<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Occupation is key in socioeconomic research. As in other survey modes, most web surveys use an open-ended question for occupation, though the absence of interviewers elicits unidentifiable or aggregated responses. Unlike other modes, web surveys can use a search tree with an occupation database. They are hardly ever used, but this may change due to technical advancements. This article evaluates a three-step search tree with 1,700 occupational titles, used in the 2010 multilingual WageIndicator web survey for UK, Belgium and Netherlands (22,990 observations). Dropout rates are high; in Step 1 due to unemployed respondents judging the question not to be adequate, and in Step 3 due to search tree item length. Median response times are substantial due to search tree item length, dropout in the next step and invalid occupations ticked. Overall the validity of the occupation data is rather good, 1.7-7.5% of the respondents completing the search tree have ticked an invalid occupation.</p></abstract>

Occupation is key in socioeconomic research. As in other survey modes, most web surveys use an open-ended question for occupation, though the absence of interviewers elicits unidentifiable or aggregated responses. Unlike other modes, web surveys can use a search tree with an occupation database. They are hardly ever used, but this may change due to technical advancements. This article evaluates a three-step search tree with 1,700 occupational titles, used in the 2010 multilingual WageIndicator web survey for UK, Belgium and Netherlands (22,990 observations). Dropout rates are high; in Step 1 due to unemployed respondents judging the question not to be adequate, and in Step 3 due to search tree item length. Median response times are substantial due to search tree item length, dropout in the next step and invalid occupations ticked. Overall the validity of the occupation data is rather good, 1.7-7.5% of the respondents completing the search tree have ticked an invalid occupation.

Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey

University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies (AIAS), Postbus 94025 1090 GA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Journal of Official Statistics

{"article-title":"Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey"}

Occupation is key in socioeconomic research. As in other survey modes, most web surveys use an open-ended question for occupation, though the absence of...

Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 23 - 43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2014-0002

Keywords
Job title, CAWI, occupation database, ISCO, paradata, time stamps, respondent’s interest, respondent’s age and education, total survey dropout, validity

This content is open access.

Dropout Rates and Response Times of an Occupation Search Tree in a Web Survey

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 23 - 43

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2014-0002

KeywordsJob title, CAWI, occupation database, ISCO, paradata, time stamps, respondent’s interest, respondent’s age and education, total survey dropout, validity

This content is open access.

Keywords
Job title, CAWI, occupation database, ISCO, paradata, time stamps, respondent’s interest, respondent’s age and education, total survey dropout, validity