Enhancing Survey Participation within Diverse Respondent Groups
Tailoring a Recruitment Strategy for Turkish Citizens in Germany
Data-Method-Monitoring Cluster
Project head: Dr. Jannes Jacobsen
Project team members: Selina Becker , Rasmus Patton
PIs: Dr. Jannes Jacobsen (DeZIM), Dr. Michael Weinhardt (DZA), Dr. Mareike Bünning (DZA)
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The present research project aims to enhance the participation of migrants, particularly Turkish citizens in Germany, in large-scale surveys and panel studies. This is important for monitoring the social situation and integration trajectories of these population groups and for avoiding biases in the general population.
Migrants and their descendants make up about 28% of the German population. Their inclusion in scientific surveys is essential to fully capture social phenomena and identify heterogeneous causal effects. However, previous research indicates an increased unit nonresponse among these groups, making their inclusion costly and challenging.
Research Objectives
The project, situated in the research area "New Data Spaces for the Social Sciences," aims to develop and experimentally test adaptive survey designs to increase participation rates among hard-to-reach groups. The focus is on Turkish migrants in Germany, a group with historically low response rates.
Methodology
The project is divided into three work packages:
Developing tailored recruitment strategies: In collaboration with representatives of the Turkish community, specific cover letters, informational materials, and an incentive system will be developed. These materials aim to spark interest and build trust.
Experimental testing: These strategies will be tested at various stages of a panel study (initial contact, consent for recontact, follow-up wave). The success of the new materials will be compared against standard approaches.
Best Practice Guidelines: Based on the results, best practice guidelines will be developed and published to assist other researchers in recruiting migrant populations.
The findings will be published in several scientific articles and integrated into existing panel studies like the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) and the DeZIM.panel. These measures aim to increase the participation and trust of migrants, contributing to the collection of representative data.
The project will also examine the differences in preferred survey methods between younger and older migrants to determine the most cost-effective method for different age groups. Overall, the research project aims to develop empirically tested and practical solutions to sustainably improve migrant participation in scientific surveys.
Funding: German Research Foundation (Third-party funding)
Cooperation partner: