When conducting scientific research, obtaining high-quality data is important. When collecting data from a college student participant pool, however, factors such as the time of the semester in which data are collected could cause validity issues, especially if the survey is completed in an online, non-laboratory setting. Near the end of the semester, students may experience more time pressures and constraints than at other times in the semester. These additional pressures may encourage participants to multi-task while completing the study, or to rush through the survey in order to receive credits as quickly as possible. The hypothesis of this study was that responses collected at the end of the semester would exhibit lower data quality than responses collected at the beginning of the semester. Data were collected online during the last two weeks of the fall 2018 semester (n = 312) and the first two weeks of the spring 2019 semester (n = 55). Participants were asked to write about an embarrassing situation and then completed a number of questionnaires assessing their thoughts and feelings about the event, personality traits, and participant engagement. Data quality was assessed using several different previously validated methods, including time spent on survey; the number of missed items; the number of incorrect embedded attention-check items (out of 12); the length of responses on two open-ended questions; self-reported diligence, interest, effort, attention, and whether their data should be used; and Cronbach’s alphas on the scales. Results showed that between the two groups, there were significant differences on length of open-ended responses, self-reported diligence, self-reported interest, effort, attention, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Participants completing the study in the first two weeks of the spring 2019 semester had significantly longer open-ended responses and significantly higher levels of self-reported diligence, self-reported interest, effort, attention, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Although there was not a significant difference in number of incorrect attention-check items between the two groups, it should be noted that only 46% of the total participants did not miss any check items. These results lend support to the hypothesis that data collected at the end of the semester may be of lower quality than data collected at the beginning of the semester. However, because the groups significantly differed on neuroticism and conscientiousness, we cannot determine whether the time of semester effect is a product of internal participant characteristics or external pressures. Nevertheless, researchers should take into account this end-of-semester data quality difference when deciding the time-frame of their data collection.

No description available.

Recently, technology and its impact on aging has become an expanding field of inquiry among marketers, designers, and housing professionals. A major reason for this interest is that the use of technology can help older people who experience deteriorating health to live independently. Another reason stems from an increase in the elderly population. The purpose of this study was to investigate older people's attitudes toward adopting technology as it relates to homes that could improve the quality of life and assist in aging in place. Attitudes were examined in terms of perception and acceptance of residential technology. Data for this study were gathered by an online survey. Online questionnaires were distributed to the potential sample of 9,789 e-mail addresses through the Virginia Tech alumni list serve on February 2004. The response rate was 15.8% with 1,546 eligible responses returned by February 27. The majority of the sample for this study can be described as Caucasian, married men, age 55 to 64 with good or excellent health and a post graduate college education living in owned single-family detached homes. Chi-square, ANOVA, Pearson's correlations, and path analysis were employed to test hypothesized relationships. Nine hypotheses were proposed to examine the relationships of variables based on the research framework. Results from this study cannot be generalized to a national population because of the limitations of the sampling frame. Results, however, are significant in terms of the investigation of early computer adopters who are age 55 and older living independently. Their desire to age in place was not very different from the national population. Findings about the attitudes toward computer and Internet technology indicated that respondents had surprisingly similar attitudes. Age was revealed as an important factor for both the desire to age in place and attitudes toward residential technology as a direct effect. Future research should include people with various demographic backgrounds. In addition, the results of this study imply that differentiated marketing strategies should be recommended to reach older consumers. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Our behaviour is not changing fast enough to stop the environmental damage that is occurring. Many people will not voluntarily change their behaviours if there is no immediate benefit to them - this creates the need for a source of authority to encourage behaviour change. Usually this authority is government in the form of laws, but there are few laws that demand the adoption of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs) like composting and recycling. An individual’s employer can be a strong authority within an influential milieu. This study focuses on the impact that four environmentally-aware employers in the Victoria technology industry have on their staff, as measured by the type and extent of PEBs practiced by staff at work and at home. Data is obtained through interviews and online surveys. Findings expose the workplace as an important leverage point that government and NGOs can use to encourage rapid social change.

