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Response Rates in the European Social Survey: Increasing, Decreasing, or a Matter of Fieldwork Efforts?
[journal article]
Abstract Response rates are declining increasing the risk of nonresponse error. The reasons for this
decline are multiple: the rise of online surveys, mobile phones, and information requests,
societal changes, greater awareness of privacy issues, etc. To combat this decline, fieldwork
efforts have become ... view more
Response rates are declining increasing the risk of nonresponse error. The reasons for this
decline are multiple: the rise of online surveys, mobile phones, and information requests,
societal changes, greater awareness of privacy issues, etc. To combat this decline, fieldwork
efforts have become increasingly intensive: widespread use of respondent incentives,
advance letters, and an increased number of contact attempts. In addition, complex fieldwork
strategies such as adaptive call scheduling or responsive designs have been implemented.
The additional efforts to counterbalance nonresponse complicate the measurement of the
increased difficulty of contacting potential respondents and convincing them to cooperate.
To observe developments in response rates we use the first seven rounds of the European
Social Survey, a biennial face-to-face survey. Despite some changes to the fieldwork efforts in
some countries (choice of survey agency, available sample frame, incentives, number of
contact attempts), many characteristics have been stable: effective sample size, (contact and)
survey mode, and questionnaire design. To control for the different country composition in
different rounds, we use a multilevel model with countries as level 2 units and response rates
in each country-year combination as level 1 units. The results show a declining trend,
although only round 7 has a significant negative effect.... view less
Keywords
field research; interview; response behavior; research planning; survey research; data capture; trend
Classification
Methods and Techniques of Data Collection and Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Computer Methods
Free Keywords
fieldwork effort; Response rate trend; European Social Survey; ESS
Document language
English
Publication Year
2018
Page/Pages
p. 1-12
Journal
Survey Methods: Insights from the Field (2018)
ISSN
2296-4754
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed