Research Instruments and Research Hypotheses (Coursera)

Research Instruments and Research Hypotheses (Coursera)

This course concentrates on the design and development of different research instruments. In this vein, the focus will be placed on the development of an instrument design strategy, scales of measurement and the components of the research report. The course begins by looking at the questionnaire development process with a focus on questionnaire design, question type and wording, pretesting and revising.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

We will consider the identification of scales of measurement and operationalisation, and the design of an online questionnaire. We are going to discuss sources of measurement differences, and the assessment of the reliability of measurements. The issue of the validity of measurements and the various types of validity will also be explored, as well as attitude measurement. We will discuss data preparation and processing, data coding, adjustment, and data analysis using multivariate data approaches. We are also going to explore frequency distribution and measures of location, variability and shape. The course ends with a discussion on hypothesis testing and the use of statistics relevant to cross-tabulations. We will discuss parametric and non-parametric tests in hypothesis testing and group comparison as well as the different sections of the research report.
Course 3 of 4 in the Market Research Specialization.

What You Will Learn

  • Develop an instrument design strategy
  • Design and use research instruments
  • Reflect on basic data analysis approaches

Syllabus

Week 1
This week focuses on the questionnaire development process with a focus on questionnaire design, question type and wording, pretesting and revising. The week ends with a discussion regarding identification of scales of measurement and operationalisation and design of an online questionnaire.

Week 2
The week commences with a discussion on sources of measurement differences, and the assessment of reliability of measurements. The issue of validity of measurements is discussed and the various types of validity are discussed. The week ends with a discussion of attitude measurement.

Week 3
The week commences with a discussion on data preparation and processing. We are going to discuss data coding, adjustment, and data analysis using multivariate data approaches. The week ends with an exploration of frequency distribution and measures of location, variability and shape.

Week 4
The week commences with a discussion on hypothesis testing and the use of statistics relevant to cross tabulations. We will discuss parametric and non-parametric tests in hypothesis testing and group comparison. The week ends with an exploration of the different sections of the research report.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Data Processing with Azure (Coursera) Coursera
LearnQuest

Data Processing with Azure (Coursera)

This Azure training course is designed to equip students with the knowledge need to process, store and analyze data for making informed business decisions. Through this Azure course, the student will understand what big data is along with the importance of big data analytics, which will improve the students mathematical and programming skills. Students will learn the most effective method of using essential analytical tools such as Python, R, and Apache Spark.

Sep 21st 2026
3 Weeks
Football: More than a Game (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh

Football: More than a Game (Coursera)

Explore the world of football (soccer), the money, the rivalries, the trends, the past, the present, the men’s game, the women's game and the real issues. Whether you love it, hate it or try to ignore it – join us as we go behind the scenes to examine why football is more than just a game.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Data Visualization for Genome Biology (Coursera) Coursera
University of Toronto

Data Visualization for Genome Biology (Coursera)

The past decade has seen a vast increase in the amount of data available to biologists, driven by the dramatic decrease in cost and concomitant rise in throughput of various next-generation sequencing technologies, such that a project unimaginable 10 years ago was recently proposed, the Earth BioGenomes Project, which aims to sequence the genomes of all eukaryotic species on the planet within the next 10 years. So while data are no longer limiting, accessing and interpreting those data has become a bottleneck. One important aspect of interpreting data is data visualization. This course introduces theoretical topics in data visualization through mini-lectures, and applied aspects in the form of hands-on labs.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado Boulder

Frozen in the Ice: Exploring the Arctic (Coursera)

Why would hundreds of scientists from around the world intentionally freeze a ship in Arctic sea ice for an entire year, braving subzero temperatures and months of polar darkness? This may sound like a fictional adventure movie plot, but from September 2019 through October 2020, the MOSAiC (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) Arctic research expedition did just this.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Precision Medicine (Coursera) Coursera
University of Geneva

Precision Medicine (Coursera)

This course will provide you with the key knowledge and tools to understand the fundamentals and practical implications of precision medicine, its opportunities and challenges. It will address precision-medicine era diagnostics, treatment selection, genetic counseling, public health interventions, and biomedical research. It will also deal with data science and ethical issues. From genomic analysis and genetic counseling to cancer biomarkers, from risk assessment of chronic diseases to the understanding of gene-environment interactions, from pharmacogenomics to multi-omics data integration, experts will walk you through the many aspects of precision medicine, from the bench to the bedside and to population health.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases (Coursera) Coursera
IBM

SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases (Coursera)

Much of the world's data lives in databases. SQL (or Structured Query Language) is a powerful programming language that is used for communicating with and manipulating data in databases. A working knowledge of databases and SQL is a must for anyone who wants to start a career in Data Engineering, Data Warehousing, Data Analytics, Data Science or Business Intelligence. The purpose of this course is to help you learn and apply foundational and intermediate knowledge of the SQL language, and become familiar with many relational database (RDBMS) concepts along the way.

Sep 21st 2026
5-12 Weeks
Gestión del análisis de datos (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

Gestión del análisis de datos (Coursera)

This one-week course describes the process of analyzing data and how to manage that process. We describe the iterative nature of data analysis and the role of stating a sharp question, exploratory data analysis, inference, formal statistical modeling, interpretation, and communication. In addition, we will describe how to direct analytic activities within a team and to drive the data analysis process towards coherent and useful results.

Sep 21st 2026
1 Week
Fundamentos de Excel para Negocios (Coursera) Coursera
Universidad Austral

Fundamentos de Excel para Negocios (Coursera)

Cuando finalices este curso habrás logrado un gran número de habilidades como introducir información, ordenarla, manipularla, realizar cálculos de diversa índole (matemáticos, trigonométricos, estadísticos, financieros, ingenieriles, probabilísticos), extraer conclusiones, trabajar con fechas y horas, construir gráficos, imprimir reportes y muchas más.

Sep 14th 2026
5-12 Weeks