Reaching the unreachables: A panel survey among unemployed young adults in Austria and recommendations on how to decrease nonresponse and attrition

Authors

  • Monika Mühlböck Universität Wien
  • Nadia Steiber Universität Wien
  • Bernhard Kittel

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15203/ozp.2029.vol47iss2

Keywords:

panel survey, difficult target groups, nonresponse, attrition

Abstract

Survey response rates are especially low among young people, those with low levels of formal education and those who are not well integrated into society. These effects are amplified in panel studies, where similar factors influence the propensity of continued participation in survey waves. As a result, conducting a panel study on young, unemployed people is particularly challenging. The paper describes the difficulties associated with selection effects and panel mortality in this particular group and the remedies applied in the JuSAW project, where we conducted a panel survey among young adults aged 18-28 who became unemployed between May and September 2014. Based on our experiences and a detailed analysis of sample balance and panel stability, we develop recommendations for future studies.

Author Biographies

  • Monika Mühlböck, Universität Wien
    Monika Mühlböck studierte Politikwissenschaft (Mag.phil 2007, Dr.phil. 2012) und Mathematik (B.Sc. 2013) an der Universität Wien. Von 2007-2010 war sie Stipendiatin am Institut für Höhere Studien in Wien. 2010-2011 war sie als Marie Curie Early-Stage Researcher an der Universität Mannheim, 2011-2012 als Projektmitarbeiterin an der Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien beschäftigt. 2013-2014 war sie als Karenzvertretung für eine Assistenzprofessur an der Universität Salzburg engagiert, im Sommer 2013 als EUCE Fellow an der University of Colorado.
    Seit März 2014 arbeitet sie als Post-Doc am Institut für Wirtschaftssoziologie.
  • Nadia Steiber, Universität Wien
    Seit Oktober 2013 Universitätsassistentin Post Doc, Institut für Wirtschaftssoziologie, Universität Wien
    Seit Januar 2014 Research Scholar, Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital
    Seit 2012 Associate, MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society
    2012-2013 Wissenschaftliche Projektmitarbeiterin und Lektorin, Institut für Soziologie und empirische Sozialforschung, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien
    2010-2012 Marie Curie Fellow, Europäisches Hochschulinstitut, Florenz, Italien
    2009-2010 Max Weber Fellow, Europäisches Hochschulinstitut, Florenz, Italien
    2005-2009 Wissenschaftliche Projektmitarbeiterin und Lektorin, Institut für Soziologie und empirische Sozialforschung, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien
    2007 Promotion am Nuffield College, University of Oxford (DPhil Sociology)
    2002-2007 Doktoratsstudium, Nuffield College, University of Oxford, Großbritannien
    1996-2001 Studium der Soziologie (Mag.rer.soc.oec),  Universität Wien, Österreich
  • Bernhard Kittel
    1986-1991 Studium der Politikwissenschaft in Wien
    1991-1993 Stipendiat am Institut für Höhere Studien, Wien
    1994 Promotion zum Dr. phil. (Politikwissenschaft)
    2000 MA in Social Science Data Analysis, University of Essex
    1993-1996 Projektmitarbeiter und Vertragsassistent, Institut für Soziologie, Universität Wien
    1997-2002 Universitätsassistent, Institut für Soziologie/Institut für Staatswissenschaft, Universität Wien
    2001-2002 Stipendiat am Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung, Köln
    2002-2003 Juniorprofessor für Sozialpolitik, Universität Bremen
    2003-2006 Professor für Soziologie, insbesondere Methoden und Techniken der Sozialwissenschaften, Universiteit van Amsterdam
    2006-2012 Professor für Methoden der empirischen Sozialforschung (für Soziologie und Politikwissenschaft), Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg
    2008-2010 Gründungsdekan der Fakultät für Bildungs- und Sozialwissenschaften, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg
    seit März 2012 Professur für Wirtschaftssoziologie und Institutsvorstand am Institut für Wirtschaftssoziologie der Universität Wien

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Published

2018-10-31

Issue

Vol. 47 No. 2 (2018): Sozialwissenschaftliche Umfrageforschung im Umbruch? Datenqualität und Effizienz

Section

Special issue article

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