Results of the Joint AAPOR/WAPOR Task Force on Quality in Comparative Surveys |
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| Session Organisers | Ms Julie de Jong (University of Michigan) Professor Timothy Johnson (University of Illinois, Chicago) Dr Michael Robbins (Princeton University) Professor Elizabeth Zechmeister (Vanderbilt University, LAPOP) Ms Mandy Sha (Cross-Cultural and Multilingual Research Affinity Group) Dr Zeina Mneimneh (University of Michigan) |
| Time | Friday 23 July, 13:15 - 14:45 |
Multinational, multiregional, and multicultural (3MC) surveys, also called comparative surveys, are deliberately designed with the goal of achieving comparability across more than one population. In recent decades, 3MC surveys have increased substantially in number and geographic spread. As most large societies have cultural and linguistic minorities, many of which continue to grow in their diversity, 3MC issues are also increasingly relevant to single-country multicultural and multiregional survey research. The potential impact on decision-making and knowledge of the data collected in 3MC surveys is perhaps more significant than ever. However, this growth does not come without challenges. 3MC surveys are much more complicated than most single-population surveys and the problems associated with their planning and implementation tend to overshadow quality management and quality assessment activities. Furthermore, comparative surveys are conducted in different disciplines with different research traditions, including social surveys, assessment surveys with psychometric components, marketing surveys, and official statistics, hindering opportunities for advancement in improvements to data quality. In this context, a Task Force on Quality in Comparative Surveys was approved by both AAPOR and WAPOR in 2018 to promote dialogue and collaboration among people from different organizations involved in 3MC survey research with the goal of identifying the most pressing problems concerning data quality and recommending priorities for future research and collaboration.
This panel covers essential background on 3MC survey research including conceptual challenges of defining and assessing comparability, specific error sources, and prevailing challenges associated with these surveys and reviews the process of the Task Force. Most important, the panel will present the overall Task Force findings and its recommendations, among which is the call for 3MC survey research to be established as a discipline of its own. Ample time will be allotted for discussion with and to ask questions of the Task Force members in attendance.