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Designing Low Cost Rapid
Data Collection Systems
Arie Aharon, Israel Central Bureau of Statistics
Seminar on New Frontiers for Statistical Data Collection
Geneva, Switzerland, 31 October – 2 November 2012
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The Reason and the Necessity: Background

Increase in the scope of surveys – due to Israel’s membership
in the OECD and demands by government ministries.

Demands of some of the surveys:


Need to be conducted within a short time after the date they are
commissioned

Subject to rigid budgetary constraints.
The problem – each survey is uniquely “tailored”, an
expensive factor that also requires considerable time.
The goal: Conduct a survey rapidly at low cost.
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Main Operational Elements of Every Survey

A sampling system—defining the survey population and
drawing the sample

A questionnaire (developing a computerized
questionnaire)

Management System - A system for managing the
survey’s fieldwork

Data transmission

Personnel—interviewers and supervisors

Data entry systems—for surveys in which paper
questionnaires are used
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The factors that affect Survey Costs and
Duration of Planning

Defining the developmental needs and
demands

Development of computerized data
collection systems (questionnaire and
fieldwork management system)

Personnel—interviewers and supervisors
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The Proposed Solution
In light of the factors that affect the survey costs
and the duration of survey planning, the proposed
solution is:
To conduct a supplementary (hitchhiking) survey
based on an existing survey.


To develop computerized generic systems.
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Supplementary Survey
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What is a supplementary (hitchhiking) survey?

A survey based on the existing platform of
another survey.

Makes use of as many elements as possible
from an existing survey and applies them in
the new survey.
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What does this mean?

Using the same sample.

The same interviewers and supervisors
 No need for additional personnel, but it does involve a
larger investment of time in fieldwork

Integration with generic systems (as will be
explained)

Using the same fieldwork management system.

Reducing the potential response burden.
The main expense is the cost of adding a new
questionnaire to an existing survey.
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Examples of Supplementary Surveys
The Financial Literacy Survey

Supplemented to the Social Survey (operated with CAPI
method).

The additional questionnaire was on paper (printed
methodology).
Consumer Confidence Survey

Based on the platform of participants sampled in the Social
Survey (conducted with CATI method).

Using the same sample, no need for collecting demographic
data, using the same telephone numbers collected in the field
interview.
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(continued)
Monthly Labour Force Survey

A computerized system was designed to enable
supplementary surveys.
Health Survey

Supplementary Survey to the Quarterly Labour Force
Survey (using CATI method).

A computerized system was not developed and the data
was filled in on paper questionnaire.
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Generic System
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Generic System (Survey)
A generic system is one for which templates have been
developed that can be adapted to many surveys, both
for CATI and CAPI methods
•
The system consists of several components:
•
A questionnaire
•
A system for managing fieldwork at several levels
•
Transmission of data with CAPI
A system of data entry from the generic questionnaires—for
printed questionnaires
•
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Goals of the Generic System

To reduce the time involved in designing a new
survey.

To combine several data collection methods (CATI,
CAPI, CAWI).

Uniformity in managing surveys


Establishing standard activities and processes for
conducting the surveys.

Making it easier for the interviewers—they are working
with similar systems.
Saving development time.
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Generic System—Additional Features

The generic system is fast and economical.

Its limitation—designing complex questionnaires with data
flow.

Survey management system—to combine with all
methods of collection and with all types of surveys, both
of households and of businesses.

Data transmission—used in CAPI surveys; the system has
been applied to all of the surveys and has created
standardization for all the interviewers.

Data entry from printed generic questionnaires—still
under development.
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Supplementary Survey and Generic System:
Concluding Remarks
Effective tools for cutting costs and significantly reducing
the time involved in planning surveys.
Appropriate for relatively small surveys





Supplementary surveys – length of the questionnaire (or
duration of interview)
Generic – complexity of the survey
In the future this subject will be developed as well.
Supplementary Survey



Reduces the potential response burden.
It is always based on a main current survey such as the
Labour Force Survey or the Social Survey.
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Thank You!
aharon@cbs.gov.il
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