A lot of time and work is involved when developing a research project, accumulating the data, and then using that information to ultimately find a sense of clarity regarding the significance behind the entire activity. The focus of Data + Design appeared to describe the steps involved in a manner that would be easily understood and beneficial to the reader. While simple, the reading was very thorough and went into detail regarding data visualization, data organization, creating eloquent questions, homing in on the purpose of the research, and much more.
I found a lot of the material to be somewhat of a review since I took a Sociology class that focused on quantitative research and an upper division stats course. Therefore, I could see how helpful this could be for someone with no knowledge of such information and to now be able to have all of it in one location. Nonetheless, the review of measurements and research questions was a great refresher and I enjoyed the explanations as to why these subtle aspects of research can be so significant. On the other hand, I found one area of the reading to be troubling and did not properly describe the subject efficiently.
During the portion of the reading that described the various types of surveys that can be conducted, Ginette Law seemed to critically underplay the effectiveness of Administered Surveys. Although the author included pros and cons for each of the various forms of surveys, she did not go into any great length in describing them. Furthermore, she made it appear as if surveys conducted through the internet, over the phone, and other indirect methods were just as viable and effective as Administered Surveys. Taking into account of the information I was given in my previous classes, I would have to disagree and say that Administered Surveys are one of the best options of acquiring unbiased and diverse data.
For example, if a researcher is looking to obtain a diverse population, the internet would not be a good way to go about it. Not only would certain ages (very young and very old) be unlikely to participate in the survey/poll, but there is also a high likelihood of being bias. Say the Fox website has a poll displayed on their website for viewers to participate in, not only would there be an age group neglected but the results would most likely lean towards a right-wing, conservative view. This is because Fox happens to be a right-wing network and most likely the audience is as well. Therefore, this would not be a proper method in acquiring data from a diverse population to make any sort of conclusion from.
While this is just one example, the other indirect methods of surveys fall in great risk of biased results as well. All in all, I do understand that Law was trying to provide the reader with various ways to conduct research, but I feel that obtaining unskewed and accurate results cannot be stressed enough. It is especially important when the researcher intends to form statements and conclusions from the acquired data. Overall, I did enjoy the reading and found it to be very informative, but just thought that the survey portion could have been improved upon.
Sources: https://infoactive.co/data-design/titlepage01.html