Introduction to Political Analysis Mini-Symposium on Advances in Survey Methodology

Abstract

Over the last decade the survey environment has been rapidly changing, creating new opportunities and new challenges for survey methodologists. These include: relatively low response among all contact modes and designs; the rapid replacement of landline telephones for mobile and smart phones; the integration of new and different types of data for sampling and new sampling methods; the use of different survey interview modes; how to study behaviors and opinions about sensitive topics; and the development of survey designs for experts and opinion leaders. All have implications for data quality and for our ability to consistently and reliably answer substantive and theoretical questions about politics and society. Obviously, a comprehensive survey of how survey methodologists are advancing new approaches to deal with this vast array of challenges and opportunities is not possible in a mini-symposium in Political Analysis. Nevertheless, in this Mini-Symposium on Advances in Survey Methodology, we include five papers that focus on new directions that survey methodologists, especially those working in political science, are developing in response to the changing environment.

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