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Survey Research Unit expands services

The College of Health Professions now offers state-of-the-art survey research support. 

Once a part of the Center for Health Care Research, the Survey Research Unit (SRU) has recently been re-established in the college’s Department of Health Administration and Policy. As before, the SRU offers a comprehensive range of survey services including design, administration and analysis. In addition, they now offer database design, construction and programming.

SRU’s director, James Zoller, Ph.D., is an experienced researcher who has directed survey research since 1992. But this opportunity represents a new challenge. 

“I am excited about developing this Survey Research Unit. The expanded database capability adds to our ability to support research and operations throughout the university,” said Zoller.

The SRU is experienced in a wide variety of survey techniques and methodologies. 

  • Population-based epidemiological telephone surveys using random digit dialing
  • Targeted subpopulation telephone surveys
  • Mail-out surveys
  • Employee and patient self-administered surveys
  • FAX surveys of medical professionals
  • Internet surveys of researchers and employees
  • E-mail surveys of personnel
Another unique service offered by the SRU is the Genesys Sampling System’s in-house Random Digit Dial (RDD) telephone sampling system. Genesys supports RDD telephone sampling for any geographic area down to the census tract level, including state, county, metropolitan statistical area, zip code and time zone. 

 The system also contains telephone exchange-level estimates for more than 48 demographic variables (e.g., age and income distributions), which can be used in conjunction with geographic definitions to produce truly unique geo-demographic sampling capabilities. 

The system, made up of several databases and sample generation algorithms, contains more than 48,000 residential telephone exchanges along with various descriptors of the geographic service area and demographic estimates of the population. 

Genesys also has allowed a more up-to-date and rapid generation of random telephone numbers for surveying.

Contact Zoller at 792-1531 or survey@musc.edu to obtain more information about the Survey Research Unit or to arrange for services.