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Group projects are part of the core educational experience in higher education, but many students report bad experiences with them, characterized by negative emotions and group problems. Group problems may undermine learning and cause stress and frustration. This may be prevented by monitoring and supporting groups, but this is often not feasible for teachers, who lack time and resources. This research aims to find a method for early identification of group work problems via computer-supported assessment. First, interviews and focus groups provided insights into the most common group problems and which visual features students preferred in a peer assessment. Next, two assessment versions were created: a simple, time-efficient version, and a more engaging, interactive one. We also created an initial version of E-Mate, a virtual agent that provides feedback on the assessment. These were tested in a field study. Most students reported a positive experience with the peer assessment, regardless of the version used. Teachers were also positive about its usefulness. Based on the feedback received, new features were added to the peer assessment survey and the E-Mate was redesigned; this new version was tested in a second field study. The results are in line with the previous field study and confirm the positive reception and usefulness of the survey, supporting the use of five attributes to evaluate group collaboration and the usage of a peer assessment survey to assess group work.

This research explores what type of verbal/text survey content translates effectively between survey modes within a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) and Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) mixed-mode survey project within unified mixed-mode survey design. This phenomenon is researched through the implementation of online probes within an existing CAWI survey project for sections close to an original CATI design. This research provides insights into how respondents understand and conceptualize verbal content within a unified mixed-mode CAWI survey in today’s online survey environment. This research is timely as the penetration of mobile has increased drastically, which may have implications on CAWI/CATI mixed-mode research considering the conflicting best practices for mobile CAWI survey design and CATI survey design. The results show that respondents do not engage with introductory pages enough to reliably recall their information, even when significantly shortened and simplified. Additionally, respondents are sensitive to high amounts of text and topics within survey question spaces. This means that some aspects of CATI survey design do not translate to CAWI and may even be cause for data quality concerns. These findings highlight some key issues faced by researchers and practitioners, provide some guidance on how design choices may impact results, and presents rich opportunities for future research.

Mobility patterns and transport systems have been heavily impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public transport is impacted heavily, as governments worldwide advised against using it. This paper presents the data collection effort initiated by NS (Dutch Railways) and Delft University of Technology to capture changes in travel behavior, attitudes and intentions related to the COVID-19 pandemic among Dutch train travelers. The survey set-up, data collection process, data validation and potential of the dataset are discussed. The data collection effort proves to be a valuable longitudinal data set that is ground for many research opportunities and policy insights., Transport and Planning

Workshop "Smartphones in travel surveys" sought to provide a research agenda for three research themes critical to the use of smartphones in travel surveys in the future: i) survey design, ii) practical and technical implementation and iii) information inference and techniques. Four concrete needs were identified to help ensure the most promising role for smartphone travel surveys in the future: reporting standards and guidelines for data collection; a checklist or manual to help surveyor conduct smartphone travel surveys; centralizing information on existing apps, information inference libraries and available training datasets; and finally, community development of open-source solutions and/or back-end transparency of proprietary data collection and analysis solutions.

BACKGROUND: The Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative in the United States relies on HIV hotspots to identify where to geographically target new resources, expertise, and technology. However, interventions targeted at places with high HIV transmission and infection risk, not just places with high HIV incidence, may be more effective at reducing HIV incidence and achieving health equity. OBJECTIVE: We described the implementation and validation of a web-based activity space survey on HIV risk behaviors. The survey was intended to collect geographic information that will be used to map risk behavior hotspots as well as the geography of sexual networks in Los Angeles County. METHODS: The survey design team developed a series of geospatial questions that follow a 3-level structure that becomes more geographically precise as participants move through the levels. The survey was validated through 9 cognitive interviews and iteratively updated based on participant feedback until the saturation of topics and technical issues was reached. RESULTS: In total, 4 themes were identified through the cognitive interviews: functionality of geospatial questions, representation and accessibility, privacy, and length and understanding of the survey. The ease of use for the geospatial questions was critical as many participants were not familiar with mapping software. The inclusion of well-known places, landmarks, and road networks was critical for ease of use. The addition of a Google Maps interface, which was familiar to many participants, aided in collecting accurate and precise location information. The geospatial questions increased the length of the survey and warranted the inclusion of features to simplify it and speed it up. Using nicknames to refer to previously entered geographic locations limited the number of geospatial questions that appeared in the survey and reduced the time taken to complete it. The long-standing relationship between participants and the research team improv

