IELTS Examiners: Participate in Research Here

Ben Naismith is an ELT colleague I’ve enjoyed interacting with online and (all too infrequently) face-to-face over several years. Ben’s been all over the shop – he’s one of those ELT Swiss army knives doing many things and doing them all well.

Right now Ben is doing very interesting dissertation research at the University of Pittsburg. This post is me just helping spread the word to potential participants in my network, and I thank you for the click and consideration!

So, if you are a current or former IELTS examiner, please read on. As well, if you are not an IELTS examiner but have friends or colleagues who are, please share onwards. Thank you! 🙂

Message from Ben to Potential Participants:

Dear IELTS examiner,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request your participation in my dissertation research by completing an online questionnaire.

The purpose of this research study is to determine which quantitative features of writing correspond to expert assessors’ ratings. For that reason, you have been asked to complete this survey based on your own assessment expertise as either a current or former IELTS writing examiner.

If you are willing to participate, in Part 1 you will rate three learner essays and provide reasons for your ratings. In Part 2, you will be asked background information questions (e.g., about your teaching experience and education). In total, the survey should take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Please complete the survey on a computer rather than a mobile device. There are no foreseeable risks associated with this project, nor are there any direct benefits to you, and you will not receive any payment for participation. All responses are confidential, and results will be kept under lock and key. It is optional whether or not you provide your name. Participant names will only be used to ensure that there are no duplicate submissions. Your participation is voluntary, and you may withdraw from this project at any time.
Here is the link to the survey: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cYCXODEEMESPYGy

If you have any questions, please email me at bnaismith@pitt.edu, and I would be happy to answer them. In  addition, I would also ask that you share this request with any other current or former IELTS examiners in your professional network.

Thank you for your consideration,

Ben Naismith