Surveys conducted for French public research and statistical bodies must comply with certain legal and institutional requirements and procedures. Scientific and funding partnerships may also need to be set up and certain services outsourced.
The design and implementation of quantitative surveys raise specific statistical problems
Dernière phase à prévoir dans la réalisation de l’enquête : la restitution des principaux résultats aux personnes enquêtées, aux éventuels partenaires et institutions avec lesquels la collecte a été réalisée et aux enquêteur-e-s qui y ont pris part. Une fois l’enquête terminée, un travail de valorisation s’engage : les enseignements méthodologiques sont régulièrement présentés, discutés et valorisés dans des colloques spécialisés et peuvent donner lieu à des publications en collaboration entre le service des enquêtes et les équipes de recherche.
Sampling errors are measured by means of variance indicators, which in turn may be calculated analytically or, for complex sampling plans, through replication techniques such as “jackknife” or “bootstrap.” To determine variance indicators, detailed information on the sampling plan is required
While most INED surveys are quantitative, qualitative methods are now used regularly at different stages in research projects, usually to complement and dovetail with the quantitative approach. There are a rich variety of qualitative methods, but they are often extremely time-consuming in terms of both data collection and analysis.
The choice of data collection mode or modes will depend upon the research themes and objectives (target population, sensitive subject and/or sensitive population), methodological and logistical constraints (existence or not of a sampling frame, survey locations and geographic coverage, respondent characteristics and competencies), budget and time constraints.
Questionnaires are a potential source of bias and must be formulated very carefully to guarantee the quality of the data collected. From survey design to questionnaire testing, it is important to avoid errors in respondent comprehension and interpretation and to avoid influencing or offending respondents
Interviewer training sessions usually last from one to three days. Three main areas are covered: a detailed presentation of project objectives, from the survey context to the specific set of research questions the survey is designed to investigate. This component of training is usually handled by the research team. The aim is to get interviewers interested in the project and to ...
Completed questionnaires cannot be analysed until researchers have processed the information they contain in a computerized data file. The type of processing depends on both how the information was collected (on paper, via internet; self- or interviewer-administered) and how the researchers intend to analyse it. During the various phases of data file processing, INED’s Surveys Department can assist researchers in different ways (advice, expert assessment, supervision of recruited staff, management of certain operations or study components).
