View Full Version : 60 hikers away from graduation
FallGirl
03-11-2008, 10:54
Good morning everyone! I am reposting this thread as a last reminder to Whiteblaze members who may want to help a fellow AT enthusiast graduate. I have also asked several of the participating clubs to send out last reminders to their memberships. I need your help; I need 60 more hikers to take the survey I created in order to reach the response rate needed. As of this morning, 320 AT hikers had taken the survey; however, for generalizability, 380 hiker responses are needed. I was hoping to have 380 surveys this week so I may present this April (and graduate in May)!!! I would really like to be on the trail for a good chunk of this summer instead of in school, so if you have not yet taken the survey I would really, really appreciate ten minutes of your time!!! Plus, the information you provide I hope will be very useful to participating trail maintaining clubs and the ATC; both of which are expecting the results. I will also post the result on Whiteblaze (in case any of you are curious). Information about the survey and the survey link are below. For those of you who have already taken the survey, thanks again.
SURVEY INTRODUCTION (Previously Posted)
Good day. My name is Barbara Freidt; I am currently working on my thesis at Old Dominion University. Because I am very passionate about both hiking and the AT, I decided to research the user motivations, benefits, and trail preferences of day, overnight, section, thru and multi-use hikers in order to gather information useful to AT maintaining clubs and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). Currently, little academic research on these topics exists. Ten trail clubs have already participated in the study and five more have agreed to do so at a later date. I am posting the link to the survey on whiteblaze because I would like to ensure that both the voices of hikers who are not trail club members and the voices of thru-hikers are represented in the results of the study. Information gathered will be shared with AT maintaining clubs and the ATC with the hope that it will be useful in both better understanding current AT users as well as in acquiring funding for continued maintenance of the AT footpath and preservation and protection of its surrounding corridor lands. The survey only takes about 10-15 minutes and requires no contact information. If you would be interested in participating in this study, please click on the link. The link for the survey is: https://periwinkle.ts.odu.edu/surveys/PWXZAR/ (https://periwinkle.ts.odu.edu/surveys/PWXZAR/)
Done
Just floating your thread back to the top.
Cheers
eric_plano
03-11-2008, 11:52
Done :)
Have you thought of posting your link on other AT sites (e.g. AT-L, Trailforums?)
dixicritter
03-11-2008, 12:30
I'll post it over at HikingHQ too. :)
swellbill
03-11-2008, 13:33
Done...
gsingjane
03-11-2008, 15:05
You only want to hear from thru-hikers, correct?
Jane
The survey ask for all types, day, overnighter, section, thrus
Good morning everyone! I am reposting this thread as a last reminder to Whiteblaze members who may want to help a fellow AT enthusiast graduate. I have also asked several of the participating clubs to send out last reminders to their memberships. I need your help; I need 60 more hikers to take the survey I created in order to reach the response rate needed. As of this morning, 320 AT hikers had taken the survey; however, for generalizability, 380 hiker responses are needed. I was hoping to have 380 surveys this week so I may present this April (and graduate in May)!!! I would really like to be on the trail for a good chunk of this summer instead of in school, so if you have not yet taken the survey I would really, really appreciate ten minutes of your time!!! Plus, the information you provide I hope will be very useful to participating trail maintaining clubs and the ATC; both of which are expecting the results. I will also post the result on Whiteblaze (in case any of you are curious). Information about the survey and the survey link are below. For those of you who have already taken the survey, thanks again.
SURVEY INTRODUCTION (Previously Posted)
Good day. My name is Barbara Freidt; I am currently working on my thesis at Old Dominion University. Because I am very passionate about both hiking and the AT, I decided to research the user motivations, benefits, and trail preferences of day, overnight, section, thru and multi-use hikers in order to gather information useful to AT maintaining clubs and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). Currently, little academic research on these topics exists. Ten trail clubs have already participated in the study and five more have agreed to do so at a later date. I am posting the link to the survey on whiteblaze because I would like to ensure that both the voices of hikers who are not trail club members and the voices of thru-hikers are represented in the results of the study. Information gathered will be shared with AT maintaining clubs and the ATC with the hope that it will be useful in both better understanding current AT users as well as in acquiring funding for continued maintenance of the AT footpath and preservation and protection of its surrounding corridor lands. The survey only takes about 10-15 minutes and requires no contact information. If you would be interested in participating in this study, please click on the link. The link for the survey is: https://periwinkle.ts.odu.edu/surveys/PWXZAR/ (https://periwinkle.ts.odu.edu/surveys/PWXZAR/)
This is an excellent survey. White Blaze members conducting polls especially should participate. It will provide ideas about how to post a good poll.
Weary
Furlough
03-11-2008, 15:49
Hello Fall Girl,
I sent your post with link to a couple of other family members, so hopefully you'll get a couple of more hits. So, I guess this is how you are spending break. Good luck on getting your "60".
Furlough
FallGirl
03-11-2008, 17:06
Done
Just floating your thread back to the top.
