Speaker: Jo d’Ardenne, NatCen Social Research
Abstract
Up until Round 10 (2020-22) of the European Social Survey (ESS), data was always collected from face-to-face interviews.
As a result of measures implemented to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, self-completion methods were allowed for the first time.
Ahead of fieldwork, the ESS - in partnership with NatCen and CentERdata - developed a prototype electronic questionnaire device (EQD) - a tablet preloaded with a self-completion questionnaire.
This allowed the ESS, NatCen and CentERdata to trial whether the device could be used as a supplementary mode of data collection alongside a push-to-web survey.
In particular, its implementation explored whether the technology could be used by independently households with no internet collection and/or by respondents with little or no experience of using smartphones or tablets.
This presentation will showcase how the EQD was developed and tested.
Jo d’Ardenne (NatCen Social Research) will summarise the findings from usability testing, including how they attempted to make the EQD more accessible for the target audience.
Jo will then describe findings from an acceptability test, in which the EQD was trialled in four countries (Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia and the UK).
The presentation will focus on the quality of the data collected using the device, including findings on break-off rates and the codability of different formats of open questions (typing versus audio-recording).
Finally, the webinar will focus on the broader implications of this project, including the potential advantages and disadvantages of the EQD mode.
About the speaker
Jo d’Ardenne is a Senior Research Director at NatCen Social Research and is the head of their Questionnaire Development and Testing (QDT) Hub.
Jo has extensive experience in leading methodological reviews, cognitive interviewing and user-testing projects. Jo regularly provides consultancy on questionnaire design for a wide range of government, academic and public sector organisations.
She is a co-author of Cognitive Interviewing Practice, a textbook published by Sage. Her interests are respondent-centred design, the impact of mode on questionnaire design and cross-national cognitive interviewing.
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