<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The provision of translated field instruments is a crucial aspect to reduce response burden and subsequently increase data quality in surveys with a multi-linguistic target population such as surveys on recent immigrants. Failure to address this can result in a mismatch between the survey language and the respondent’s mother tongue. By using a survey on refugees in Germany, this article explores the correlation of the absence of the respondents’ mother tongue on item nonresponse – a crucial aspect of data quality. Further, this article investigates whether supplementary audio recordings in the same language as the written questions can reduce item nonresponse when the mother tongue is not available. To answer the research questions, all missing answers per individual are counted and analyzed by means of poisson regression analyses. In a second step, the likelihood of item-nonresponse for single items is estimated as well. Results show that a language mismatch as well as the usage of audio recordings increase item nonresponse.</p>
</abstract>

The provision of translated field instruments is a crucial aspect to reduce response burden and subsequently increase data quality in surveys with a multi-linguistic target population such as surveys on recent immigrants. Failure to address this can result in a mismatch between the survey language and the respondent’s mother tongue. By using a survey on refugees in Germany, this article explores the correlation of the absence of the respondents’ mother tongue on item nonresponse – a crucial aspect of data quality. Further, this article investigates whether supplementary audio recordings in the same language as the written questions can reduce item nonresponse when the mother tongue is not available. To answer the research questions, all missing answers per individual are counted and analyzed by means of poisson regression analyses. In a second step, the likelihood of item-nonresponse for single items is estimated as well. Results show that a language mismatch as well as the usage of audio recordings increase item nonresponse.

If They Don’t Understand the Question, They Don’t answer. Language Mismatch in Face-to-Face Interviews

Journal of Official Statistics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The provision of translated field instruments is a crucial aspect to reduce response burden and subsequently increase data quality in surveys with a...

If They Don’t Understand the Question, They Don’t answer. Language Mismatch in Face-to-Face Interviews

Published Online: Jun 14, 2022

Page range: 453 - 484

Received: Feb 01, 2021

Accepted: Aug 01, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2022-0022

Keywords
Respondent burden, item nonresponse, cross-cultural survey methods, poisson regression

© 2022 Jannes Jacobsen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

If They Don’t Understand the Question, They Don’t answer. Language Mismatch in Face-to-Face Interviews

Published Online: Jun 14, 2022

Page range: 453 - 484

Received: Feb 01, 2021

Accepted: Aug 01, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jos-2022-0022

KeywordsRespondent burden, item nonresponse, cross-cultural survey methods, poisson regression

© 2022 Jannes Jacobsen, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Respondent burden, item nonresponse, cross-cultural survey methods, poisson regression