Documentation of mail data collection (Version 1.0)

Transparency and reproducibility are key elements of good science, and this also holds for the process of data collection in scientific surveys. To conduct analyses based on survey data collected by others, researchers heavily depend on accurate documentation of all stages in the data collection process, either for generating new scientific evidence or for reviewing previous research findings (e.g., in replication studies). In this contribution, we propose documentation guidelines for mail surveys. In doing this, we not only focus on mail-only surveys but also cover documentation guidelines for self-administered mixed-mode surveys, thus taking into account their growing importance in the survey landscape

Mixed-Device and Mobile Web Surveys (Version 1.0)

For many years, web surveys have already been the most frequently used survey mode in Germany and elsewhere (ADM, 2018; ESOMAR, 2018). Moreover, respondents increasingly use mobile devices, especially smartphones (or less often tablets), to access the Internet and participate in surveys. Because of those new developments within the Internet usage landscape, this contribution expands an earlier Survey Guideline on web surveys (Bandilla, 2015) by addressing methodological advantages and disadvantages of mixed-device as well as mobile web surveys. Moreover, it provides best practice advice on the implementation of such surveys in the areas of sampling, questionnaire design, paradata collection, and software solutions.Seit vielen Jahren sind Online-Umfragen der populärste Umfragemodus im In- und Ausland (ADM, 2018; ESOMAR, 2018). Zunehmend benutzen Befragte mobile Endgeräte, insbesondere Smartphones (seltener Tablets), um auf das Internet zuzugreifen und an Befragungen teilzunehmen. Aufgrund dieser neuen Entwicklungen im Nutzungsverhalten erweitert dieser Beitrag eine frühere Guideline für Web-Umfragen (Bandilla, 2015), indem er sich mit den methodischen Vor- und Nachteilen von Mixed-Device-Befragungen und Umfragen auf mobilen Endgeräten befasst. Darüber hinaus behandelt er bewährte Verfahrensweisen zur Durchführung solcher Umfragen in den Bereichen Stichprobenziehung, Fragebogendesign, Paradatenerfassung und Softwarelösungen

Data Linking - Linking survey data with geospatial, social media, and sensor data (Version 1.0)

Survey data are still the most commonly used type of data in the quantitative social sciences. However, as not everything that is of interest to social scientists can be measured via surveys, and the self-report data they provide have certain limitations, such as recollection or social desirability bias, researchers have increasingly used other types of data that are not specifically created for research. These data are often called "found data" or "non-designed data" and encompass a variety of different data types. Naturally, these data have their own sets of limitations. One way of combining the unique strengths of survey data and these other data types and dealing with some of their respective limitations is to link them. This guideline first describes why linking survey data with other types of data can be useful for researchers. After that, it focuses on the linking of survey data with three types of data that are becoming increasingly popular in the social sciences: geospatial data, social media data, and sensor data. Following a discussion of the advantages and challenges associated with linking survey data with these types of data, the guideline concludes by comparing their similarities, presenting some general recommendations regarding linking surveys with other types of (found/non-designed) data, and providing an outlook on current developments in survey research with regard to data linking

How (not) to mobilize health workers in the fight against vaccine hesitancy: Experimental evidence from Germany's AstraZeneca controversy

Background: COVID-19 vaccine hesistancy is a serious policy issue in Germany as vaccinations have stagnated at low levels compared to most other European countries. In this context, we study whether and how health workers can be leveraged to promote the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Methods: We employed an information experiment with health workers in Germany to quantify how access to information related to (i) AstraZeneca's vaccine safety, (ii) misinformation, (iii) individual health risks, and (iv) public health risks can sway health workers' recommendations for any of the following vaccines: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Sinopharm, and Sputnik-V. The information experiment was conducted as a randomized controlled trial with four treatment arms and was embedded in an online survey. Results: Health workers reduce their willingness to recommend four out of six vaccines once they learn about different statements of European and German health authorities with respect to the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Consistent with the discussion on AstraZeneca’s safety focusing on possible side effects among younger women, we find that especially female health workers become less likely to recommend the majority of COVID-19 vaccines. Lastly, we show that health workers vaccine recommendations are not affected by misinformation and appeals to individual or public health. Conclusion: In order to mobilize health workers in the fight against vaccine hesitancy, information campaigns need to be tailor-made for the target audience. In particular, health workers react to different types of information than the general public. As with the general public, we provide suggestive evidence that health workers require unambigious messages from drug authorities in order to support vaccination efforts. We believe that a more coordinated and coherent approach of public authorities can reduce the amount of mixed signals that health workers receive and therefore contribute to health workers engagement in the outroll of mass COVID-19 vaccination campaigns