Cheers
You have no idea how hard this made me laugh. Seriously funny. And, seriously awesome. :rolleyes:
The survey ask for all types, day, overnighter, section, thrus
Thanks for fielding the questions...I was out trying to convince myself I'm ready for my first marathon--this Sunday. :eek:.
Hello Fall Girl,
I sent your post with link to a couple of other family members, so hopefully you'll get a couple of more hits. So, I guess this is how you are spending break. Good luck on getting your "60".
Furlough
First, thank you soooo much. And, yes, it is spring break!!! And, yes, it is ALL thesis. :D
Have you thought of posting your link on other AT sites (e.g. AT-L, Trailforums?)
I greatly appreciate the suggestions. The process for this is a little lengthy (I have to get approval from my thesis committee chair, approval from the organization/website leader prior to "publishing" information about the survey, plus some additionally information about each site). As this is the end of my data collection period, it may be a little too late for that. However, assuming the survey has 380 respondents this week, my thesis chair and I had discussed leaving the link up for awhile longer and running a second analysis of the data post graduation :). This would enable me to gather information for publication; a publication would be great for me professionally. If the link is left up for longer, I will pursue "publishing" on all of the sites suggested. I really appreciate the suggestions. Additionally, another graduate student is considering duplicating this study for the PCT hiking population. If he follows through with this, I will be sure that he has these suggestions from the beginning.
Thank you all again for making the time to help out; I really appreciate it!
Can we get a count down on the numbers needed?
FallGirl
03-11-2008, 17:31
Can we get a count down on the numbers needed?
I am dying to monitor the countdown too!!! If I had access, I would be glued to my computer. Unfortunately, I do not have the ability to monitor the survey responses. Otherwise, I would be glad to give you the play by play (I do a great Madden impersonation:cool:).
I'll do my best to provide, though. I will request another update from Dr. Branch first thing tomorrow; he has been great about my insatiable curiosity so far. I promise I'll let you all know something as soon as I do. Thanks again.
Darwin again
03-11-2008, 23:08
Just took the survey!
Ramble~On
03-12-2008, 01:50
It would be great if you'd post the results.
Some of the questions you ask have been asked here in threads and polls.
Rockjock
03-12-2008, 08:34
Done, bouncing to the top
rockjock
I took the survey last night - remembering how hard I tried to finish up my Master's... :)
The link has also been posted to the Cumberland Valley AT Club web site; forwarded twice to Susquehanna AT Club members; and even forwarded to the Finger Lakes Trail e-mail list; just in what I've seen.
Best of luck!
orangebug
03-12-2008, 22:12
Did it last night.
Bumped to the top again.
FallGirl
03-12-2008, 23:01
I cannot tell you all how much I was hoping to hit 380. I was really, really nervous that the survey was not going to get the response rate needed. I had the Rocky theme song (eye of a tiger) playing over and over in my head all day. It's amazing but that song never gets old. Anyway, I was really focused on just getting to 380.
Forget 380, though. Would you believe the survey count is up to 480?!!! Mind boggling, but true. 480, with 33 in-progress!!! Wow. The hiking community has really pulled through for me. I love you guys!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I cannot believe there were 160 respondents in the last day and a half. I did some crazy dance moves when I heard, "480." Apparently, my spontaneous dance is quite comical. I'm sorry not to have recorded it, but--trust me--several people found it not just laughable...but snort and chortling funny. Seriously, though, today was awesome--like getting to the top of a mountain just in time to see the sunset, my idea of a fantastic day. Thanks everyone!!!
Lastly, to answer a prior post, I will put the results on whiteblaze. I plan on spending all of the next two weeks analyzing the data and writing up the findings. I hope to have my thesis approved in April, which means I should be able to publish the results at the beginning of May. I apologize for the wait, but I promise to get the results to you all as soon as possible. :D:D:D Thanks again!!!!!
Monkeyboy
03-12-2008, 23:04
I was number 381!!!
FallGirl
03-12-2008, 23:07
I was number 381!!!
Then, you are especially awesome. Thanks for putting me over the top!!!
Whiskyjo
03-13-2008, 00:09
Just finished so its 59 needed , also for dail up slow putters it takes fiftyfive minutes.
Furlough
03-13-2008, 12:15
Forget 380, though. Would you believe the survey count is up to 480?!!! Mind boggling, but true. 480, with 33 in-progress!!! Wow. The hiking community has really pulled through for me. I love you guys!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I cannot believe there were 160 respondents in the last day and a half. I did some crazy dance moves when I heard, "480." Apparently, my spontaneous dance is quite comical. I'm sorry not to have recorded it, but--trust me--several people found it not just laughable...but snort and chortling funny.
Lastly, to answer a prior post, I will put the results on whiteblaze. :D:D:D Thanks again!!!!!
I think to be fair along - with the results you should post a link to You tube with your Spontaneous Dance Performance.:)
But seriousily - Glad to see you got the required responses and good luck with the the data analysis and findings writing.
Furlough
Lastly, to answer a prior post, I will put the results on whiteblaze.
Maybe the results can be posted as an article. That way it's archived and easy to find. Contact ATTroll
LIhikers
03-13-2008, 17:03
poll taken