested in reading a long report. What do you suggest as an alternative way to communicate the report findings to people who need the information? (For example, see the box on p. 161 of the 4th ed).
https://www.rti.org/publications
https://www.rand.org/research.html
https://www.sri.com/publications/
https://www.mdrc.org/publications
