Dr. John F. Edwards directs the Survey Research Laboratory (SRL) at the Social Science Research Center. The SRL conducts telephone, web, mail, and mixed mode surveys with respondent pools ranging from small targeted groups to large scale, probability-based, national samples of the general population. The survey projects cover a broad range of research topics such as healthcare, education, behavioral risk factors, children’s wellbeing, quality of life, consumer satisfaction, disaster response, and the state of the economy. For telephone-based surveys, Dr. Edwards manages a state-of-the-art call center with 30 interviewer stations and 70 employees. The laboratory utilizes a robust CATI (computer-assisted-telephone-interviewing) system and the data collection process is based on rigorous sampling methodology. The SRL’s client base includes: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, in addition to numerous NGOs, state level agencies, and private sector businesses. During his tenure as director of the SRL, Dr. Edwards has led the data collection efforts for over 300 research projects.

 

Dr. Edwards regularly collaborates with other scientists to continuously explore emerging datasets. Most recently, he has been involved in a number of interdisciplinary efforts to provide researchers with access to social media data as a source of public communications related to specific events or research topics. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Edwards has taught courses in Measurement and Evaluation, Behavioral Science Writing, and Personality Theory for the Educational Psychology Department at Mississippi State University.

 

Dr. Edwards received a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Loyola University in New Orleans, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of New Orleans, a Master’s degree in Experimental Psychology from Mississippi State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology from Mississippi State University.

ORCID iD iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8433-0223