Survey Data Collection Methods Collaboration: Securing the Future of Social Surveys

The survey data collection community is facing severe challenges in implementing surveys using pre-pandemic approaches. There are knowledge gaps regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different data collection techniques and approaches such as push-to-web, knock-to-nudge and video-interviewing, and particularly in the mixed-mode context. And there is limited capacity both of skilled interviewers and of research professionals. Recent developments are leading to changes in commissioner requirements for face-to-face data collection as well as having implications for fieldwork costs and the role of interviewers. In several areas of survey methodology, the need for development of improved methods and the need to identify and communicate best practice is urgent.

The Survey Data Collection Methods Collaboration (SDCMC) is a response to these challenges and aims to deliver a step change in approaches to collecting population survey data in the UK to ensure that it will remain possible to carry out high quality social surveys of the kinds required by the public and academic sectors to monitor and understand society, and to provide an evidence base for policy. It will do this primarily through a rigorous programme of research focused on ensuring large-scale social surveys in the UK can innovate and adapt in a changing environment and continue to deliver high quality and inclusive data.

The primary aim of the programme of work is to assess the quality implications of the most important survey design choices relevant to future UK surveys and provide good practice guidance and practical training materials, while a secondary aim is to identify promising ways to improve the capacity and skillset of both interviewers and research professionals and take steps towards making those improvements.

The SDCMC will generate a range of research and training outputs and will engage in a programme of dissemination and promotion activities. Outputs will have a strong practical orientation, consisting of good practice guidance for survey design, survey implementation, survey commissioners and survey data users, all backed up by rigorous and well-documented research and with a range of associated activities to ensure that the lessons are disseminated to all relevant stakeholders and, where appropriate, embedded in institutional practice in a timely manner. The project will also seek to enable a whole community dialogue and collaborative response to wider strategic challenges and issues, as well as incorporating a strong training and capacity building component. To realise the vision of the SDCMC will require leadership, commitment and active participation of a broad range of stakeholders including those who commission surveys, those who implement them, those who use survey data and those involved in research and development of survey methods. Constructive dialogue and collaboration will be crucial to the successful delivery of the ambitious range of activities and outputs that we envisage. We have assembled an experienced project team including academics and survey practitioners (39 people from 14 institutions), who are committed to the necessary constructive collaboration and we will engage a wider range of other stakeholders during the course of the grant to ensure that our outputs directly benefit a wide range of audiences.

Impact will be achieved not only on survey research and survey practice but also on a broad range of disciplines within the social sciences and beyond which employ social survey data for analysis through raised awareness and knowledge of issues and opportunities.