Workshop

The use of survey experiments is increasingly popular in the social sciences. Scholars make use of vignette designs, conjoints and discrete choice experiments. After a successful first workshop in November 2023, this workshop provides an opportunity to follow up on the research designs presented previously and to invite presetations on new projects using survey experiments. We aim to bring together an interdisciplinary group of scholars from different social science disciplines who are making use of experimental methods in their surveys. We particularly welcome contributions from PhD candidates and early career scholars.

The event is organized by the Department of Sociology at the University of Amsterdam in collaboration with the Amsterdam Centre for Inequality Studies (AMCIS). During the workshop, there will be sufficient time to discuss each presented paper/research design. There is no registration fee, lunch and a conference dinner for the speakers will be provided.

Please send your proposal for a contribution no later than 29-9-2024 to the organizers, Eva Zschirnt (e.zschirnt@uva.nl) and Bram Lancee (b.lancee@uva.nl). Abstracts of a maximum of 300 words should include the title, name(s) and affiliations(s) of authors as well as specifying the main research question, method and data.

We are looking forward to receiving your proposals!

Keynote lecture

Smartphones have recently gained popularity as tools for data collection in the social and behavioral sciences. While survey respondents increasingly use their smartphone for completing web questionnaires, these devices also allow researchers to passively collect data from the operating system and built-in sensors. Compared to self-reports of behaviors, the passively collected data are potentially more detailed and accurate, being less susceptible to recall errors and social desirability. However, there are various challenges with smartphone-based data collection, such as the recruitment of study participants who are willing to install a research app on their smartphone and fully participate throughout the study period.

This talk will first give an introduction of the different ways that smartphones can be used for data collection and their advantages compared to traditional modes of data collection. Examples will include the use of smartphone apps for experience sampling, sensors for measuring mobility patterns, and digital behavioral data for measuring Internet use. Subsequently, dr. Wenz discusses different aspects of data quality and practical issues when collecting data with smartphones. Following the Total Survey Error framework, he will focus on (a) coverage error (What proportion of the target population has access to a smartphone? To what extent are smartphone users different from non-users?); (b) nonparticipation error (What proportion of the sample members is willing to install a research app on their smartphone? To what extent are participants different from non-participants? Which strategies can be used to increase individuals’ willingness to participate?); and (c) measurement error (To what extent do smartphone data measure the construct of interest more accurately compared to other data collection methods?).

About the speaker

Alexander Wenz is a Research Fellow in Survey Methodology at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research at the University of Mannheim. In his research, he investigates the quality of novel data collection methods used in the social and behavioral sciences, with the aim of better understanding and reducing potential error sources in the data. His current research interests focus on mobile web surveys, smartphone apps, wearable sensors, and digital behavioral data. Alexander Wenz is also a Research Associate at the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex and serves as Vice President of the European Survey Research Association (ESRA) in 2023-2025. He received a Ph.D. in Survey Methodology from the University of Essex (2018) and a B.A. in Politics and Public Administration from the University of Konstanz (2014).
For more information, see also https://www.wenzalexander.com.