Journal article
What is the Future of Survey-Based Data Collection for Local Government Research? Trends, Strategies, and Recommendations
Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Vol.60(3), pp.1094-1115
05/01/2024
DOI: 10.1177/10780874231175837
Abstract
Surveys are an important vehicle for advancing research on urban policy and governance. The introduction of online tools eased survey-based data collection, making it cheaper and easier to obtain data from key informants like local elected officials or public administrators. However, the utility of web-based survey administration may be diminishing. To investigate this dynamic and search for strategies to support survey research in urban studies, we perform a systematic review of survey research in urban policy and administration scholarship and conduct an original survey follow-up experiment. Our findings identify a clear downward trend in survey response rates that was accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results from our survey experiment show distinctly different costs per solicitation and per completed survey, depending on administration mode. These findings stimulate discussion on how scholars may continue to use surveys to generate high-quality, empirically rigorous research on urban affairs in light of recent trends.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- What is the Future of Survey-Based Data Collection for Local Government Research? Trends, Strategies, and Recommendations
- Creators
- Rachel M. Krause - University of KansasS. Mohsen Fatemi - University of KansasLe Anh Nguyen Long - University of TwenteGwen Arnold - University of California, DavisSarah L. Hofmeyer - University of Kansas
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Urban affairs review (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Vol.60(3), pp.1094-1115
- Publisher
- Sage
- DOI
- 10.1177/10780874231175837
- ISSN
- 1078-0874
- eISSN
- 1552-8332
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- 2049917 / U.S. National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2024
- Academic Unit
- School of Planning and Public Affairs; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984701824002771
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