Customers’ Understanding of Engagement Advertising

Although the construct of engagement has received considerable attention in market research in recent years, it has hardly been researched in the context of advertising. The aim of this exploratory study, therefore, is to undertake a theoretical conceptualization of customer engagement advertising (CEA) and to reach an understanding of how this type of advertising, which strategically embeds its messages into customers’ everyday life, is related to customers’ cognitive processes. Of particular interest is the question of whether strategically created CEA is related to a different everyday customers’ advertising knowledge than non-CEA. To answer this question, we use the brand concept map method, by means of which we are able to create a CEA consensus map (N = 53) and a non-CEA consensus map (N = 56). These present visually the basic persuasion knowledge of the study participants concerning these two types of advertising. Results indicate that, in coping with CEA, customers activate a different advertising knowledge than with non-CEA. CEA knowledge shows a higher association strength and is, in contrast to non-CEA knowledge, more strongly characterized by the two associations creativity and benefit. On the other hand, the association that advertising addresses customer’s needs plays a less important role in CEA than in non-CEA

Informing about Web Paradata Collection and Use (Version 1.0)

This survey guideline addresses the practical question of how best to inform survey participants about the collection and use of paradata in web surveys. We provide an overview of different personal and non-personal web paradata and the associated information and consent requirements. Best practices regarding the procedure, wording, and placement of non-personal web paradata information are discussed. In addition, we propose a sample wording for web paradata information in German and English

Structure of arthropod communities in Bt maize and conventional maize – results of redundancy analyses of long-term field data from the Oderbruch region in Germany

Im Oderbruch, ein wichtiges Befallsgebiet des Maiszünslers (Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner)), wurde in den Jahren 2000 bis 2008 die Biodiversität der Arthropoden in halben Feldern jeweils mit Bt-Mais (BT) und nicht mit Insektiziden behandelten konventionellen Mais (CV) und teilweise in dreigeteilten Feldern mit BT und CV plus einer isogenen (IS) oder insektizid-behandelten Sorte (IN) untersucht. Drei unterschiedliche Arthropodengesellschaften – Pflanzenbewohner (PB), epigäische Spinnen (ES) und epigäische Laufkäfer (EL) – wurden mittels Bonituren der Pflanzen zu Beginn der Blüte (PB, 2000 bis 2007) und durch wöchentliche Bodenfallenfänge über vier Wochen nach Beginn der Blüte (ES und EL, 2000 bis 2008) erfasst. Die PB wurden je nach den Möglichkeiten auf unterschiedlichem taxonomischen Niveau und die ES und EL nach Arten bestimmt. Die Daten wurden syste­matisiert und für die Wahl der geeigneten statistischen Auswertungsmethode verifiziert. Die Redundanzanalyse erwies sich als geeignete Methode. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass 83,2% der Artenvariation der PB aus den Jahr-Ort-Termin-Kombinationen und Maisvarianten zu erklären waren. Bt-Mais steuerte nur 1,2% zur Artenkomposition bei, dennoch war dieser Anteil signifikant. Im Hinblick auf die ES und EL verursachten die Jahr-Ort-Kombinationen und die Maisvarianten 66,3% und 82,7% der Artenvariation. Der Beitrag von Bt-Mais war mit 1,5% und 1,2% in beiden Gesellschaften gering aber signifikant. Die Ergebnisse stimmen überein mit denen anderer Studien. Sie zeigen die enorme Dynamik der Arthropodengesellschaften in Maisbeständen und den geringen Effekt von Bt-Mais auf die Biodiversität.    The arthropod biodiversity was investigated in half-fields planted with Bt maize (BT) and non-insecticide treated conventional maize (CV) and in one-third fields planted with BT and CV plus either isogenic (IS) or insecticide-treated conventional maize (IN) in the Oderbruch region in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, an important outbreak area of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), from 2000 to 2008. Three different arthropod communities – plant dwelling arthropods (PDA), epigeic spiders (ES) and ground-dwelling carabids (GDC) – were enumerated by counting arthropods on maize plants during flowering (PDA, 2000 to 2007) or by pitfall trapping four weeks after the beginning of flowering (ES and GDC, 2000 to 2008). The counted arthropods (PDA) were determined to different taxonomic levels, and the spiders and carabids captured in pitfall traps were identified to species level. The data were systematized and verified for choice of appropriate statistical method. Redundancy analysis (RDA) proved to be a suitable method. The results showed that 83.2% of species variation in PDA was explained by year-site-date combinations and maize variant. Bt maize contributed only 1.2% to species composition, but this low rate was significant. Regarding the spiders and carabids communities, 66.3% and 82.7% of species variation was caused by year-site combinations and maize variant, respectively. The contribution of Bt maize was low but significant in both communities (1.5% and 1.2%, respectively). The results correspond with those of other studies. They show the enormous dynamics of arthropod communities on maize plants and on the ground and the relatively low effect of maize variant.   &nbsp

