Conferences

When looking at the conference agenda’s of the three International Conferences on Establishment Survey (ICES 1993, 2000, 2007) we can see a shift in the methodology of business surveys. In the first conference a lot of attention was given to the design of individual surveys, frames and sampling, and data analysis. In the last conference the focus was on methodological research with regard to data collection, the use of administrative data, and business frames and sampling.

In continuation of ICES3, present day issues of interest are:

- Electronic data reporting. This includes e.g. the design and pre-testing of electronic questionnaires, and the contact strategy for business surveys.

- Mixed-mode survey designs, e.g. the implementation of mixed-mode designs, including the generation process of questionnaires for a number of modes, sampling designs for these complex surveys.

- Multi-source / mixed mode designs, i.e. the combination of register data and survey data in one design for data collection, including research on matching registers.

- Survey participation. This includes research on response burden, understanding the response process within businesses, strategies on motivating businesses to participate, contact strategies, non-response reduction strategies.

- Data quality, which includes e.g. research on timeliness of response, weighting and reduction of bias.

The session will feature presentations on methodological research in business survey methodology that is being conducted by a range of organizations, across several countries. Of particular interest will be investigations that lead the way toward methodological development in one of the areas described above.