Survey Design and Methodology (SDM)

The Team Assessing Survey Data Quality advises researchers on the data quality of survey data from various survey contexts and in connection with digital behavioral data. Based on the research carried out by the team, it develops indicators, guidelines, and tools, and provides training materials for social scientists to conduct data quality analyses. A core part of our work is the coordination of KODAQS, the Competence Center for Data Quality in the Social Sciences. This includes:

• The KODAQS Toolbox, featuring user-friendly tools for assessing and improving data quality.
• The KODAQS Academy, a specialized training program focused on high-quality data in the social sciences.
• The KODAQS DataFests, hackathons dedicated to innovative approaches to data quality.

Our team also hosts the PubBias Project, which investigates publication bias in the German social sciences. Through these activities, we make a vital contribution to enhancing data quality in research and practice.

The Cross-Cultural Survey Methods (CSM) team focuses on the methodology of cross-cultural and cross-national studies. Its research and services aim at testing and ensuring intercultural equivalence and, thus, comparability of data. The team provides consultancy notably on questionnaire design and translation/adaptation of measurement instruments. For this, external researchers can either use the Survey Methods Consulting or they can access the GESIS Survey Guides. We are also part of the international steering committee, the Core Scientific Team (CST), of the European Social Survey (ESS ERIC). Jointly with our partners we assure the quality of the collected data; our responsibilities focus on questionnaire translation, planning and monitoring of field activities, as well as interviewer behaviour.

The GESIS Panel offers social scientists the opportunity to collect survey data within a probability-based mixed-mode access panel free of charge, with the exception of funded research projects. Academics of a diverse set of disciplines can submit their proposals. The resulting data is made available to the scientific community for secondary use.

Description is coming soon...

The Questionnaire Design & Evaluation team supports users in the development and evaluation of questionnaires. Cognitive pretests (face-to-face, web probing, and eye-tracking) are conducted to test the quality of survey questions. The results of those pretests are published in our pretesting data base. In research and consultation services, the team addresses topics such as question wording and response formats, the harmonization of variables between surveys, and especially the measurement of socio-structural variables.

The Scale Development & Documentation team develops and documents survey instruments in the social sciences and underpins these services with their own research in this area. The collection of items and scales for the social sciences (CIS) is the key service of this team. More than 200 survey instruments have been published so far.

The Survey Statistics team offers extensive advice regarding sample design and the analysis of survey data. Our services also include the drawing of samples, especially telephone samples using both landline and mobile phones, as well as the development and calculation of survey weights.