# Developing a software suite for managing large scale cross-national web surveys within the framework of the European Open Science Cloud

Gianmaria Bottoni, Geneviève Michaud

► To cite this version:

Gianmaria Bottoni, Geneviève Michaud. Developing a software suite for managing large scale cross-national web surveys within the framework of the European Open Science Cloud. Big data meets survey science (BigSurv20), Nov 2020, Online, France. 10.5281/zenodo.7505482 . hal-03924208

HAL Id: hal-03924208

https://sciencespo.hal.science/hal-03924208

Submitted on 5 Jan 2023

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access
archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci-
entific research documents, whether they are pub-
lished or not. The documents may come from
teaching and research institutions in France or
abroad, or from public or private research centers.

L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est
destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents
scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non,
émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de
recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires
publics ou privés.

<figure><img src="image_1.png" /></figure>

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

SSHOC
social sciences & humanities open cloud

# Developing a software suite for managing large scale cross-national web surveys within the framework of the European Open Science Cloud

Rory Fitzgerald, Gianmaria Bottoni (ESS ERIC HQ City, University of London),
Geneviève Michaud (SciencesPo Paris)

BigSurv20- November 20th 2020 - online

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /></figure>

The need for a cross-national SMS

* The ESS experimented with the worlds' first input harmonised probability based cross-national web panel in three countries by recruiting panel members who had taken part in the face-to-face survey

* Key challenge:

* absence of a sample management software suited for use in a multi-country environment and which could also meet data protection requirements

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /></figure>
Major challenges

* Harmonised management of the sample in the three different countries

• Harmonised management of incentives

* Central management of different survey contacts (postal mails, emails and text messages)

* Harmonisation of the surveys' translation into three different languages

* Access to panellists information at country and central level: restricting access right and preventing subsets of the staff being able to access panellists' personal information proved challenging

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Aim

* No “off-the-shelf” commercial software that was flexible enough to manage the complexity of a cross-national sample

* ESS ERIC and Sciences Po will build upon their experience of developing a sample management software suite for their national web panel (ELIPSS) to meet the needs of cross-national projects

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

# Functionalities

* **Storing** and uploading panel member information

* Add new cases

* Add new variables

* Update existing variables

* **Managing** a panel throughout the course of survey life cycle keeping track of the panellists' activity

* Updates from participants (e.g. contact details, opting out)

* Updates from survey data (e.g. Whether or not the panel member has started/completed the interview)

* The software links directly with the survey instrument, allowing for a two ways instant synchronisation

* Fieldwork monitoring: generating basic dashboards

* **Participant communications**

* centralised management of translated emails, short text messages to panel members

* Dispatch of emails

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

Two communicating Information Systems

* Questionnaire developers

* Messages and translation managers

* Data archive member role

Survey Platform

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

Web API

* Headquarters manager

* National coordinators

* Respondents

Web Panel Sample
Service

<figure><img src="image_15.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_16.png" /></figure>

A complete set of roles

The combination of:

- web application roles and accreditations

- survey platform roles and permissions

... is designed to create an information system where:

- data flows are minimized (see Data flows chart)

- roles are defined on a need-to-know basis.

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_18.png" /></figure>

# Survey Platform – User roles

* **Questionnaire developer:**
  responsible for survey programming

* **Messages and translation manager:**
  responsible for drafting communications with panelists and
  translation operations

* **Archive member:**
  responsible for survey data curation and archiving

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /></figure>
<figure><img src="image_20.png" /></figure>

# Web Panel Sample Service – User roles

* **Headquarters:** manager of the survey.

* HQ creates a list of national coordinators (NC) accounts, and assigns a national sample to each NC.

* HQ can access anonymised data to monitor the cross-national samples and fieldwork.

* HQ role can monitor questionnaires and messages translation (drafted in the survey platform).

* HQ role is the only role empowered to trigger emails and text messages survey invitations and reminders

<figure><img src="image_21.png" /></figure>
WPSS

Panelists

Panels

National coordinators

Surveys

Messages

<figure><img src="image_22.png" /></figure>

gianmaria.bottoni@city.ac.uk

<figure><img src="image_23.png" /></figure>

## Headquarters

Entry point for headquarters managers

### Panelists

Overview of Panelists

### Panels

Overview of all panels

Create new panels

### National Coordinators

Create NC accounts

Assign NCs to panels

### Surveys

Qualtrics surveys

Distribute surveys to panels

### Messages

Qualtrics messages

<figure><img src="image_24.png" /></figure>
# Web Panel Sample Service – User roles

* **National Coordinators (NC)**, which are responsible for each national sample

<figure><img src="image_25.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_26.png" /></figure>
# Web Panel Sample Service – User roles

* Respondents have access to a personal webpage where they can

* update contact details,

* find useful information (like helpline),

* answer published surveys

<figure><img src="image_27.png" /></figure>
Thanks you for your attention

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information

* Gianmaria Bottoni
gianmaria.bottoni@city.ac.uk

* Geneviève Michaud
Genevieve.Michaud@sciencespo.fr

<figure><img src="image_28.png" /></figure>
CRONOS2 DATA FLOW

<figure><img src="image_29.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_30.png" /></figure>