Long term survey strategy: summary report and framework to support decision-making

What are the key issues to consider when assessing mode options?

Key issues to consider when considering future mode options were identified through a combination of a review of existing survey quality and design frameworks and interviews with Scottish Government stakeholders. In particular, this research drew on the Total Survey Error framework, which is generally accepted as the most comprehensive framework for assessing survey quality, as well as elements of the European Statistical System (ESS), and the Tailored Design Method (TDM) and Respondent Centred Design (RCD). The final list of key issues was grouped into three overarching areas:

• The impact of different modes on representation - in other words, what difference does mode of data collection (and mode of invitation to participate) make to the sample of people that respond to surveys? This can be further separated into issues of coverage and sampling (that is, the profile of those invited to take part) and issues of nonresponse (the profile of those who actually take part).
• Impacts of different modes on measurement - in other words, what difference does mode of data collection make to the nature and quality of data collected from the sample of respondents?
• Impacts of different modes on wider commissioner and user needs and priorities – including trends, measures of quality and external credibility, resources, and the possible interaction between survey and administrative data.