Transitioning from Interviewer-Administered Surveys to Online Data Collection: Experiences, Challenges and Opportunities (GenPopWeb 2 Network)

社会调查数据是许多重要公共政策和经济决策的基础，高质量的数据至关重要。英国和全球的调查研究目前正在经历数据收集的范式转变，从面试者管理的调查转向在线数据收集。对普通人群的社会调查和人口普查正在经历重大变革，混合模式设计结合了网络和纯在线面板变得越来越普遍。这种范式转变是由影响面试者管理的调查的持续问题推动的，例如回复率下降、调查成本增加，以及更多使用技术的社会趋势，特别是在日常生活中使用智能手机。该网络的主要目的将是通过分享知识和为高质量的在线数据收集提出建议，应对从面试者管理过渡到在线数据收集的挑战和机遇。在全球和英国国内，在人口普查和调查的混合模式背景下，在线数据收集的方向正在发生重大变化。例如，2015年日本人口普查和2016年加拿大人口普查主要转向在线管理。在英国，国家统计局(ONS)的目标是在网上收集2021年人口普查家庭回复的75%。一些现有的调查也使用了混合模式的方法。纵向调查走在了这一趋势的前沿，英国和国际上的几项主要调查已经采用或试验了这种方法。混合模式也被用于横断面调查，政府部门对在现有和新的调查中采用这些方法有着强烈的兴趣。另一个主要趋势是在许多不同的国家建立基于概率的网络小组。关于应该如何设计和实施在线调查，有越来越多的经验和证据。然而，这是一个新兴和快速发展的调查实践领域，正在进行的技术变化带来了新的挑战和机遇。在设计和实施在线调查的组织以及数据用户之间分享知识和最佳实践至关重要。这是为了确保以最佳方式设计社会调查，以收集高质量的数据，并分享知识和经验，这些都是该网络的目标。不同的组织，如学术机构、数据收集组织、独立研究机构、政府组织和其他在线收集数据的组织，应作为一个联合阵线，分享知识和最佳做法，以促进面试者管理的调查和在线数据收集之间的平稳过渡，改进已经建立的在线调查或混合模式设计，避免重复工作，从而帮助降低成本，同时调查和实施快速发展技术世界的最佳前进方式。该项目建议建立一个合作伙伴网络(GenPopWeb2)，以促进不同利益攸关方之间关于一般人口网络调查最佳设计的跨行业合作和知识交流。GenPopWeb2网络将以ESRC通过NCRM资助的第一个GenPopWeb网络的成果为基础。自2014年以来，在这一领域进行了大量研究和新的发展，越来越多地使用在线数据收集的趋势仍在继续。该网络旨在解决知识方面的主要挑战和差距，这些挑战和差距对于在英国和国际上过渡到在线数据收集至关重要，并使各行业能够共享知识。

Social survey data underpin many important public policy and economic decisions, and high quality data are crucial. Survey research in the UK and globally is currently undergoing a paradigm shift in data collection away from interviewer-administered surveys to online data collection. Social surveys and censuses of the general population are experiencing major transformations, with mixed-mode designs incorporating web and online only panels becoming more commonly used. This paradigm shift is driven by ongoing issues affecting interviewer-administered surveys, such as declining response rates, increasing survey costs, as well as societal trends towards greater technology use, in particular use of smartphones in daily life. The main aim of this network will be to address the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from interviewer-administered to online data collection through sharing knowledge and producing recommendations for high quality online data collection. Globally and within the UK, there is a big move in the direction of online data collection in a mixed-mode context for censuses and surveys. For example, the 2015 Japanese census as well as the 2016 Canadian Census have moved to primarily online administration. In the UK the Office for National Statistics (ONS) is aiming to collect 75% of its 2021 Census household responses online. A number of existing surveys have also used a mixed-mode approach. Longitudinal surveys are at the forefront of this trend with several major surveys in the UK and internationally already taking, or trialling, this approach. Mixed-mode has also been used for cross-sectional surveys and there is strong interest from government departments for adopting these approaches for existing as well as new surveys. Another major trend has been towards the establishment in many different countries of probability-based web panels. There is a growing body of experience and evidence about how online surveys should be designed and implemented. However, this is an emerging and fast-moving area of survey practice and ongoing technological changes present new challenges and opportunities. It is of crucial importance to share knowledge and best practice between organisations which design and implement online surveys, as well as data users. This is to ensure that social surveys are designed optimally for collecting high quality data, and that knowledge and experiences are shared, and these are the aims of this network. Different organisations such as academic institutions, data collection organisations, independent research institutes, governmental organisations and other organisations collecting data online should act as a joint front to share knowledge and best practice in order to facilitate smooth transitions between interviewer-administered surveys and online data collection, to improve already established online surveys or mixed-mode designs, to avoid duplicated efforts and therefore to help reduce costs while investigating and implementing the best ways forward in the world of fast-moving technology. This project proposes setting up a network of partners (GenPopWeb2) which will facilitate this cross-industry collaboration and knowledge exchange between different stakeholders about the optimal designs of general population web surveys. The GenPopWeb2 Network will build on the results of the first GenPopWeb network funded by the ESRC through the NCRM. Since 2014, there has been a lot of research and new developments in this area, and the trend towards increasing use of online data collection has continued. This network aims to address the main challenges and gaps in knowledge which are of crucial importance for transitioning to online data collection in the UK and internationally and to enable sharing of knowledge across industries.