When comparing social science phenomena through a time perspective, absolute and relative difference are the two typical presentation formats used to communicate interpretations to the audience, while time distance is the least frequently used of such formats. The article addresses the issue of basic comparative measures and argues that the chosen presentation format is extremely important because the various formats suggest different substantive interpretations. To elaborate upon this issue, researchers from the National Statistical Office, National Health Institute, and general academia were invited to participate in an experiment with alternative presentation formats that describe changes in certain social science phenomena over time. Paradata, which enabled analyses of a complex system of experimental groups, presented the key role in this research. A longer response time, which can be detected by advanced paradata analyses, is connected to increased cognitive effort of a particular display mode. The results revealed a prevailing tendency of respondents to rely on interpretations related to absolute differences, which was additionally reinforced with graphical presentation formats. Therefore, whenever relative difference or time distance is more proper for substantive interpretations, the corresponding presentation format must be designed with special attention.
COBISS.SI-ID: 36686941
Do web surveys still yield lower response rates compared with other survey modes? To answer this question, we replicated and extended a meta-analysis done in 2008 which found that, based on 45 experimental comparisons, web surveys had an 11 percentage points lower response rate compared with other survey modes. Paradata also have an important role in this analysis, especially when monitoring the number and invitation mode of contacts. Fundamental changes in internet accessibility and use since the publication of the original meta-analysis would suggest that people's propensity to participate in web surveys has changed considerably in the meantime. However, in our replication and extension study, which comprised 114 experimental comparisons between web and other survey modes, we found almost no change: web surveys still yielded lower response rates than other modes (a difference of 12 percentage points in response rates). Furthermore, we found that prenotifications, the sample recruitment strategy, the survey's solicitation mode, the type of target population, the number of contact attempts, and the country in which the survey was conducted moderated the magnitude of the response rate differences. These findings have substantial implications for web survey methodology and operations.
COBISS.SI-ID: 36236125
Meta-analytic techniques have become the standard methods for aggregating the results from thematically related studies in the behavioral, health, and economic sciences. The primary objective of the systematic review was to identify metaanalyses, which were previously conducted in survey methodology and classify them according to the thematic areas that they addressed. The findings are based on a systematic search of two bibliographic harvesters (together covering 265 bibliographic databases), which yielded 54 eligible manuscripts reporting 60 meta-analytic studies and 91 effect sizes. The thematic areas were structured under the seven dimensions of the total survey error (TSE). The results showed that past meta-analyses partly cover two of the seven TSE dimensions, namely measurement and nonresponse error, where paradata have an important role, while research questions pertaining to survey methodology under the remaining TSE dimensions have not yet been investigated by the meta-analyses. In this context, the systematic review discussed gaps in current research and potential opportunities for future meta-analyses in survey methodology. The analysis also shows a relatively large untapped potential of paradata.
COBISS.SI-ID: 35940445