A guideline on how to recruit respondents for online surveys using Facebook and Instagram: Using hard-to-reach health workers as an example (Version 1.0)

Social Networking Sites (SNS) offer survey scientists a relatively new tool to recruit participants, especially among otherwise hard-to-reach populations. Facebook and Instagram, in particular, allow the distribution of advertisements to specific subsets of their users at low cost. Researchers can use such targeted advertisements to guide participants to their online questionnaires. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that this approach can be successfully applied to a range of different target groups. However, a certain familiarity with the tools and mechanisms provided by Meta is necessary to employ this sampling method. Therefore, in this guideline, we will first give a general introduction to sampling via advertisements on Facebook and Instagram before providing detailed instructions on the implementation of such a recruitment campaign. This will be followed by a brief summary of a recent study conducted by GESIS using Meta's platforms to recruit professionals in the German health care sector. Finally, we provide recommendations with respect to the reporting of methodological parameters when using this approach, propose a flowchart to visualize sample sizes at different points during the recruitment process and offer a glossary containing definitions of essential terms researchers are confronted with when using Meta's advertisement interface.Soziale Netzwerkseiten (SNS) stellen eine vergleichsweise neue Möglichkeit dar, Teilnehmende für wissenschaftliche Befragungsprojekte zu rekrutieren. Besonderes Potential hat der Ansatz mit Blick auf die Rekrutierung anderweitig schwer erreichbarer Zielgruppen. So ermöglichen Facebook und Instagram die Schaltung kostengünstiger Werbung für genau definierte Teilgruppen der Nutzenden dieser Netzwerke. Entsprechende Werbunganzeigen können von Forschenden genutzt werden, um ausgewählte Personen zu ihren Onlinefragebögen zu leiten. In den letzten Jahren hat eine wachsende Zahl von Studien gezeigt, dass dieser Ansatz erfolgreich auf eine Reihe unterschiedlicher Zielgruppen angewendet werden kann. Allerdings ist eine gewisse Vertrautheit mit den von Meta bereitgestellten Instrumenten und Mechanismen erforderlich, um dieses Verfahren anzuwenden. Daher bieten wir in dieser Guideline zunächst eine allgemeine Einführung in das Sampling über Werbeanzeigen auf Facebook und Instagram, bevor wir eine detaillierte Anleitung für die Durchführung einer solchen Rekrutierungskampagne geben. Danach folgt eine kurze Zusammenfassung einer kürzlich von GESIS durchgeführten Studie, bei der die Meta-Plattformen zur Rekrutierung von Fachkräften aus dem deutschen Gesundheitswesen genutzt wurden. Abschließend geben wir Empfehlungen dazu, welche Parameter in Publikationen berichtet werden sollten, um die Vergleichbarkeit der Ergebnisse zu gewährleisten. Mit diesem Ziel stellen wir auch ein Flussdiagramm zur Visualisierung der Stichprobengrößen zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten des Rekrutierungsprozesses zur Verfügung. Schließlich fassen wir in einem Glossar Definitionen wesentlicher Parameter zusammen, mit denen Forscher bei der Verwendung von Metas Werbeschnittstelle konfrontiert werden

Mixed-Mode Surveys (Version 1.0)

Mixing survey modes for data collection can have positive effects on response rates, sample balance, and survey costs. However, data collected in multiple modes may also suffer from mode measurement effects. In this Survey Guideline, we give an overview of empirical evidence related to the benefits and drawbacks of using multiple modes for data collection and outline some recommendations for the im­plementation of mixed-mode surveys. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on the perspectives of mixed­mode surveys in the survey landscape