This questionnaire has been designed to find out what your interests in empirical studies are and your difficulties in dealing with its methodology. We hope the results of this research will turn into suggestions for the teaching of literature and cultural studies. The data will be treated statistically and anonymity will be kept. So, please be as frank as possible. Before you start, we would like to thank you for your cooperation.

1. How did you first get to know empirical studies?

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2. What is your interest in doing empirical research?

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3. Why do you think empirical studies are necessary?

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4. Based on your previous experience with literature teachers, make a list of the main problems you find in Literature teaching. Please rate these problems on a scale from 1 to 5 most serious problem (5) to the least serious problem (1).

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5. Tick number in the following box which corresponds to your opinion on the reasons that made you study Literature:

(does not hold true at all = 1 to holds true fully = 5; please always make a cross)

I am interested in the history of literature	1 2 3 4 5
I am interested in literature in general	1 2 3 4 5
I wanted to increase my communicative abilities	1 2 3 4 5
I wanted to get a rounded education	1 2 3 4 5
I saw friends, teachers, parents as role models	1 2 3 4 5
I could not get a place in the discipline I wanted to study first	1 2 3 4 5
I am interested in writing	1 2 3 4 5
I was interested in going beyond the meaning of texts	1 2 3 4 5
I was Interested in the literary processing of psychological, philosophical or political questions	1 2 3 4 5
I am fond of reading	1 2 3 4 5
I like to deal with language structures and grammar	1 2 3 4 5
I knew I would have a good job prospects outside university	1 2 3 4 5
Other reasons:......................................................................................	1 2 3 4 5
..............................................................................................................	1 2 3 4 5

6. Please fill in three different sorts of texts which you like to read most frequently

(a) .......................................................................................................

(b) .......................................................................................................

(c) .......................................................................................................

For each text type you mentioned in 6 above, please rate why you like reading it.

6a. I like reading .................................. (please fill in the text type),

(does not hold true at all = 1 to holds true fully = 5; please always make a cross)

To gain insight in thoughts and actions of other people	1 2 3 4 5
To relax	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can identify with the description	1 2 3 4 5
Because it is important for my all-round education	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get help for my personal problems	1 2 3 4 5
Because I like to be captivated by texts	1 2 3 4 5
Because the described things could have happened in reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get new ideas and suggestions	1 2 3 4 5
To entertain myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can deal with problems in my mind without having direct consequences for myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can use my imagination	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am fond of the style of language [linguistic forms of expression]	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can get new information	1 2 3 4 5
Because it adds to my personal development	1 2 3 4 5
Because this reading has nothing to do with reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I want to be able to join in the conversation about this reading	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am challenged intellectually	1 2 3 4 5
In order to deal with questions concerning the conception of the world	1 2 3 4 5
Further reasons:.....................................................................................................	1 2 3 4 5

6b. I like reading .................................. (please fill in the text category),
(does not hold true at all = 1 to holds true fully = 5; please always make a cross)

To gain insight in thoughts and actions of other people	1 2 3 4 5
To relax	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can identify with the description	1 2 3 4 5
Because it is important for my all-round education	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get help for my personal problems	1 2 3 4 5
Because I like to be captivated by texts	1 2 3 4 5
Because the described things could have happened in reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get new ideas and suggestions	1 2 3 4 5
To entertain myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can deal with problems in my mind without having direct consequences for myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can use my imagination	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am fond of the style of language [linguistic forms of expression]	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can get new information	1 2 3 4 5
Because it adds to my personal development	1 2 3 4 5
Because they have nothing to do with reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I want to be able to join in the conversation	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am challenged intellectually	1 2 3 4 5
In order to deal with questions concerning the conception of the world	1 2 3 4 5
Further reasons: .................................................................................................	1 2 3 4 5

6c. I like reading .................................. (please fill in the text type),
(does not hold true at all = 1 to holds true fully = 5; please always make a cross)

To gain insight in thoughts and actions of other people	1 2 3 4 5
To relax	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can identify with the description	1 2 3 4 5
Because it is important for my all-round education	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get help for my personal problems	1 2 3 4 5
Because I like to be captivated by texts	1 2 3 4 5
Because the described things could have happened in reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I get new ideas and suggestions	1 2 3 4 5
To entertain myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can deal with problems in my mind without having direct consequences for myself	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can use my imagination	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am fond of the style of language [linguistic forms of expression]	1 2 3 4 5
Because I can get new information	1 2 3 4 5
Because it adds to my personal development	1 2 3 4 5
Because they have nothing to do with reality	1 2 3 4 5
Because I want to be able to join in the conversation	1 2 3 4 5
Because I am challenged intellectually	1 2 3 4 5
In order to deal with questions concerning the conception of the world	1 2 3 4 5
Further reasons:.....................................................................................................	1 2 3 4 5

7. We are trying to find out the main problems humanities students and scholars find in when doing empirical research. Please rate the following statements according to whether you agree or not with them (does not hold true at all = 1 to holds true fully = 5; please always make a cross)

I have problems in finding labs and instruments	1 2 3 4 5
I can never find enough participants	1 2 3 4 5
You never know whether respondents are being honest	1 2 3 4 5
Participants do not answer questionnaires properly	1 2 3 4 5
After collecting the data, I realise the questionnaire or experiment had many problems	1 2 3 4 5
I do not know where my data will lead me to	1 2 3 4 5
I hate numbers.	1 2 3 4 5
I feel I have to create my own categories each time I conduct a study	1 2 3 4 5
It is hard to find a theoretical framework for my study.	1 2 3 4 5
Statistics is a completely different area and I can’t understand it	1 2 3 4 5
I find that empirical studies deal with culture superficially, without doing justice to its richness and depth.	1 2 3 4 5
I find it difficult to measure aspects of the cultural world.	1 2 3 4 5
I cannot see how I could develop historical studies since empirical studies are concerned only with present-day people.	1 2 3 4 5
Empirical studies are a-theoretical.	1 2 3 4 5
I feel that if I manipulate situations, I am not dealing with real settings.	1 2 3 4 5
I don’t think empirical studies can describe humanistic disciplines, which are subjective in nature.	1 2 3 4 5
I think that empirical methods fail in offering absolute certainties.	1 2 3 4 5
Interpreting data can never be objective anyway	1 2 3 4 5
Objectivity and impartiality are unattainable ideals	1 2 3 4 5
It is difficult to measure attitudes of readers	1 2 3 4 5
You cannot borrow methods from natural sciences to study human culture	1 2 3 4 5
Much empirical work simply confirms what everyone knew all the time	1 2 3 4 5
Empirical studies negate the uniqueness of each individual and thereby cannot account for the endless variation between people	1 2 3 4 5
You cannot generalize when it comes to people’s behavior	1 2 3 4 5
Sometimes I see that there are too many variables involved in my study so I cannot show the real effects of exposure	1 2 3 4 5
I don’t think I could replicate my study	1 2 3 4 5
Sometimes I feel I am just generating numbers and not explaining anything	1 2 3 4 5
Further reasons:.....................................................................................................	2 3 4 5

8. Please list the main strengths you find in empirical studies:

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9. Indicate three theoretical books that have made a difference in your academic development.

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10. Please indicate what is most needed for students of empirical studies.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION