Use of a Web-based Sample Replacement Software Application for Data Collectors in the Field

• Activity Number: 147
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 8, 2005 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods
• Author(s): Andrey Vinokurov*+ and Daniel Geller and Pedro J. Saavedra and Tamara Martin
• Companies: ORC Macro International, Inc. and ORC Macro International, Inc. and ORC Macro International, Inc. and U.S. Department of State
• Keywords: sampling ; international ; nonresponse ; unreachable cases

Abstract

The evaluation of the International Visitors Program (IVP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of State required interviews with program alumni who are emerging leaders and promising professionals from four former Soviet Union countries. Program alumni visited several cities in the United States while participating in the three-week professional exchange program. The study required searching for a difficult-to-locate and, perhaps, reluctant respondent population in several countries. This was to be done by a subcontractor in the field, who received support from the sampling team in the US. To ensure that the subcontractor followed the appropriate procedures for sampling replacements, a web-based substitution system was designed for use by data collection managers in the field. Each initially sampled IVP visitor was assigned three replacements from the same country who were in the program at approximately the same time as the initially sampled visitor. An algorithm was developed to obtain additional replacements from those assigned to initial respondents and to assign to some a more intense interview.