Self-administered field surveys on sensitive topics

Abstract

Research on sensitive topics uses a variety of methods to combat response bias on in-person surveys. Increasingly, researchers allow respondents to self-administer responses using electronic devices as an alternative to more complicated experimental approaches. Using an experiment embedded in a survey in the rural Philippines, we test the effects of several such methods on response rates and falsification. We asked respondents a sensitive question about reporting insurgents to the police alongside a non-sensitive question about school completion. Respondents were randomly assigned to answer verbally, through a forced-choice experiment, or through self-enumeration. We find that self-enumeration significantly reduced nonresponse compared to direct questioning, but find little evidence of differential falsification. Forced choice yielded highly unlikely estimates, which we attribute to non-strategic falsification. These findings suggest that self-administered surveys can be effective for measuring sensitive topics when maximizing response rates is a priority.

Cite

@article{nanes2021self,
title={Self-administered field surveys on sensitive topics},
author={Nanes, Matthew and Haim, Dotan},
journal={Journal of Experimental Political Science},
volume={8},
number={2},
pages={185--194},
year={2021},
publisher={Cambridge University Press}
}