Call - Chapters for "Experiments in Survey Research" Book
Feb 27 2015
Deadline: 13 April 2015
Call for Chapter Contributors
Working Title of Book: Experimental Methods in Survey Research: Techniques that Combine Random Sampling with Random Assignment
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken NJ), in their Survey Methodology series; anticipated publication in 2017
Editors: Paul J. Lavrakas, Edith de Leeuw, Allyson Holbrook, Courtney Kennedy, Michael W. Traugott, and Brady T. West
Background and Purpose of the Book
The purpose of this book is to summarize the current state of knowledge about the uses of experimentation in survey research that uses random probability sampling. It will bring together in one volume the best empirical-based research on how random assignment is combined with random sampling to provide research studies that have both strong Internal Validity to support causal attributions and strong External Validity to support generalizations beyond the sample with a known degree of confidence.
There has been a very long tradition of conducting survey-based experiments for methodological purposes. For example, more than 80 years ago, Shuttleworth (1931) reported an experiment using incentives to raise response rates. Similarly, market researchers have used experiments in their surveys to test product concepts and advertising for many decades.
More recently social scientists in political science, sociology, psychology, communications studies, economics, and other disciplines have begun using randomized vignettes to test various theoretical concepts on large representative samples of the general public (cf. Mutz, 2011) as opposed to limiting their study to unrepresentative convenience samples.
And, with the growth of probability-based Internet panels which provide researchers considerable flexibility in delivering experimental stimuli in multiple modes, the use of powerful experiments embedded into representative surveys will continue to grow.
Each chapter in the new book is expected to contain a critical review of literature on the topic the chapter is focusing upon. This review of past literature is expected to be written using a "total error" perspective to summarize and evaluate what is known about this topic that likely is reliable and valid. The chapter also will report research findings from the author(s) about the topic at hand, as well as identifying important knowledge gaps in the topic and suggestions for future research about how to help close these knowledge gaps.
Call for Chapters
Given the above, we invite academic, public, non-profit, and commercial sector researchers to submit proposals for chapters in our edited volume. The primary purpose of the book is to provide empirical evidence evaluating all sources of potential error in the manner in which randomly assigned experimental treatments are tested within randomly chosen samples.
A subset of possible chapter topics include:
Randomized Response techniques, including List Experiment techniques . Question/Response Wording, Ordering, and/or Formatting experiments . Interviewer-Administered and Other Methodological experiments to raise response rates . Interviewer-Administered and Other Methodological experiments to raise data quality . Experiments pertaining to Adaptive/Responsive survey designs . Methodological experiments to reduce survey costs . Use of Audio and Visual experimental stimuli embedded within surveys . Vignette experiments in Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Communication Studies, Economics, Marketing, or other disciplines . Other experiments in Survey Mode effects . Experiments with Survey Sampling techniques . Statistical Aspects of Survey-based experimentation
A goal of the book is to be as interdisciplinary as possible, so a wide array of other topics is within the scope of the book.
The Process
Through this Call, the editors are inviting potential authors to submit a 5-6 page double-spaced chapter proposal, in English, with the following:
1.) Clear description of the chapter content 2.) Tentative outline of chapter 3.) Description of the dataset(s) that will provide the foundation of the research that is reported in the chapter 4.) Intended take-away points for readers 5.) Up to five key references 6.) Brief description of submitter expertise on the topic area.
The chapter proposal should be sent via email to pjlavrakas@centurylink.net no later than April 13, 2015. A confirmation of receipt of the submission will be sent within two days, and if you do not receive the confirmation please resend the email and/or contact Lavrakas at 928-526-1532 (in the USA).
Anticipated Timeline for Chapters
April 13, 2015 Deadline to submit a chapter proposal June 15, 2015 Decision from the editors November 30, 2015 First draft due February 29, 2016 Feedback from the editors on the first drafts June 30, 2016 Second draft due August 31, 2016 Final feedback from the editors November 30, 2016 Final draft due
Prof. Dr. Edith D. de Leeuw
MOA-professor Utrecht University/Coorganizer TSE15 e-mail edithl@xs4all.nl
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