About the GESIS Panel

The GESIS Panel samples can be used to collect both high-quality, population-representative survey data (GESIS Panel.pop Population Sample) and innovative digital behavioral data including web tracking data (GESIS Panel.dbd Digital Behavioral Data Sample). The GESIS Panel data is also available for secondary analysis purposes. As part of GESIS - Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, the GESIS Panel is funded by the German federation and its federal states.

Collect your own research data for your research question
The GESIS Panel (GP) offers academic researchers the unique opportunity to collect their own cross-sectional or longitudinal research data free of charge as part of peer-reviewed study submissions.

Depending on their research interests, researchers can choose between the GESIS Panel.pop Population Sample (formerly known as the "GESIS Panel") and the new GESIS Panel.dbd Digital Behavioral Data Sample (which is currently being established).

The GESIS Panel.pop is a mixed-mode panel based on a random survey sample of the adult German-speaking population of Germany and thus allows drawing conclusions about the general population. Respondents take part in a self-administered mode and can answer web-based or by paper questionnaires.
The new GESIS Panel.dbd is based on a hybrid recruitment design that includes both random-based and non-random samples. The online-based survey addresses researchers who, in addition to survey data, are also interested in collecting (and linking) digital behavioral data such as web tracking data.

Costs

Data collection for scientific purposes via peer-reviewed study submissions is free of charge in the GESIS Panel.pop and in the GESIS Panel.dbd. Research proposals from third-party funded projects can also be submitted to us through the standard process (Regular Submission or Short Submission) - however, reserving survey slots for specific waves before project funding is approved or before the project starts will incur a fee. GESIS Panel.pop is also part of the Open Probability-based Panel Alliance (OPPA), which enables coordinated collection of comparative survey data in the Netherlands and the USA. Data collection within the OPPA framework is subject to charges.

To the data collection

Unique cross-sectional and longitudinal data for secondary analyses
All GESIS Panel.pop and GESIS Panel.dbd survey data are also available for secondary analysis as Scientific Use File or Secure Scientific Use File.

Through the GESIS Panel.pop longitudinal core studies, which have been running almost annually since 2014, and the external submissions, GESIS Panel.pop offers a comprehensive and thematically diverse data set that also covers topics rarely addressed in survey research (for example, willingness to pay for health insurance or attitudes towards meat consumption).
The GESIS Panel.dbd offers the possibility of linking survey data with web tracking data. The web tracking data is collected using a browser add-on and contains the complete website content in addition to the website URLs. For data protection reasons, this data is currently only made available as aggregated data. However, we are working on solutions that would allow the statistical analysis of raw web tracking data. Please feel free to contact us, if you are interested in this.

To the data access

Survey design

GESIS Panel.pop

Mixed-mode panel based on a random survey sample
Start: February 2014 (Development phase 2013)
More than 5400 respondents (April 2023)
Participation mode: online (web-based) or offline (by mail)
- Mobile-first layout in the online questionnaire and use of a comparable offline questionnaire layout
- About 75% of respondents participate online
Data collection: every three months (a total of four waves per year)
- Six waves per year with bi-monthly data collection until 2020
Survey duration: about 20-25 minutes per wave
- About seven minutes for the GESIS Panel.pop longitudinal core studies
- Remaining survey time for submitted studies, with a maximum of five minutes per submitted study

GESIS Panel.dbd

Hybrid sample design (about 60% random-based, about 40% non-random-based)
Start: 2023 (development phase 2022 - 2023)
Over 7000 respondents (July 2024)
Participation mode: online (web-based)
- Mobile-first layout
Data collection: 3-6 waves per year
Survey duration: about 15-20 minutes per wave
- About seven minutes for the GESIS Panel.dbd longitudinal core studies (core studies based on those of the GESIS Panel.pop)
- Remaining survey time for submitted studies, with a maximum of five minutes per submitted study

Samples

GESIS Panel.pop

2013: Random-based sample of the German-speaking population aged between 18 and 70 (at the time of recruitment) with permanent residence in Germany
2014: The first/original cohort of the GESIS Panel comprised about 4900 panelists
2016: 1st refreshment sample, drawn from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS)
2018: 2nd refreshment sample, drawn from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS)
2021: 3rd refreshment sample, drawn from the German study of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP)
2023: 4th refreshment sample, drawn from the German study of the European Social Survey (ESS)
- All refreshment samples consist of respondents aged 18 and above
2024: The GESIS Panel.pop currently includes five cohorts in the active panel (2013, 2016, 2018, 2021 and 2023) with about 5400 panelists in total (April 2024)

GESIS Panel.dbd

Hybrid sample design (about 60% random-based, about 40% non-random-based) for recruiting the German-speaking adult population with permanent residence in Germany
Random-based recruitment:
- 2023: Recruitment of participants from the ALLBUS 2023
- 2023: Recruitment of participants from the GESIS Panel.pop
- 2023: Recruitment via a population registration office sample (EMA)
- 2024: Recruitment of participants from the GLES
Non-random-based recruitment:
- Since 2023: open recruitment in case of expression of interest
- 2023: Several social media advertisement-based recruitment campaigns (Facebook and Instagram)

The key information on the GESIS Panel.pop is provided in the corresponding reference article:

Bosnjak, M., Dannwolf, T., Enderle, T., Schaurer, I., Struminskaya, B., Tanner, A., & Weyandt K. W. (2018). Establishing an open probability-based mixed mode panel of the general population in Germany: The GESIS Panel. Social Science Computer Review, 36(1): 103-115. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439317697949.

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