ESRA 2027 sessions by theme
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From Methodological Innovation to Survey Operations: Challenges and Solutions in Survey Practice |
| Coordinator 1 | Dr Jennifer Weitz (infas Institute for Applied Social Science) |
| Coordinator 2 | Mr Michael Ruland (infas Institute for Applied Social Science) |
| Coordinator 3 | Mrs Katharina Sandbrink (infas Institute for Applied Social Science) |
Session Details
Increasing fieldwork costs, budget constraints, declining response rates and continuing high expectations regarding data quality have changed how surveys are designed and conducted. Surveys have become more complex and predominantly involve mixed-mode and adaptive designs, advanced sampling approaches, tailored contact and incentive strategies. Surveys must simultaneously meet demands for speed, flexibility, and cost-efficiency. Successfully addressing these developments requires close collaboration between academic institutions and survey operations. Methodological innovations can only be implemented effectively if they are translated into efficient operational processes and supported by a suitable technical and organizational infrastructures. This applies to all stages of survey administration.
The aim of this session is to discuss current challenges, innovations, and practical solutions in survey practice and survey research. We would therefore like to investigate how methodological findings can be translated into survey operations, and how practical experience informs further methodological development.
We invite submissions of research that provide insights into survey administration, focusing on implementation of mixed-mode designs, sample management, barriers accessing questionnaires, invitation and reminder strategies, support and feedback processes for respondents, interviewer management, panel maintenance and respondent tracking. We encourage participants to share both positive and negative research experiences.