Understanding political and social effects of violence in local populations through public opinion surveys has become increasingly common internationally. Yet while researchers are attuned to possible challenges induced during survey implementation, this work focuses almost uniformly on respondents. This paper considers survey enumerators as critical actors for data collection in violent research settings. We present survey results from 245 enumerators in Côte d’Ivoire to show that their personal feelings of insecurity and exposure to violence while conducting surveys may condition challenges faced and compromises made to gathering data. We shed light on how academic research in violent political settings poses unique security concerns for enumerators, with ramifications for data integrity.

Providing context behind customer feedback remains a challenge for company’s who rely on approaching Customer Experience (CX) through standardized Customer Satisfaction (CS) metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES). Practical guidelines for monitoring CS throughout the customer journey are limited, creating a gap in academic research. This study addresses this gap by offering practical guidelines for CS, actionable insights, and alternative survey design strategies within the context of invoicing. Utilizing a Research-through-Design (RtD) approach guided by the Double Diamond design model, the study consists of four phases: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. From a service design perspective using qualitative methods, the study acquires and analyzes both organizational and customer insights. Synthesized empirical findings emphasize the need for a more comprehensive approach that targets specific phases of the customer journey utilizing a more customer- centric approach, paving the way for alternative methods that reaches beyond just simply measuring CS. Introducing the concept of a personal companion, the study presents a dialogical approach where surveys are experienced as ongoing interactions rather mere tasks. By highlighting the importance of contextualization, alternative survey approaches, and a dialogical approach, this research aims to guide company’s in managing customer feedback strategies.

The ultimate goal in survey design is to obtain the acquisition parameters that enable acquiring the most affordable data that fulfills certain image quality requirements. We propose a method that allows optimization of the receiver geometry for a fixed source distribution. The former is parameterized with a receiver density function that determines the number of receivers per unit area. We optimize this receiverdensity function through an iterative gradient descent scheme that minimizes the difference between the image obtained with the current acquisition geometry and a reference image. The reference image is obtained from prior subsurface information that is assumed to be available. We tested the method with different subsurface models. The results show that the acquisition geometry is optimized according to the complexity of each subsurface model. The receivers are moved towards the areas where more data is needed for obtaining better imaging., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics

Climate change and mental health are two relevant topics in modern society. Climate change affects a variety of constituents both physically and mentally. The correlation between climate change and mental health, specifically for young people, must be examined more closely. There is currently minimal research to establish whether climate change impacts youth mental health in Maryland. What has been established is that climate change is anxiety-inducing. It can cause people to worry about the future and engender feelings of hopelessness. To expand, “People who are experiencing anxiety about climate change (or eco-anxiety) will feel genuine distress that can limit their daily activities and lead to serious depressive and anxious symptoms” (Léger-Goodes, et al. 2022). The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would like to better understand this correlation, and understand connections between young people, climate change, and mental health in Maryland. This capstone project aims to design surveys that apply extensive research about survey methodology and survey question design. This project also offers implementation recommendations if DNR chooses to pursue these surveys. To provide more context, this paper and the surveys focus specifically on the Baltimore area, which experiences natural disaster flooding at much higher rates compared to other locations in Maryland. There are different types of stress-causing natural disasters; this report looks at flooding because it’s common in Maryland areas that border a body of water. Many of our student peers have experienced increased levels of flooding in their towns. Increased flooding levels can cause stress for youth and create long-lasting trauma in their lives. Further, by 2045 Baltimore is projected to face more than a 10-fold increase in the number of tidal floods each year, because of sea level rise alone (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2016).

