ESRA 2027 sessions by theme

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In 2013, Michael Brick suggested that “Even after decades of research on nonresponse we remain woefully ignorant of the causes of nonresponse at a profound level.”* More than a decade later, is this still the case?

Research continues to document declining response rates across many surveys, yet important questions remain about why people participate, why particular groups do not, and which interventions are most effective in improving participation and representation.

This session invites papers examining the causes and consequences of survey nonresponse, with a particular focus on evidence about what works to improve participation among underrepresented populations. We welcome contributions that move beyond describing patterns of nonresponse to evaluating interventions, survey designs, and engagement strategies aimed at reaching groups that are less likely to participate.

The session will also explore how changes in survey design are reshaping the challenge of nonresponse. As many surveys move away from traditional face-to-face interviewing towards web-first, self-completion, and mixed-mode approaches, important questions arise about how these changes affect participation, coverage, representativeness, and data quality.

Topics may include behavioural drivers of participation, trust and survey climate, respondent-centred design, incentives, adaptive designs, survey mode and contact strategies, and evidence on reaching underrepresented populations.

The aim is to address four key questions: Who is underrepresented? Why? What interventions help? And how are evolving survey designs reshaping inclusion, participation, and representativeness?

* Brick, J. M., & Williams, D. (2013). Explaining Rising Nonresponse Rates in Cross-Sectional Surveys. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 645(1), 36–59.