Members of the Centre for Social Informatics published an article in Survey Research Methods

Dr. Vasja Vehovar and Dr. Gregor Čehovin, members of the Centre for Social Informatics, in collaboration with Dr. Nejc Berzelak (Social Protection Institute of the Republic of Slovenia), published an original scientific article in the journal Survey Research Methods (A'') titled Identifying a Set of Key Paradata Indicators in Web Surveys Based on the Relationship with Response Quality, Respondent Characteristics and Survey Estimates.

Web survey paradata are digital traces left by respondents, offering insights into the response process. This study sought to identify a minimal set of paradata indicators usable like sociodemographic variables. A literature review showed paradata are mainly studied for response quality and occasionally for respondent traits or survey estimates. The analysis of data from 3,458 respondents identified twelve key paradata indicators based on 112 initial indicators.

The results show that the paradata indicators are statistically significantly associated with the response quality, respondent characteristics (e.g. the Big Five personality dimensions) and survey estimates. Key parapodata indicators can thus contribute to standardized approaches to improve the data quality, comparability, and reproducibility of online surveys. The results also highlight the importance of enhancing server-side data collection, standardizing client-side scripts, and providing guidance for researchers.