We present a rest-frame optical morphological analysis of galaxies observed with the NIRCam imager on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of the GLASS-JWST Early Release Science program. We select 388 sources at redshifts 0.8 < z < 5.4 and use the seven 0.9-5 mu m NIRCam filters to generate rest-frame gri composite color images, and conduct visual morphological classification. Compared to Hubble Space Telescope (HST)-based work we find a higher incidence of disks and bulges than expected at z > 1.5, revealed by rest-frame optical imaging. We detect 123 clear disks (58 at z > 1.5) of which 76 have bulges. No evolution of bulge fraction with redshift is evident: 61% at z < 2 (N = 110) versus 60% at z >= 2 (N = 13). A stellar mass dependence is evident, with bulges visible in 80% of all disk galaxies with mass >10(9.5) M (circle dot) (N = 41) but only 52% at M < 10(9.5) M (circle dot) (N = 82). We supplement visual morphologies with nonparametric measurements of Gini and asymmetry coefficients in the rest-frame i band. Our sources are more asymmetric than local galaxies, with slightly higher Gini values. When compared to high-z rest-frame ultraviolet measurements with HST, JWST shows more regular morphological types such as disks, bulges, and spiral arms at z > 1.5, with smoother (i.e., lower Gini) and more symmetrical light distributions.

We present the spectroscopic confirmation of a protocluster at z = 7.88 behind the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 (hereafter A2744-z7p9OD). Using JWST NIRSpec, we find seven galaxies within a projected radius of 60 kpc. Although the galaxies reside in an overdensity around greater than or similar to 20x greater than a random volume, they do not show strong Ly alpha emission. We place 2 sigma upper limits on the rest-frame equivalent width alpha emission, we constrain the volume-averaged neutral fraction of hydrogen in the intergalactic medium to be x (HI) > 0.45 (68% C i). Using an empirical M (UV)-M (halo) relation for individual galaxies, we estimate that the total halo mass of the system is greater than or similar to 4 x 10(11) M (circle dot). Likewise, the line-of-sight velocity dispersion is estimated to be 1100 +/- 200 km s(-1). Using an empirical relation, we estimate the present-day halo mass of A2744-z7p9OD to be similar to 2 x 10(15) M (circle dot), comparable to the Coma cluster. A2744-z7p9OD is the highest redshift spectroscopically confirmed protocluster to date, demonstrating the power of JWST to investigate the connection between dark-matter halo assembly and galaxy formation at very early times with medium-deep observations at

We reduce and analyse the available JWST ERO and ERS NIRCam imaging (SMACS0723, GLASS, CEERS) in combination with the latest deep ground-based near-infrared imaging in the COSMOS field (provided by UltraVISTA DR5) to produce a new measurement of the evolving galaxy UV luminosity function (LF) over the redshift range z = 8 - 15. This yields a new estimate of the evolution of UV luminosity density (rho(UV)), and hence cosmic star formation rate density (rho(SFR)) out to within = 12, one of which appears to set a new redshift record as an apparently robust galaxy candidate at z similar or equal to 16.4, the properties of which we therefore consider in detail. The advances presented here emphasize the importance of achieving high dynamic range in studies of early galaxy evolution, and re-affirm the enormous potential of forthcoming larger JWST programmes to transform our understanding of the young Universe.

There is growing attention on reconstructing recreational catch to quantify the impacts of recreational fishing [Reference Cooke, Venturelli, Twardek, Lennox, Brownscombe, Skov, Hyder, Suski, Diggles, Arlinghaus and Danylchuk1, Reference Radford, Hyder, Zarauz, Mugerza, Ferter, Prellezo, Strehlow, Townhill, Lewin and Weltersbach6]. In the absence of quantitative catch and effort data, a time series of reconstructed catch and effort is determined from sporadic data sources [Reference Freire, Belhabib, Espedido, Hood, Kleisner, Lam, Machado, Mendonça, Meeuwig, Moro, Motta, Palomares, Smith, Teh, Zeller, Zylich and Pauly2, Reference Pauly and Zeller5]. The aim of this study was to reconstruct a time series of recreational catches for key species from a boat-based recreational fishery in the West Coast Bioregion of Western Australia from 1993/94 to 2017/18, based on data collected by various survey approaches [Reference Lai, Mueller, Hyndes and Ryan3, Reference Ryan, Hall, Lai, Smallwood, Tate, Taylor and Wise7]. Prior to the reconstruction, there was a need to develop a thorough understanding of the survey methods and the data collected to ensure scientific credibility and stakeholder acceptance of reconstruction results [...].

