Suchergebnisse

As response rates continue to decline, the need to learn more about the survey participation process remains an important task for survey researchers. Search engine data may be one possible source for learning about what information some potential respondents are looking up about a survey when they are making a participation decision. In the present study, we explored the potential of search engine data for learning about survey participation and how it can inform survey design decisions. We drew on freely available Google Trends (GT) data to learn about the use of Google Search with respect to our case study: participation in the Family Research and Demographic Analysis (FReDA) panel survey. Our results showed that some potential respondents were using Google Search to gather information on the FReDA survey. We also showed that the additional data obtained via GT can help survey researchers to discover topics of interest to respondents and geographically stratified search patterns. Moreover, we introduced different approaches for obtaining data via GT, discussed the challenges that come with these data, and closed with practical recommendations on how survey researchers might utilize GT data to learn about survey participation.

As response rates continue to decline, the need to learn more about the survey participation process remains an important task for survey researchers. Search engine data may be one possible source for learning about what information some potential respondents are looking up about a survey when they are making a participation decision. In the present study, we explored the potential of search engine data for learning about survey participation and how it can inform survey design decisions. We drew on freely available Google Trends (GT) data to learn about the use of Google Search with respect to our case study: participation in the Family Research and Demographic Analysis (FReDA) panel survey. Our results showed that some potential respondents were using Google Search to gather information on the FReDA survey. We also showed that the additional data obtained via GT can help survey researchers to discover topics of interest to respondents and geographically stratified search patterns. Moreover, we introduced different approaches for obtaining data via GT, discussed the challenges that come with these data, and closed with practical recommendations on how survey researchers might utilize GT data to learn about survey participation.

As response rates continue to decline, the need to learn more about the survey participation process remains an important task for survey researchers. Search engine data may be one possible source for learning about what information some potential respondents are looking up about a survey when they are making a participation decision. In the present study, we explored the potential of search engine data for learning about survey participation and how it can inform survey design decisions. We drew on freely available Google Trends (GT) data to learn about the use of Google Search with respect to our case study: participation in the Family Research and Demographic Analysis (FReDA) panel survey. Our results showed that some potential respondents were using Google Search to gather information on the FReDA survey. We also showed that the additional data obtained via GT can help survey researchers to discover topics of interest to respondents and geographically stratified search patterns. Moreover, we introduced different approaches for obtaining data via GT, discussed the challenges that come with these data, and closed with practical recommendations on how survey researchers might utilize GT data to learn about survey participation.

Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many survey programs switched to self-administered modes of data collection, often offering respondents both web-based and paper-based questionnaires. However, there is little guidance as to when to offer which mode, especially when the aim is to recruit participants for a panel survey. This study examines the effectiveness of different mode-sequence designs by analyzing an experiment implemented in the recruitment wave of the German panel study "Family Research and Demographic Analysis." We randomly assigned 108,256 individuals aged 18–49 years to one of three mode-sequence-design conditions: concurrent, web-first including a paper-based questionnaire with the second reminder (web-first-2), and web-first including a paper-based questionnaire with the third reminder (web-first-3). A fourth, simulated group did not receive a paper-based questionnaire (web-only). We analyzed how different mode-sequence designs affected outcome rates, sample composition, response distributions, data quality, share of paper-based questionnaires, postage costs, number of postal mailings in the recruitment wave, and participation in the first regular wave. Our results show no differences in response distributions and small differences in sample composition across the four mode-sequence designs. As the web-first-2 and simulated web-only designs yielded comparatively good response and recruitment rates at reasonable costs, we recommend their use when surveying adults between 18 and 49 years old.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many survey programs switched to self-administered modes of data collection, often offering respondents both web-based and paper-based questionnaires. However, there is little guidance as to when to offer which mode, especially when the aim is to recruit participants for a panel survey. This study examines the effectiveness of different mode-sequence designs by analyzing an experiment implemented in the recruitment wave of the German panel study "Family Research and Demographic Analysis" (FReDA). We randomly assigned 108,256 individuals aged 18–49 years to one of three mode-sequence-design conditions: concurrent, web-first including a paper-based questionnaire with the second reminder (web-first-2), and web-first including a paper-based questionnaire with the third reminder (web-first-3). A fourth, simulated group did not receive a paper-based questionnaire (web-only). We analyzed how different mode-sequence designs affected outcome rates, sample composition, response distributions, data quality, share of paper-based questionnaires, postage costs, number of postal mailings, and participation in the subsequent wave. Our results show no differences in response distributions and small differences in sample composition across the three designs. As the web-first-2 and web-only designs yielded comparatively good response and recruitment rates at reasonable costs, we recommend their use when surveying adults between 18 and 49 years old.

Das Datenerhebungsprogramm "FReDA – Das familiendemografische Panel" ist ein Kooperationsprojekt unter der Beteiligung des Bundesinstituts für Bevölkerungsforschung (BiB), GESIS – Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, und – stellvertretend für das pairfam Konsortium – der Universität zu Köln und der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. FReDA ist eine familiendemografische Längsschnittstudie mit internationalem und dyadischem Design (Partnerbefragung). Als Teil des internationalen Generations and Gender Programme (GGP) erlaubt die deutsche GGS-Stichprobe (FReDA-GGS) international vergleichende Analysen. In künftigen Wellen wird zudem die seit 2008 bestehende pairfam-Stichprobe in FReDA integriert und als FReDA-pairfam Stichprobe in einer gemeinsamen Befragung weiterbefragt.

Die erste FReDA Welle W1 besteht aus mehreren Teilwellen: einer Rekrutierungswelle W1R und zwei weiteren Teilwellen, W1A und W1B. Die Interviews der ersten Welle wurden im selbst-administrierten Modus, wahlweise web-basiert (CAWI) oder in Papierform (PAPI) durch infas Institut für angewandte Sozialwissenschaften durchgeführt. Die Daten der ersten Welle wurden von April bis Juni 2021 (W1R), Juli bis September 2021 (W1A) und November 2021 bis Januar 2022 (W1B) erhoben. Zusätzlich wurden im Zeitraum von August bis November 2021 (W1Apartner) die Partner und Partnerinnen der Ankerpersonen befragt.

Der thematische Fokus von FReDA liegt auf Familienleben und Beziehungen in Deutschland. Die Fragebögen der FReDA Welle W1 sind modular strukturiert und beinhalten die folgenden Themengebiete:
• Demografie
• Gesundheit, Wohlbefinden und Persönlichkeit
• Arbeit/Beschäftigung und Einkommen
• Familienplanung und Fertilität
• Paarbeziehungen und Partnerschaft
• Intergenerationale Beziehungen
• Einstellungen und Werte
• Covid-19 Pandemie

Für die Rekrutierung der Ankerpersonen der FReDA-GGS Stichprobe wurde eine probabilistische Stichprobe von 108.256 zufällig ausgewählten in Deutschland gemeldeten Personen im Alter zwischen 18 und 49 Jahren herangezogen.
In der Rekrutierungswelle W1R haben insgesamt 37.777 Personen an der Umfrage teilgenommen. In den beiden folgenden Teilwellen W1A und W1B haben 22.048 bzw. 20.220 Personen erneut an der Befragung teilgenommen. In der ersten FReDA Welle haben zusätzlich 7.213 Partner und Partnerinnen der Ankerpersonen an der Partnerbefragung teilgenommen.

Eine umfassende Darstellung über die methodologischen und konzeptionellen Grundlagen von FReDA bietet das Referenzpapier von Schneider et al. (2021).