Surveys

The purpose of survey research is to gather data in a systematic manner to identify patterns, trends, opinions, or experiences of a target population. At Pennsylvania Western University, surveys serve to:

Analyze opinions, experiences and institutional effectiveness
Aid in data collection for research studies
Assess and improve current programs

Policies and Guidelines

Personal information gathered through surveys must be protected and kept confidential in accordance with University policies. Faculty and staff are required to follow these guidelines on data collection and responsibility to ensure data privacy and security.

Learn More

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

The PennWest Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a standing committee, constituted according to federal regulations, that is responsible for ensuring that the rights and welfare of human research participants are protected. All members of the University community who engage in activities that are classified as research involving human participants must submit their research proposals to the IRB for review and approval. Furthermore, any organization conducting research in which members of the PennWest community are research subjects must have its research project approved by the IRB.

An independent board, the IRB has the authority to verify that ongoing research studies involving human participants comply with regulations and may suspend or terminate approval for ongoing studies under its jurisdiction. It has the authority to approve, to require modification as a condition of approval and to disapprove proposed activities that are within the scope of its authority.

No research involving human subjects may be undertaken at PennWest without prior review by the IRB. Failure to observe the policies and procedures outlined by the IRB will be considered serious misconduct, subject to sanctions including possible recommendations for termination of faculty appointment, student enrollment or other affiliation with PennWest.

The primary goal of the IRB is the protection of research participants. The board does not endorse the quality of the research and approval does not absolve researchers from the responsibility to monitor and maintain the project within their professional guidelines. The ultimate responsibility for the ethical conduct of research remains with the researchers.

Apply for an Institutional Review Board Review

NOTE: This section applies to faculty, staff, and students of PennWest. Researchers from other institutions seeking to collect data at PennWest must first contact the IRB directly at IRB@pennwest.edu for instructions.

Instructions:

Login to D2L Brightspace
Click the University Resources menu and choose Discover
Click IRB Submissions
Click the blue Enroll in Course button
An enrollment confirmation screen will pop-up, click Ok
Click the blue Open Course button to enter the course
Every time you login to D2L, the course will now be in your Communities semester in the My Courses widget

Applications are reviewed by the IRB on a continuous basis throughout the fall and spring terms. Applications submitted during the summer term may experience significant delays in processing, as the IRB maintains only minimal operations during these months.

Survey Review Process

To ensure that surveys are conducted without overwhelming students, faculty, and staff, the Institutional Research Office (IR) manages a review process. This process regulates and limits the number of surveys that PennWest community receives, balancing the need for survey information with the impact on participants.

The review process is designed to:

Minimize survey fatigue and avoid over-surveying.
Optimize survey schedule to maximize their effectiveness.
Promote best practices in survey design, sampling, and administration.
Maintain ethical standards in survey research, respecting the time and attention of our community members
Focus on surveys that align with the University’s overarching goals.
Ensure adherence to FERPA guidelines and IRB requirements.

Next Steps

Ready to gain actionable insights? We offer assistance in designing surveys that are tailored to your research or evaluation needs. Our survey specialist can work with you to develop clear and effective questions that ensure the collection of relevant and accurate data. For more information on how survey services can help with your program needs, please contact Serene Yen.

Please include information for the following questions when emailing us:

What are the research questions or objectives for the survey?
What is the estimated timeline for the study?
Who is the target population of the survey?
Will participants receive incentives?
Who will you share the survey results with?
Have you drafted a questionnaire, or will you be using an existing one, or do you need help creating one?

Survey Calendar

Institutional Research coordinates and manages a variety of surveys involving PennWest students, faculty, staff, prospective students, and parents. These surveys may be conducted independently or as part of the collaborative initiatives. For a detailed list and timeline of surveys, please refer to our interactive Survey Calendar.

Example Survey Calendar

Survey Name	Target Population	Campus or Unit	Frequency	Last Administration
ITV Faculty Experience Survey	ITV Faculty	PW Academic Unit	Every Term	Nov. 2024
ITV Student Experience Survey	ITV Students	PW Academic Unit	Every Term	Nov. 2024
Commencement Survey	Graduates	Student Affairs	Bi-annual	Dec. 2024
Commencement Volunteer Survey	PW Employees/Students	Student Affairs		Dec. 2024
Student Athlete Experience Survey	Student Athlete	Student Affairs		Aug. 2024
Athlete Interest Survey (Title 9)	Students	Clarion Athletic Dept	Every three years	Nov. 2024
Student Experience with Directed Self-Placement	English 1100/1200 Students	PW English Department		Sep. 2024
FYS Pre-Course Survey	FYS Students	PW English Department	TBD	Aug. 2024
FYS Post-Course Survey	FYS Students	PW English Department	TBD	Nov. 2024
NSSE	First-Year & Senior Bachelor’s Degree Seeking Students	PennWest	Every three years	Mar. 2025
Student Center Survey	On-Campus Students	PW Student Center	Annual	Feb. 2025
Head Coach Survey	Student Athletes	PW Athletic Departments	Every Term	Nov. 2024
Assistant Coach Survey	Student Athletes	PW Athletic Departments	Every Term	Nov. 2024