Smart Survey Implementation - Work package 2: Research Methodology - Deliverable M14: Smart baseline stage

Abstract

Work Package 2 (WP2) of the Smart Survey Implementation (SSI) project focuses on defining the core methodological elements required for trusted smart surveys in European official statistics. Building on the earlier M6 deliverable, WP2 addresses four main challenges: (1) recruiting participants, (2) applying machine learning to enhance survey interaction, (3) involving respondents and improving human-computer interaction, and (4) integrating smart surveys with more traditional methods by estimating mode effects. This deliverable explains how the project intends to tackle these challenges through a combination of large and small field tests. The large tests, conducted across multiple countries, will investigate strategies for recruiting participants and merging data from smart and traditional survey modes. Smaller tests, with qualitative samples, will focus on improving machine learning (for tasks such as classifying receipts in a Household Budget Survey) and refining user experience in Time Use and Household Budget Surveys. Several chapters detail the technical setup, the protocols for testing interface designs, and plans for analyzing mode effects. The findings and recommendations—based on both the large and small field tests—will appear in a later M24 deliverable, offering evidence-based insights on best practices for smart surveys.