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Centralisation of data collection and survey integration in the context of the industrialisation of statistical production

Seminar on Statistical Data CollectionGeneva, 25-27 September 2013

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Industrialisation of statistical production

• Streamlining and integration of the European social surveys has three objectives:• increase efficiency• increase responsiveness • increase the level of interlinking

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Modularisation

• Modularisation criteria• Highly conditioned by filtering• Dependencies between modules & hierarchy

• Standardisation• Generic nature of modules

• A work in progress• To soon to answer definitely to “What is

module?”

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Standard demographic module

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Modular survey architecture

• Plug-and-play• Standardised modules• Modules combined into “instruments”

• An instrument is an answer to the need for certain joint distributions

• Data collected per instrument• Data for one same module collected via different

instruments is combined

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Modularity in the stages of production

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Centralisation of data collection – initial reflexions

• Needs• Higher number of different questionnaires• For each questionnaire, smaller samples• Data collection does not serve a survey, but a

more complex data processing system• Focus on make the best use of the interview time• Module dependent multi-mode data collection

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Centralisation of data collection – initial reflexions

• Opportunities• Shorter questionnaires• Higher harmonisation -> Efficiency• Modular questionnaire design• Re-use of manuals, explanatory notes, training

material