ESRA 2027 sessions by theme

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Session Details

Computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) have traditionally played an important role in labor market research, but their use has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Declining response rates, selective nonresponse bias, difficulties in obtaining representative samples, and rising fieldwork costs have led many surveys to consider web-based or mixed-mode designs (CAWI) as appropriate alternatives. However, moving from CATI to CAWI – or combining different modes of data collection – does not necessarily solve these problems and may introduce new methodological challenges. Web surveys may be affected by differences in digital access and participation, selective nonresponse, respondent engagement, or need of shorter surveys. Mixed-mode designs additionally raise questions about mode effects, measurement equivalence, the comparability of responses across modes, and the optimal sequencing and combination of different data collection modes. More generally, the transition from CATI to CAWI requires careful consideration of the trade-offs between data quality, representativeness, costs, and fieldwork efficiency.

This session aims to bring together researchers working on the methodological and practical implications of changing survey modes in labor market research. Contributions may address, but are not limited to:
• comparative studies of CATI, CAWI, and/or mixed-mode survey designs;
• analyses of coverage, response rates, nonresponse bias, or sample composition across survey modes;
• studies of mode effects and measurement equivalence;
• evaluations of data quality and respondent behavior across modes;
• analyses of fieldwork efficiency, survey costs, and cost-quality trade-offs;
• methodological approaches to designing and sequencing mixed-mode surveys;
• best-practice examples and lessons learned from surveys that have transitioned from CATI to CAWI or mixed-mode designs;
• innovative approaches to reaching specific or hard-to-reach groups in labor market surveys.

The call for papers primarily invites contributions based on labor market research; studies that allow for comparisons with other surveys are also welcome.