Data Collection

The coordination of all ODISSEI data collections by a single data infrastructure opens the possibilities for greater substantive and methodological synergies, the coordinated application of new technologies, the implementation of shared standards, and the efficient distribution of resources. This can reduce costs, improve data quality and support multi-disciplinarily. This is particularly true with regards to international data infrastructures such as SHARE, GGP, ESS, LIS, and EVS. ODISSEI will coordinate the Dutch representation with these infrastructures and seek to align the work within ODISSEI.

ODISSEI will also conduct a full assessment of international data commitments and evaluate participation on a biannual basis (2021 & 2023). This process is currently disjointed and inefficient. Statistics Netherlands is mandated to provide certain data to Eurostat under European regulation and there are also statistical requirements under the United Nations Agencies such as the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Population Division. There are also requirements as part of membership of the OECD and participation in studies such as PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies). Then there are commitments of the research community to international research infrastructures such as SHARE-ERIC, ESS-ERIC, GGP, EuroCohort, LIS, and EVS. ODISSEI will develop an evaluation framework for the sustainability of the data, examine the data landscape, and report to the ODISSEI Supervisory Board on its recommendations for data coordination.

ODISSEI will address high fieldwork costs in the Netherlands by developing a cost reduction strategy for fieldwork to identify potential efficiencies throughout the data collection process in survey infrastructures. ODISSEI will commission a strategic assessment of the face-to-face fieldwork process and systematically identify the cost components within the current tender requirements. Specifically, workload management and caseload constraints that data collections apply within tender requirements are preventing fieldwork agencies from deploying more cost-efficient face to-face-operations. Sometimes these requirements have high scientific merit, but some have limited scientific merit and significant consequences for cost. The results of the assessment will then be fed into a working group which consists of leading data collections. This working group will be tasked with developing guidelines for future data collections and facilitating the cost reduction strategies outlined in the assessment. Based on the report and its findings, ODISSEI will provide a single tendering framework with clear guidelines on how call for tenders are to be structured. This will be used for data collections from January 2022 onward.

Whilst face-to-face fieldwork costs are increasing rapidly, the feasibility of high-quality online surveys are improving. Online surveys have been constrained by the degree to which they reach the whole population and the degree to which they can be applied in international contexts. ODISSEI will address these issues by developing protocols for adopting web only designs. These will specify mitigation strategies for the negative effects of online only data collection, specifically for hard to reach sub-populations and the internationally comparable nature of the data. The next stage in development will be to set out the conditions and timetable for this transition. These will then be used to inform and structure future data investments within ODISSEI.

Project team Data collection: Marike Knoef (Leiden University – Task leader).

Questions regarding Data collection? Contact Tom Emery (ODISSEI Coordination Team).