Understanding survey response behaviour in a digital age: Mixed-device online surveys and mobile device use

我们生活在一个数字时代，技术日新月异，进入生活的方方面面，包括调查。调查亦已开始采用流动装置等科技收集资料。英国在在线数据收集方向上迈出了一大步，包括计划在英国2021年人口普查中通过在线数据收集模式收集75%的家庭回答。然而，需要证据来证明在线数据收集策略将在英国发挥作用。不幸的是，到目前为止，人们对英国的在线数据收集知之甚少，因为可用的数据集有很小的子样本。该项目解决了这一差距，旨在分析第一个可用的关键ESRC大规模数据资源中的在线响应行为和数据质量问题，以及英国的另一个次要数据资源，该资源部分通过移动设备在线收集，作为受访者的可用选项-了解社会和英国年轻人的第二次纵向研究（LSYPE2）。这些数据将包含足够大的样本来进行先进的统计建模，以解决这个项目的研究问题。ESRC目前投资的主要优先领域之一是“数字化时代的方式”，该项目通过研究受访者在完成在线调查时使用的设备的选择及其在线调查行为来解决属于这一优先领域的问题。来自其他国家的经验将通过使用来自美国和荷兰的国际顾问来考虑，他们将成为该项目的咨询委员会的一部分。该项目还将与来自数据收集创新中心的荷兰合作伙伴并行开展一些数据分析工作。该项目的结果将与荷兰的研究结果进行比较，以进行跨国比较。我们项目的研究结果将有助于更好地了解英国混合设备在线调查中参与者对所使用设备的选择和响应行为，特别是为2021年下一次英国人口普查提供最佳实践信息。该项目还将扩展对与在线数据收集模式相关的数据质量问题的理解，特别关注受访者在调查完成过程中使用不同设备（包括移动设备）的情况。这些发现将提供知识，这些知识将导致在线数据收集的改进，从而提高英国和其他国家的数据质量。调查结果将有助于了解哪些人在网上调查中做出了回应，哪些人没有做出回应，哪些人选择了不同的设备，从而为调查从业者提高回复率、减少调查错误和成本的努力提供信息。该项目将直接惠及各行各业的统计调查机构和调查从业员，包括政府和公营机构、私营和志愿机构，以及市场研究公司。它还将建议研究人员如何最好地将不同设备的数据纳入高级统计模型。该计划将向调查实务机构提供建议，以便更有效地评估大规模调查的数据质量。项目小组将与国内和国际上的一系列统计机构和市场研究公司密切合作，以确保这项研究对调查实践的好处和项目结果的直接影响。项目结果的传播将包括同行评议的期刊文章、在非学术伙伴机构的研讨会上以及在国家和国际会议上的发言、短期课程和国际研究专题讨论会以及其他活动。

We live in a digital age with technologies changing rapidly and entering all aspects of life including surveys. Surveys have also started adopting technologies including mobile devices for data collection. There is a big move in the direction of online data collection in the UK including the plan to collect 75% of household responses through the online mode of data collection in the UK 2021 Census. However, evidence is needed to demonstrate that an online data collection strategy will work in the UK. Unfortunately, so far not much is known about online data collection in the UK as the available datasets have small subsamples. This project addresses this gap and aims to analyse online response behaviour and data quality issues in the first available key ESRC large scale data resource as well as in another secondary data resource in the UK that are partially collected online with mobile devices as an available option for respondents - Understanding Society and Second Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE2). These data will contain large enough samples to conduct advanced statistical modelling to address this project's research questions. One of the ESRC current main priority areas for investment is 'ways of being in a digital age' and this project addresses issues which belong to this area of priority by studying respondents' choice of devices used during completion of online surveys and their online survey behaviour. Experience from other countries will be taken into account through the use of international advisors from the US and the Netherlands who will be part of the project's Advisory Committee. The project will also carry out some data analysis work in parallel with the Dutch partners from the Data Collection Innovation Centre. Results from the project will be compared to findings from the Netherlands to draw cross-country comparisons. The findings from our project will be instrumental in better understanding participants' choices of devices used and response behaviour in mixed-device online surveys in the UK and in particular in informing best practice for the next UK Census in 2021. The project will also extend understanding of the data quality issues related to online mode of data collection with a special focus on respondents' use of different devices including mobile devices during survey completion process. These findings will inform knowledge that will lead to improvements in online data collection and as a result of this in data quality in the UK and other countries. The results will improve the understanding of who does and who does not respond in online surveys and which groups of respondents choose different devices and hence will inform the efforts of survey practitioners to increase response rates and to reduce survey errors and costs. The project will directly benefit statistical survey agencies and survey practitioners from a wide range of sectors, including government and the public sector, the private and voluntary sector, and market research companies. It will also advise researchers on how best to incorporate different devices data into advanced statistical models. The project will provide recommendations to survey practice organisations on which data need to be collected in the future in order to assess data quality of large scale surveys more effectively.The project team will work closely together with a range of statistical agencies and market research companies, both nationally and internationally, to ensure the benefits of this research for survey practice and direct impact of the project findings. Dissemination of the project findings will include peer-reviewed journal articles, presentations at seminars in the non-academic partner institutions and at national and international conferences as well as a short course and an international research symposium among other activities.