Classification of Surveys

Abstract

No two surveys are ever exactly the same (even when they are intended to be). They vary along so many dimensions (the identity and location of the target group, the way the data is gathered, the type of information sought, how frequently it is done and by whom) that it is not a simple task to classify them. This chapter offers an overarching definition of what a survey is, and moves on to differentiate surveys according to seven criteria: (a) the type of target population and the way it is sampled; (b) the topic of interest; (c) the sponsor and agency respectively funding and executing the survey; (d) the mode through which the survey is administered; (e) how frequently the respondents are surveyed; (f) the geographical scale and scope of the survey and (g) the reason why, and purpose for which, the data is being collected.

Appendix 1: Comparative Surveys

• (a) Comparative surveys on attitudes, values, beliefs and opinions

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  European Social Survey ESS www.europeansocialsurvey.org	Academically driven social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe’s changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. Biennial, first Round in 2002, covers more than 30 European countries.
  International Social Survey Programme ISSP www.gesis.org/en/issp/overview/	Continuing annual programme of cross-national collaboration on surveys covering topics important for social science research. Brings together pre-existing social science projects and coordinates research goals, thereby adding a cross-national, cross-cultural perspective to the individual national studies.
  European Values Study EVS www.europeanvaluesstudy.eu	Large-scale, cross-national, and longitudinal survey research programme focusing on basic human values. Provides insights into the ideas, beliefs, preferences, attitudes, values and opinions of citizens all over Europe. Data are collected every ten years on how Europeans think about life, family, work, religion, politics and society.
  World Values Survey WVS www.worldvaluessurvey.org	Explores people’s values and beliefs, how they change over time and what social and political impact they have; carried out in almost 100 countries. Data are collected every five years on support for democracy, tolerance of foreigners and ethnic minorities, support for gender equality, the role of religion and changing levels of religiosity, the impact of globalsation, attitudes towards the environment, work, family, politics, national identity, culture, diversity, insecurity and subjective wellbeing.
  Eurobarometer http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm www.gesis.org/en/eurobarometer-data-service	The Eurobarometer programme monitors public opinion in the European Union. It consists of four survey instruments/series: the Standard Eurobarometer, the Special Eurobarometer, the Flash Eurobarometer, and the Central and Eastern and Candidate Countries Eurobarometer.
  Afrobarometer www.afrobarometer.org	Research project that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in a dozen African countries. Trends in public attitudes are tracked over time. Results are shared with decision makers, policy advocates, civic educators, journalists, researchers, donors and investors as well as average Africans who wish to become more informed and active citizens.
  Latinobarómetro www.latinobarometro.org	Annual public opinion survey that involves some 19,000 interviews in 18 Latin American countries, representing more than 400 million inhabitants. Latinobarómetro Corporation researches the development of democracy and economies as well as societies, using indicators of opinion, attitudes, behaviour and values. Its results are used by social and political actors, international organizations, governments and the media.
  AsiaBarometer www.asiabarometer.org	Comparative survey in Asia, covering East, Southeast, South and Central Asia. It focuses on the daily lives of ordinary people (bumi putra) and their relationships to family, neighbourhood, workplace, social and political institutions and the marketplace.
  Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe SHARE www.share-project.org	Multidisciplinary and cross-national panel database of microdata on health, socioeconomic status and social and family networks of more than 45,000 individuals aged 50 years or over. Started in 2004, now covering 13 countries.

• (b) Comparative surveys on living conditions

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  European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions EUROFOUND www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys	Eurofound has developed three regularly repeated surveys to contribute to the planning and establishment of better living and working conditions. The surveys offer a unique source of comparative information on the quality of living and working conditions across the EU. • European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) • European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) • European Company Survey (ECS)
  Household Finance and Consumption Survey HFCS www.ecb.int/home/html/researcher_hfcn.en.html	The HFCS collects household-level data on household finances and consumption. It covers the following household characteristics at micro-level: demographics, real and financial assets, liabilities, consumption and saving, income and employment, future pension entitlements, intergenerational transfers and gifts, and risk attitudes. Data available in 2013.
  Eurostat microdata http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/introduction	Access to anonymised microdata available at Eurostat only for scientific purposes. The following microdata are disseminated free of charge: • European Community Household Panel (ECHP) • Labour Force Survey (LFS) • Community Innovation Survey (CIS) • Adult Education Survey(AES) • European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) • Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) • Farm Structure Survey (FSS)
  European Community Household Panel ECHP http://epunet.essex.ac.uk/echp.php http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/echp	Harmonised cross-national longitudinal survey focusing on household income and living conditions. It also includes items on health, education, housing, migration, demographics and employment characteristics. ECHP is now finished.
  EU Labour Force Survey EU LFS http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/lfs	Conducted in the 27 Member States of the European Union, three candidate countries and three countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Large household sample survey providing quarterly results on the labour participation of people aged 15 years and over, as well as on persons outside the labour force.
  EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions EU-SILC http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/microdata/eu_silc	Instrument aimed at collecting timely and comparable cross-sectional and longitudinal multidimensional microdata on income, poverty, social exclusion and living conditions. Provides comparable, cross-sectional and longitudinal multi-dimensional data on income, poverty, social exclusion and living conditions in the European Union. Cross-sectional data and longitudinal data.

• (c) Surveys on literacy and skills

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  Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey ALL http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/all/	International comparative study designed to provide participating countries, including the United States, with information about the skills of their adult populations. ALL measures the literacy and numeracy skills of a nationally representative sample from each participating country.
  Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies PIAAC www.oecd.org/piaac	International survey of adult skills, collaboration between governments, an international consortium of organisations and the OECD; results to be published in 2013. Measures skills and competencies needed for individuals (15–65 years) to participate in society and for economies to prosper.
  Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS Progress in International Reading Literacy PIRLS http://timss.bc.edu/	The TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Centre is dedicated to conducting comparative studies in educational achievement. It serves as the international hub for the IEA’s mathematics, science and reading assessments. • TIMSS, every four years, 4th and 8th grade • PIRLS, every five years, 4th grade

• (d) Information on elections

Comparative Study of Electoral Systems CSES www.cses.org	Collaborative programme of research among election study teams from around the world. Participating countries include a common module of survey questions in their post-election studies. The resulting data are deposited along with voting, demographic, district and macro variables.
Infrastructure for Research on Electoral Democracy PIREDEU www.gesis.org/en/institute/competence-centers/rdc-international-survey-programmes/piredeu	Collaborative project on “Providing an Infrastructure for Research on Electoral Democracy in the European Union”, coordinated by the European University Institute (EUI) and its Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS).