SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: WERA1010 : Improving Data Quality from Sample Surveys to foster Agricultural and Community Development in Rural America
- Period Covered: 03/01/2021 to 03/01/2022
- Date of Report: 04/11/2022
- Annual Meeting Dates: 02/17/2022 to 02/19/2022
Participants
o Steve Swinford, Chair, Montana State University o Don Dillman, Washington State University o Ginny Lesser, Oregon State University o Rachel Gildersleeve, University of Arizona o Terrace Ewinghill, University of Arizona o Rachel Leih, University of Arizona o Michele Walsh, University of Arizona o Jessica Schad, Utah State University o Todd Rockwood, University of Minnesota o Melissa Constantine, University of Minnesota o Glenn Israel, University of Florida o Anil Chaudhary, Penn State University o Katherine Dentzman, Iowa State University
Accomplishments
Group: Diffusion of Web-Push Survey Methods
Collaborative research conducted on web-push survey methods (detailed in minutes). This is central to the work of many participants and will continue to be a central point of cross-state collaborative efforts.
Utah specific:
Extension and application of research result:
Wang, Tong, Jim Ristau, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, and Heidi L. Sieverding. “South Dakota Farm Survey White Paper Series.” https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/sdfarmsurvey/.
Outreach activities:
2022 “Ranchers’ Use of Livestock Pest Products.” South Dakota Ranchers’ Workshop; White River, SD.
2021 “Conducting Sociological Research in Rural Communities” (Webinar). Rural Research Panel, Rural & Underserved Utah Training Experience (RUUTE) Program at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Florida specific:
- Instructions in questions
An extension of the experiments from 2015-16, and 2018 was implemented in 2019 and repeated in 2020 to increase the treatment sample size. The new experiment was a 2x2 factorial design testing question format (open- vs closed-ended) and clarifying instructions (yes vs no) on numerical behavior questions to assess effects on item response rates and item distributions. A paper has been partially drafted.
- Qualtrics panels and ABS surveys on Climate Change
During the past year, I revised a manuscript summarizing the methodological findings of the study, which was presented at ESRA in 2019. I continued collaborating on a second manuscript addressing the topic of interpersonal communication about climate change and a third examining the relationships among religious identification (with a focus on Christian evangelicals), religiosity, political affiliation and climate change knowledge, belief, and risk perceptions. Two papers are being revised.
- Comparison of communication protocols for the FCES Client Experience Survey
I developed a series of three experiment to compare the standard survey protocol with one involving an organizational leader (who stresses the importance of the survey and provides legitimation) in the communication messages. Study 1 (conducted in 2020) tested replacing emails from the survey director with ones from the FCES Director along with adjustments to the timing of the contacts. No significant differences in the final response rate were found. Study 2 added a link to the survey in the email messages from the FCES Director and re-ordered the contacts of the survey director and the FCES director for the treatment. Again, no significant differences were found in the final response rate. Finally, study 3 revised the number and timing of the contacts in the protocol involving the FCES Director. In this study, the early bump in the response rate from the FCES Director’s email with the survey link occurred and this advantage was maintained through the remainder of contacts (which mirrored the standard protocol). This result was marginally significant.
- Tests of protocols using an address-based sample for a survey on contentious issues
I have also been involved in a collaboration for a study on the intersection of climate change and religion. This has involved a large-scale survey “the American Opinion Survey on the Environment and Religion” in 4 political swing states (FL, AZ, MI, and PA). This is primarily a mail survey using an address-based sample (n=6,000) with embedded pilot tests using a web-push protocol. Survey design, supply procurement, and data collection were started in 2021 and data collection will be completed in 2022. I anticipate multiple publications will be developed from this study.
