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JSM 2012 Online Program

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Activity Details


CE_17C Mon, 7/30/2012, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM HQ-Indigo 204
Paradata in Survey Research — Continuing Education Course
ASA , Section on Survey Research Methods
Instructor(s): Frauke Kreuter, Joint Program in Survey Methodology
Survey data are increasingly collected through computer assisted modes. As a result, a new class of data - called paradata - is now available to survey methodologists. Typical examples are key-stroke files, capturing the navigation through the questionnaire, and time stamps, providing information such as date and time of each call attempt or the length of a question-answer sequence. Other examples are interviewer observations about a sampled household or neighborhood, recordings of vocal properties of the interviewer and respondent, information about interviewers and interviewing strategies. While the type of available paradata varies by mode, all share one feature--they are a by-product of the data collection process capturing information about that process. This course covers the great potential of paradata for social survey research. The course will give an introduction and overview of methodological issues involved in the collection and analysis of paradata. Research examples will be discussed, including but not limited to the use of paradata to monitor fieldwork activity, guide intervention decisions (e.g. through responsive design), and to address various total survey error components. Cases-studies will draw attention to the challenges in automated data capturing and modeling of the complex structure of paradata.



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