Improving Survey Methods Lessons from Recent Research European Association of Methodology Series

This state-of-the-art volume provides insight into the recent developments in survey research. It covers topics like: survey modes and response effects, bio indicators and paradata, interviewer and survey error, mixed-mode panels, sensitive questions, conducting web surveys and access panels, coping with non-response, and handling missing data. The authors are leading scientists in the field, and discuss the latest methods and challenges with respect to these topics.

Each of the book?s eight parts starts with a brief chapter that provides an historical context along with an overview of today?s most critical survey methods. Chapters in the sections focus on research applications in practice and discuss results from field studies. As such, the book will help researchers design surveys according to today?s best practices.

The book?s website www.survey-methodology.de provides additional information, statistical analyses, tables and figures.

An indispensable reference for practicing researchers and methodologists or any professional who uses surveys in their work, this book also serves as a supplement for graduate or upper level-undergraduate courses on survey methods taught in psychology, sociology, education, economics, and business. Although the book focuses on European findings, all of the research is discussed with reference to the entire survey-methodology area, including the US. As such, the insights in this book will apply to surveys conducted around the world.

1. Improving survey methods: General Introduction U. Engel, B. Jann, P. Lynn, A. Scherpenzeel, P. Sturgis Survey modes and response effects 2. Survey modes and response effects: Overview and introduction U. Engel 3. Survey mode and mode effects E.D. De Leeuw, J.J. Hox 4. Response effects and the cognitive involvement in answering survey questions U. Engel, B. Koester 5. Telephone surveys using mobile phones B. Busse, M. Fuchs Interviewers and survey error 6. Interviewers and survey error: Overview and introduction P. Sturgis 7. Can interviewer personality, attitudes and experience explain the design effect in face-to-face surveys? G. Turner, P. Sturgis, D. Martin, C. Skinner 8. Interviewers’ falsifications in face-to-face surveys – Impact, reasons, detection and prevention N. Menolds, P. Winker, N. Storfinger, S. Bredl Asking sensitive questions 9. Asking sensitive questions: Overview and introduction B. Jann 10. A new randomizing device for the RRT using Benford’s Law: An application in an online survey A. Diekmann, M. Hoeglinger 11. Asking sensitive questions: A critical account of the Randomized Response Technique and related methods I. Krumpal, B. Jann, K. Auspurg, H. von Hermanni 12. The factorial survey as a method for measuring sensitive issues K. Auspurg, T. Hinz, S. Liebig, C. SauerConducting web surveys 13. Conducting web surveys: Overview and introduction L. Kaczmirek 14. Web Surveys in official statistics J. Bethlehem 15. e-Social Science perspective on survey process: Towards an integrated web questionnaire development platform V. Vehovar, A. Petrovčič, A. Slavec 16. Evaluating cross-national item equivalence with probing questions in web surveys M. Braun, D. Behr, L. Kaczmirek, W. BandillaConducting access panels 17. Conducting access panels: Overview and introduction U. Engel, A. Scherpenzeel 18. Response behavior in an adaptive survey design for the setting-up stage of a probability-based access panel in Germany U. Engel 19. Survey participation in a probability-based internet panel in the Netherlands A. Scherpenzeel 20. The access panel of German Official Statistics as a selection frame U. Rendtel, B. Amarov 21. Accuracy of estimates in access panel based surveys T. Enderle, R. MuennichSurveys - Expanding the horizon 22. Surveys - Expanding the horizon: Overview and introduction R. Schnell 23. Linking surveys and administrative data R. Schnell 24. Enhancing surveys with objective measurement and observe ratings R. Schnell 25. The use of paradata F. Kreuter Coping with nonresponse 26. Coping with nonresponse: Overview and introduction P. Lynn 27. Targeted response inducement strategies on longitudinal surveys P. Lynn 28. Incentive Effects A. Goeritz 29. Nonresponse in comparative studies: Enhancing response rates and detecting and minimizing nonresponse bias I. Stoop Handling missing data 30. Handling missing data: Overview and Introduction M. Spiess 31. A split questionnaire survey design for data with block structure correlation matrix S. Bahrami, C. Assmann, F. Meinfelder, S. Raessler 32. Multiple imputation of multilevel count data K. Kleinke, J. Reinecke 33. Robust multiple imputation R. de Jong, M. Spiess

Uwe Engel is Professor of Sociology at the University of Bremen, Germany.

Ben Jann is Associate Professor for Sociology at the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Peter Lynn is Professor of Survey Methodology at the University of Essex, UK.

Annette Scherpenzeel is the cohort manager of the Consortium of Individual Development at Utrecht University, the Netherlands.

Patrick Sturgis is Professor of Research Methodology at the University of Southampton, UK.