Impacts
- Florida: Starting in 2013, I worked with several graduate students to create the Savvy Survey Series in EDIS publication management system to provide accessible and useful information for conducting surveys for evaluation and program planning. To date, 20 publications have been written, peer-reviewed and posted online. I also have worked to update the series over the last several years and it has become increasing popular, with a total of 93,094 EDIS views since 2013 (21,014 in 2021). Publications in this series are used in AEC 6767, 6552, and 6932, in sessions of the Extension Faculty Development Academy, and by colleagues in several states, including Dr. Wallen (University of Idaho) and Dr. Van Riper (University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign). Recently, Maia McGuire, Associate Program Leader for Sea Grant, reported “Just wanted to share that Florida Sea Grant has a TEAMS employee who is surveying marinas for a Sea Grant effort--she asked me for suggested resources that she could use to improve her survey design skills and I suggested the Savvy Survey Series. She read through the entire series and reported that she found it extremely helpful. She also said that she had made some tweaks to the survey and her methods as a result.”
Publications
Research publications:
Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D., Paul M. Jakus, Malieka Bordigioni, and Don Albrecht. 2022. “Preferences for Economic and Environmental Goals in Rural Community Development in the Western United States.” Rural Sociology. DOI: 10.1111/ruso.12429.
Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D., Jennifer E. Givens, and Mitchell Beacham.* 2022. “Preventive Behaviors Along the Rural-Urban Continuum in Utah During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Rural Social Science Special Issue on Space, Place, and COVID-19.
Ulrich-Schad, Jessica D., Shuang Li, A. Joshua Leffler, Wei Gu**, Lealand Schoon, and Lora Perkins. 2021. “What and Why: South Dakota Rangeland Livestock Producers’ Usage of Parasiticides.” Rangeland Ecology and Management 79:190-200.
Wang, Tong, Zheng Xu, Deepthi Kolady, and Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, and David E. Clay. 2021. “Cover Crops Usage in South Dakota: Perceived Profitability and Future Adoption Decisions.” Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 46(2): 287-307.
Saak, Alexander E., Tong Wang, Zheng Xu, Deepthi Kolady, Jessica D. Ulrich-Schad, and David E. Clay. 2021. “Duration of Usage and Farmer Reported Benefits of Conservation Tillage.” Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 71(1): 65-75.
Israel, G. D., Gariton, C. E., & James, H. E. (forthcoming). Anxiety Symptoms among Extension Professionals' During the COVID-19 Pandemic with the GAD-2. Journal of Rural Social Sciences. Revision submitted and accepted, October 2021.
Israel, G. D. Lessons Learned from Conducting Concurrent Surveys Using an Online Opt-in Quota Sample and a Mail/Mixed-Mode Address-Based Sample. Rural Sociology, Submitted; current status: author revising.
Lowe, B. E., Israel, G. D., & Paudyal, R. The Influence of Evangelical Religion and Politics on Climate Change Perceptions in Florida. Society and Natural Resources, Submitted January 2021, Revision submitted July 2021; 2nd revision underway.
Harder, A. M., Craig, D. D., Israel, G. D., Benge, M. P., & Caillouet, O. C. Using a Statewide Needs Assessment to Prioritize UF/IFAS Extension’s Programmatic Efforts. Journal of Extension, revision submitted.
Mike, M., & Israel, G. D. Factors affecting interpersonal communication on climate change in Florida: A quantile regression approach. American Journal of Climate Change, Submitted and authors revising.
Diehl, D. C., Nelson, J. D., Israel, G. D., & Galindo, S. Changes in Work-Life Balance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights from a Survey of Extension Professionals. Journal of Extension, paper in preparation.
Gariton, C. E., & Israel, G. D. 2021. The Savvy Survey #6e: Understanding How Question Type Impacts Future Analysis. AEC719, 4 pp. Gainesville: UF/IFAS. Available at: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pd083
Gariton, C. E., & Israel, G. D. 2021. The Savvy Survey #9: Gaining Institutional Review Board Approval for Surveys. AEC730, 4 pp. Available at: https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-PD84-2021
Cotter, M. L., & Israel, G. D. 2021. Client Satisfaction, Perceived Service Quality and Benefits from Extension’s Information. AEC735, 5 pp. Available at: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC396. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-WC396-2021
Israel, G. D., James, H. E., & Gariton, C. E. Anxiety disorders among Extension Professionals' during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the virtual annual meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, February 2021.
Israel, G. D. When Does Support from Authoritative Figures Improve Survey Response Rates? Paper presented at the virtual annual meeting of the Southern Rural Sociological Association, February 2021.