SIG on Survey Research in Education (SRE)
An Introduction

The purpose of the SIG-SRE is to provide a forum for researchers interested in improving survey methodology in educational research. This SIG strives to foster communication among survey researchers and promote the development and dissemination of scholarly work in survey methods through such activities as the sponsorship of paper presentations, invited addresses, symposia, and poster sessions at the AERA Annual Meetings; publication of the SIG newsletter; and interaction with other groups seeking to improve survey methodology.

Using a survey instrument to collect data is a common practice in educational research. Advancement in information technology is creating new grounds for those conducting applied research in the field of education. Therefore, the advancement of survey research methodology in the context of educational research is a critical activity and one that this SIG emphasizes.

The SIG membership is approximately 240, including professionals in the fields of education and consulting, as well as a large number of graduate students. Many of our members participate in other organizations that have interests in survey research. Among these are the American Association of Public Opinion Research and the Section on Survey Research Methods of the American Statistical Association. In addition, our SIG provides an excellent source for students currently pursuing their degrees in higher education to interact with survey researchers and to present their own research on methodological issues in survey research.

Some of the methodological issues covered in survey research and addressed by our membership include but are not limited to:

A). Philosophical foundations of survey research
B). Evolution of survey research processes
C). Data analysis methods in survey research
D). Comparative analyses of different survey media
E). Comparative analyses of different survey formats
F). Survey item construction

As a professional organization, we maintain a strong interest in improving the survey research methodology and furthering a free and open discussion of issues in survey research.