Archaeology & the Media
ANT 435
Spring 2009

Guidelines for Public Questionnaire

Your Final Project is a Survey Questionnaire & Response Project worth up to 100 pts.
The questionnaire is composed of two parts - a Statement of Purpose that describes why you are conducting the survey and up to ten total survey questions.  Pick two people you have never met, read the Statement of Purpose, ask each question and record the responses.  Type up the questions you asked and the responses you were given to hand in to Professor Simmons.  The last section of your final project should include the questions below and the responses, as well as a written summary between 2-4 pages in length.  Be sure to answer the following: What did you find most interesting about the responses you were given to your questions?  Why?  What kinds of informal dialogue about archaeology took place between you and your respondents?  Finally, be sure to tell me why you chose to ask the survey questions you did.

Below you are provided with six (6) of the eight to ten (8-10) questions that you will ask each of your two respondents.  Two (or more – see below) of the eight questions you will create yourself.  Bring your clipboard and a pencil, pick a place (River Walk,  Independence Mall, Hugh McRae Park, etc), and ask questions designed to help you understand public perceptions about archaeology.  What Wilmingtonians say about archaeology may or may not surprise you – find out!

Statement of Purpose

Hi, my name is                                          and I’m an Anthropology student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.  I’m conducting a brief survey for a class project and I was wondering if you had a moment to answer a few questions related to archaeology.  Your answers are completely confidential and will be used to look at trends in how the general public perceives the field of archaeology.
 

Survey Questions

1).  What do you think of, or what comes to mind, when you hear the word archaeology?

2).  What do archaeologists do in their work?

3).  How old are the oldest things archaeologists study?

4).  Where have you have learned about archaeology?

5).  In your opinion, should students learn about archaeology and how archaeologists work as a regular part of their school curriculum?

6).  What interests you personally about archaeology?

7).  Your question 

8).  Your question

9) & 10)?  Your questions.  Extra credit will be given if you come up with extra questions!
 

    The first six questions are taken from the Society for American Archaeology publication Exploring Public Perceptions and Attitudes about Archaeology by Maria Ramos and David Duganne (2000)

Your final project is due no later than 4:00 pm on Tuesday April 14, 2009.