Assignment 3-1

In this assignment we’re required to describe the sample, data collection and data management for the dataset we’re using. I’ve opted to use the Outlook On Life surveys dataset to look into the association between union membership and political participation (although I suspect I may have to alter the research question in future assignments). In the text below I’ve used a few quotes from the OOL website.

Sample

The target population were non-institutionalized adults 18 years of age and older, with a large oversample of Black ethnics. Participants were drawn from the GfK Knowledge Network, a web panel designed to be representative of the Unites States population. Panel members are randomly recruited through probability-based sampling, and households are provided with access to the Internet and hardware if needed. Random-digit dialing and address-based sampling methodologies are used.

A total of 2,294 respondents participated in this study; 1,601 were reinterviewed. For the analysis, I created a subset containing only respondents who are working as a paid employee. The level of analysis is individual.

Data collection

The purpose of the 2012 Outlook Surveys were to study political and social attitudes in the United States. The specific purpose of the survey is to consider the ways in which social class, ethnicity, marital status, feminism, religiosity, political orientation, and cultural beliefs or stereotypes influence opinion and behavior.

The data was collected through a web-based survey in the United States. The project included two surveys fielded between August and December 2012 using a sample from an Internet panel. Wave 1 was carried out between 16 August and 31 December 2012; Wave 2 between 13 December and 28 December 2012. The response rate was 55.3% for wave 1 and 75.1% for wave 2.

Data management

The explanatory variable measures whether anyone in the respondent’s household is a union member (values Yes, No and missing). For response variable, I created a variable which measures whether respondents have engaged during the past two years in any of the following forms of political participation: contact a public official or agency; attended a protest meeting or demonstration; taken part in a neighbourhood march; or signed a petition (values Yes, No and missing).