Sampling and fieldwork
The sampling
For each Flash Eurobarometer new and independent samples are drawn by random. Representativity is stated for the respective universe. Selection details (e.g. RDD, regions quotas, ...) for the total population (15+) and the youth surveys are not published.
In the case of the MANAGER (top level executive) surveys, the target type(s) of business are defined by size of company groupings and activity sector. Within each of the cells defined by these criteria, the selection of the sample units was made at random. The samples are drawn from lists of companies qualified to be interviewed provided by Dun & Bradstreet.
Other specific professional groups are exactly defined and randomly selected from lists of potential interview partners, if necessary in a two stage process, first starting from full lists of relevant institutions.
The basic bilingual English/French questionnaires are translated into the respective national language(s) by the local institutes. Central revision of the translation is mentioned occasionally. The application of a centralised back-translation procedure is explicitly mentioned for special target surveys for the first time in Flash EB 186.
Interviews are predominantly conducted by telephone. Starting with Flash EB 183 and for selected total population surveys a combination (mixed-mode) of face-to-face interviews (30%) with webCATI (70%) is stated for the new eastern member countries, except Slovenia. At least since Flash EB 213 interviews in FINLAND and AUSTRIA are conducted by landline and mobile phone.
Until Flash Eurobarometer 180 the fieldwork was carried out through the national institutes associated with EOS Gallup Europe, starting with 2003 associated with Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS). They were responsible for the co-ordination of the fieldwork and the production of the integrated data sets.
Between 2006 and 2011 the fieldwork implementation was carried out by The GALLUP Organisation Europe and realised by its local partner institutes, co-ordinated by Gallup Hungary (Magyar Gallup Intézet).
Since 2012 the Flash Eurobarometer are carried out by TNS Political & Social (subsequently renamed to Kantar Political & Social), a consortium created between TNS political & social, TNS UK and TNS opinion.
From 2021 onwards the fieldwork is conducted by Ipsos European Public Affairs.
Survey specific details and variations can be extracted from the respective official technical specifications, which are attached to the master questionnaires.