ESRC National Centre for Research Methods Network for Methodological Innovation on Web surveys for the general population is a new network to exchange knowledge, generate new thinking and work towards resolving a shared challenge in survey research: how – and to what extent – can the web be used to survey the general population?
The network’s organising members are:
- Lisa Calderwood, Institute of Education, UK
- Peter Lynn, Institute for Social & Economic Research, University of Essex, UK
- Gerry Nicolaas, NatCen Social Research, UK
- Caroline Roberts, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Cultural and technological change has made the web a possible and even desirable mode for complex social surveys, but the financial challenges faced by the Research Councils and the UK Government has accelerated this shift, creating an urgent need to explore both its potential and hazards for a range of studies. Yet while progress in carrying out large-scale complex social surveys on the web has been made, there is still no consensus about how this can best be achieved while maintaining population representativeness and preserving data quality.
To address this problem, ESRC National Centre for Research Methods Network for Methodological Innovation on Web surveys for the general population will share and synthesise existing knowledge and catalyse discussion about future possibilities. We will draw on a wide range of institutions and experts from across the national and international survey research community; including representatives from academia as well as organisations with serious social survey delivery capabilities from government, the private and not-for-profit sectors. The network will host two conferences in 2013 and engage more widely with the international social research community through twitter tweet chats. It will also publish synthesis papers, blogs and an end of network report on its website.
The aim is to explore what is now possible in the UK, what could be possible in the future, to set out a research agenda to help us get there, and to recommend an infrastructure for enabling a transition to web platforms.
Opening conference
Dates: 25-26 February 2013
Venue: Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
A two day event to pinpoint what we know, debate key issues and identify questions to be answered through the network.
The event will address three key themes:
- Coverage & Sampling
- Participation & Engagement
- Measurement Challenges
A full programme will be posted on the website.
Closing Conference:
Dates: 6-7 June 2013
Venue: Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ
More details to follow after the opening conference.