The 21st century has seen a significant increase in the global prevalence of mental health problems, affecting almost a billion people. These conditions not only reduce the quality of life for individuals but also lead to stigmatization, discrimination, and social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated mental health issues, with depression and anxiety becoming the most common mental disorders among young workers. However, encouraging young adults to seek help for mental health is challenging. To address this issue, the concept of digitalizing psychotherapies through mental health chatbot services is proposed as a potential solution. Giving the chatbot a voice to communicate is suggested to increase perceived trust and intention to use among users. A research question is posed: "How does vocal communication and its personalization in chatbots affect the intention to use of young adults with depression?" The study conducted an online survey using Qualtrics with three groups of participants: the control group (text-based communication) and two treatment groups (vocal communication, and personalized vocal communication). The chatbot followed a rigid script based on a psychotherapy protocol called behavioral activation. Data analysis involved Mann-Whitney U tests, ordinal logistic regression, and one-way ANOVA for randomization check. Findings from the study indicated that chatbots communicating through speech did not significantly influence trust compared to text-based chatbots. Personalization of the voice did not increase trust based on emotions and even negatively affected cognitive trust. Both cognitive and affective trust were positively associated with the intention to use chatbots. Cognitive trust indirectly mediated the relationship between personalized vocal communication and intention to use. The study contributed to existing literature by exploring the adoption of conversational agents for mental health su, Management of Technology (MoT)

Group projects are part of the core educational experience in higher education, but many students report bad experiences. Group problems may undermine learning and cause stress and frustration. This may be prevented by monitoring and supporting groups, but this is often not feasible for teachers, who lack time and resources. This research aims to find a method for early identification of group work problems via computer-supported assessment. First, interviews and focus groups provided insights into the most common group problems and which visual features students preferred in a peer assessment. Next, two assessment versions were created: a simple, time-efficient version, and a more engaging, interactive one. We also created an initial version of E-Mate, a virtual agent that provides initial feedback on the assessment. These were tested in a field study. Most students reported a positive experience with the peer assessment, regardless of the visualization used. Teachers were also positive about its usefulness. The research also supports the use of five attributes to assess group collaboration.

La crisis actual (provocada por la pandemia COVID 19) es una oportunidad para llevar a cabo un cambio profundo y sistémico hacia una economía más sostenible que funcione tanto para las personas como para el planeta. Se trata de desvincular el crecimiento económico de la degradación medioambiental, aumentar la eficiencia de recursos y promover estilos de vida sostenibles. El concepto de Diseño para la Sostenibilidad (D4S) describe metodologías para realizar mejoras sostenibles (sociales, económicas y ambientales) en los productos mediante la aplicación de elementos del pensamiento del ciclo de vida. Se pretende ir más allá de la optimización ambiental de productos y reducir los impactos ambientales manteniendo una calidad de servicio aceptable. En este trabajo se exploran las características que deben tener las bases de datos o encuestas a utilizar para vincular las propiedades de un determinado producto o servicio con las sensaciones de los usuarios. Se analizará el tamaño necesario en cuanto a propiedades y niveles del producto, emociones producidas y número de encuestados; poniéndolo en relación con las técnicas de análisis y tratamiento de datos que se vayan a utilizar en fases posteriores., The current crisis (triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic) is an opportunity to make a profound and systemic change towards a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. It is about decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, increasing resource efficiency and promoting sustainable lifestyles. The Design for Sustainability (D4S) concept describes methodologies for making sustainable (social, economic and environmental) improvements to products by applying elements of life cycle thinking. It is intended to go beyond the environmental optimization of products and reduce environmental impacts while maintaining an acceptable quality of service. This paper explores the characteristics that the databases or surveys used to link the properties of a certain product or service with the sensations of the users must have. The necessary size will be analyzed in terms of properties and levels of the product, emotions produced and number of respondents; putting it in relation to the data analysis and processing techniques that will be used in later phases.