This research project explores factors affecting sustainability initiatives within educational institutions. Using grounded theory and mixed-methods, the project evaluates the experiences and perspective of nineteen individuals involved with sustainability initiatives in schools. Twelve research participants are from one school community while the other seven are sustainability programme coordinators at a range of educational institutions. Results indicate that significant life experiences and situational factors both have an impact on an individual’s perspective on sustainability. The success of sustainability initiatives relies heavily on keen advocates for sustainability within the community and the support ascribed to sustainability by the institution. Providing engaging, hands-on experiences, supporting individuals and groups, and encouraging role modeling can foster an ethic of sustainability across the community. The outcome of this research project is a framework designed to help individuals and institutions in their efforts to support and implement sustainability initiatives. Keywords: Sustainability, education, barriers, environment

Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, this research describes short and long term memories of participants who attended past and present Earth Day Celebrations in Surrey, BC, Canada. Particular interest was placed on discovering the most memorable aspects of their Earth Day experiences as well as determining motivations to attend. Research was conducted using online and face-to-face surveys administered prior to and during the April 2010 event. The study revealed that not only that hands-on stewardship activities of releasing salmon and planting trees proved the most popular among research subjects but also illuminated the importance of social and familial interactions at the event. The results of the study may serve to guide the efforts of event organizers in order to capitalize on the public’s interests in environmental special events and serve to meet both the environmental and social needs of the community.

“Word up” is a catch phrase that denotes agreement or enthusiasm about what another has said. A question central to this thesis was whether study participants thought that Algonquin College should endeavour to be a sustainability leader. Online and clipboard surveys, involving on- and off-campus participants, compiled new ideas of how Algonquin could educate for sustainability. These ideas formed a needs analysis that, combined with a review of trends in North American colleges’ education for sustainability, fed into program design recommendations. The program design phase of the research involved participants in an assessment of the survey results and the development of program recommendations for academic development at Algonquin College. Off-campus participants suggested new types of experiential learning involving community partners and encouraged the college to educate for careers related to sustainable food and renewable energy. On-campus participants were concerned foremost with the infusion of sustainable principles across all college curricula.

Στόχος της παρούσας διπλωματικής εργασίας είναι να γίνει μια μελέτη πάνω στο υπάρχον λογισμικό για τη δημιουργία και υποστήριξη ερωτηματολογίων στον Παγκόσμιο Ιστό. Θα μελετηθούν οι δυνατότητες που προσφέρουν τα διαδικτυακά ερωτηματολόγια όπως επίσης και οι περιορισμοί τους και θα παρουσιαστούν τα κριτήρια που μπορούν να βοηθήσουν έναν ερευνητή να επιλέξει το κατάλληλο για την έρευνά του εργαλείο ανάπτυξης και υποστήριξης online ερωτηματολογίων. Στη συνέχεια θα γίνει μια παρουσίαση κάποιων open source εργαλείων δημιουργίας και υποστήριξης διαδικτυακών ερωτηματολογίων και θα γίνει μία σύγκριση μεταξύ αυτών. Θα παρουσιαστεί μια πιλοτική εφαρμογή, χρησιμοποιώντας το επιλεγμένο ως ισχυρότερο open source εργαλείο από τα παραπάνω και κατά τη δημιουργία του ερωτηματολογίου θα γίνει και παρουσίαση του συγκεκριμένου εργαλείου. / The aim of this paper is to examine the existant software for online surveys.The benefits of the web-based surveys will be examined as well as their limitations and the criteria for choosing the appropriate tool for each research are going to be presented. There will also be presented some open source tools for online surveys and following that, these tools are going to be compared with each other. At the end of this paper with the chosen as the most powerful tool of the above, a survey is going to be created and at the same time the characteristics of this software will be demonstrated.

Although the primary role of the computer has been in processing and analysis of survey data, it has increasingly been used in data collection. Computer surveys are not exempt from a common problem: some refuse to participate. Many researchers and practitioners indicate the refusal problem is less for computer surveys, perhaps due to the novelty of the method. What has not been investigated is the refusal problem when on-line surveys are no longer novel. This research study examines the use of one form of computer-assisted data collection, the electronic or on-line survey, as an organizational research tool. The study utilized historical response data and administered an on-line survey to individuals known to be cooperative or uncooperative in other on-line surveys. It investigated nonresponse bias and response effects of typical responders, periodic participants, and typical refusers within a sample of corporate employees in a computer-interactive interviewing environment utilizing on-line surveys. The items measured included: participation, respondent characteristics, response speed, interview length, perceived versus actual interview length, quantity of data, item nonresponse, item response bias, consistency of response, extremity of response, and early and late response. It also evaluated factors reported as important when deciding to participate, preferred data collection method, and preferred time of display. Past participation, attitudes toward on-line organizational surveys, response burden, and response error were assessed. The overall completion rate of 55.7% was achieved in this study. All effort was made to encourage cooperation of all groups, including an invitation to participate, token, on-line pre-notification, 800 number support, two on-line reminders, support of temporary exit, and a paper follow-up survey. A significant difference in the participation of the three groups was found. Only three demographic variables were found to be significant. No significant differences were found in speed of response, interview length, quantity, item nonresponse, item response bias, consistency, and extremity. Significant differences were found in the perceived and actual times to complete the survey.