Analyzing interaction between interviewers and sample members to better understand survey participation and data quality |
|
| Coordinator 1 | Mrs P. Linh Nguyen (University of Essex / University of Mannheim) |
| Coordinator 2 | Mrs Yfke Ongena (University of Groningen) |
| Coordinator 3 | Mr Frederick Conrad (University of Michigan) |
Since Charles Cannell and his colleagues introduced behavior coding to the methodology tool chest in the 1960s, survey researchers have examined the details of interaction to understand sample members’ decision to participate in surveys, how respondents develop rapport with interviewers, how respondents’ negotiate question understanding with interviewers, how they exhibit uncertainty about question meaning and how interviewers react, and so on.
This ESRA session continues this line of research. Thus, we welcome papers that investigate interaction in survey invitations and data collection in traditional interview modes (face-to-face and telephone) as well as interaction with the user interface in self-administered, automated modes (web surveys, SMS/text messaging).
Studies of interaction for pretesting questionnaires, improving response rates, identifying the origins of and reducing measurement error are all within scope for this session. We are particularly interested in studies that connect interaction to the Total Survey Error framework.