ESRA 2027 sessions by theme

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Session Details

This session repeats the “debating chamber” session that was included in ESRA 2025. It provides a forum for the community to debate some of the big strategic questions of the day and gives debaters the opportunity to introduce potentially controversial topics for debate.

This session encourages future, strategic thinking rather than specific project-based presentations. The session encourages early career researchers to participate using an online tool (Slido.com) to manage audience questions.

Lead debaters will speak to one question with a 5-minute presentation. Lead debaters will need to demonstrate that they have suitable knowledge and experience to be able to speak to the subject strategically. There will then be around 25-30 minutes for a full audience discussion. The session will include three strategic questions from three separate lead debaters.

As a starting point we suggest the following example topics that are framed around the main categories for the conference. Some topics may be more suitable for a two-speaker approach (each taking one side of the debate), but we would also accept a one speaker approach:
• Survey methodology and survey practice – is there any need for interviewer follow up modes for non-response to online-first surveys?
• Survey statistics – can new forms of data really be used for population-size estimation and maintain quality?
• Inclusive data collection and analysis in survey research – is it ethical to use differential incentives on surveys?
• Data governance – how long does that privacy statement to respondents actually need to be? Shouldn’t we be highlighting the benefits of taking part rather than over emphasising the possible negatives?
• Artificial intelligence and automated methods in survey research – Do we have a respondent safeguarding issue if we’re using AI as conversational survey agents?