Jessica Daikeler is a survey methodologist and works in the Survey Operations team in the Survey Design and Methodology department at GESIS.
At GESIS, she is involved in the application of evidence-based methods, in particular experiments, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. She has lots of experience with different systematic review and meta-analysis projects. Her research is currently focused on data quality in digital behavioral data linked to survey data and, of course, methods for the accumulation of evidence.
Sonila Dardha is a survey methodologist with an awarded PhD at City, University of London on the topic of interviewer effects. Currently, she is a Survey Methodologist Quantitative UX Researcher at Meta in London. Previously, she worked for Kantar Public in Brussels and London running international projects such as the Enterprise Surveys in Africa (World Bank), Eurobarometer Surveys (European Commission), European Elections 2015 (European Parliament), Life in Transition Survey (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), and Global Attitudes Project (Pew Research Center).
They will teach the course “Applied Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” at the GESIS Summer School in August 2023.
How did you become interested in your subject?
Jessica: For me, the answer to this question is very simple. My doctoral supervisor, Prof. Michael Bosnjak, gently but firmly pointed me to this topic. Ultimately the best thing that could have happened. It opened many doors for me to be an expert in a specialized field. Moreover, scientific journals like meta-analyses because they are often cited, so win-win.
Sonila: I started exploring systematic reviews and meta-analyses as methods during my PhD in sex-of-interviewer effects in survey research. I realized how important this approach is since it provides a more robust and comprehensive understanding of a research question and helps to identify trends in the results that might have gone unnoticed in individual studies. Given how powerful such studies can be - essentially moving from knowledge to wisdom, I dedicated more time to fully exploring this field. And here I am now, sharing that learning with others.
What lessons can participants draw from your GESIS course?
Jessica & Sonila: After this course, participants will be able to conduct an evidence gap map, a systematic review and/or meta-analysis. They will learn that although it is a lot of work, synthesizing studies can also be a lot of fun. Participants will be able to use the literature search techniques, including text mining methods, beyond systematic reviews in their academic careers.
What do you think is the most exciting recent development in your field?
Jessica: The most exciting development in our field is definitely the incredible data situation we are confronted with. In the future, the social sciences will not only have a large amount of survey data at their disposal, but also observational data (on digital behavior). I am very proud that GESIS is playing a leading role here and I am already very excited because this year our new web tracking panel "GESIS Pulse" and also the Survey App Kit for collecting such data will be launched. On the other hand, I still see many challenges, especially in the area of data protection.
What do you enjoy most about being a social scientist?
Sonila: I enjoy the opportunity to study human thinking and behavior, and to use my research to make a positive impact in our societies. I also find the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting survey data to be challenging and rewarding. The ability to identify patterns in how humans think, behave, feel, perceive, etc., and use that knowledge to inform decisions can be a source of satisfaction for me as a social scientist.
We thank Jessica and Sonila for their interesting insights and look forward to their class.