To remedy the negative effects of wetland drainage activities that took place in Sweden during the 1800s, measures to create, restore and recreate wetlands have gained increased attention as nature-based solutions. While wetlands provide cost-effective long-term solutions and co-benefits that help achieve national and international environmental objectives, targets relating to wetland measures have fallen short. The study aim was to investigate drivers, policy influence and barriers to wetland implementation on the local level and to discuss potential success parameters. Local stakeholder experiences were collected using survey design with open, closed, and partially close-ended questions, analysed with thematic analysis. The findings identified drivers relating to ecological and social benefits, climate change, and multifunctionality- and indicated that policy objectives on the national level influence drivers on the local level. Furthermore, barriers towards wetland implementation were identified, fuelled by a lack of communication, policies that rely on one-size-fits-all approaches, and a lack of resources for administration. Potential success parameters to address the barriers include improved collaboration between and within wetland projects, financial incentives for landowners and administration, maintenance plans, systems for follow-up outside of the policy instruments, and increased flexibility for wetland projects that take into account the natural variability of wetlands. The findings can lay the foundation for further research exploring more in-depth the identified barriers and success parameters to help set new policy directives and suggestions for how wetland measures could be implemented at a larger scale in the future.

We present the first search for z >= 7, continuum-confirmed Lyman break sources with NIRISS/WFS spectroscopy over the Abell 2744 Frontier Fields cluster, as part of the GLASS-JWST-ERS survey. With similar to 15 hr of preimaging and multiangle grism exposures in the F115W, F150W, and F200W filters, we describe the general data handling (i.e., reduction, cleaning, modeling, and extraction processes) and analysis for the GLASS-JWST survey. We showcase the power of JWST to peer deep into reionization, when most intergalactic hydrogen is neutral, by confirming two galaxies at z = 8.04 +/- 0.15 and z = 7.90 +/- 0.13 by means of their Lyman breaks. Fainter continuum spectra are observed in both the F150W and F200W bands, indicative of blue (-1.69 and -1.33) UV slopes and moderately bright absolute magnitudes (-20.37 and -19.68 mag). We do not detect strong Ly alpha in either galaxy, but do observe tentative (similar to 2.7-3.8 sigma) He ii lambda 1640 angstrom, O iii]lambda lambda 1661,1666 angstrom, and N iii]lambda lambda 1747,1749 angstrom line emission in one, suggestive of low-metallicity, star-forming systems with possible nonthermal contributions. These novel observations provide a first look at the extraordinary potential of JWST/NIRISS for confirming representative samples of bright z >= 7 sources in the absence of strong emission lines, and gain unprecedented insight into their contributions toward cosmic reionization.

We examine whether inflation expectations obtained by open- and closed-ended questions lead to different inflation expectations through a randomized controlled trial. We find that different questionnaires measure significantly different inflation expectations, especially in the short term. We further investigate whether inflation expectations induce consumers to change the intertemporal allocation of consumption via the consumption Euler equation. Our results suggest that actual expenditures are significantly responsive to inflation expectations. The EIS of the sample in the closed-ended questionnaire was higher than that of the open-ended questionnaire.

This paper aims to describe the theoretical and methodological design of a national survey on the social structure of Argentina and the reception of public initiatives implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic (ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19). The survey investigates the effects of the pandemic on central dimensions of the social reproduction of households from the theoretical perspectives of the analysis of social class, gender, socio-residential insertion and impact of public policies. The design and implementation of the ESAyPP/PISAC COVID-19 had a federal character through the articulation of research teams from all regions of the country. It is a comprehensive survey with estimation domain by region that allows for an interregional comparative perspective., O objetivo é descrever o projeto teórico-metodológico de uma pesquisa nacional sobre a estrutura social da Argentina e a recepção das iniciativas públicas implementadas durante a pandemia da COVID-19 (ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19). A enquete investiga os efeitos da pandemia nas dimensões centrais da reprodução social doméstica a partir das perspectivas teóricas da análise de classe social, gênero, inserção sócio-residencial e o impacto das políticas públicas. A concepção e a implementação do ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19 teve um caráter federal, articulando equipes de pesquisa de todas as regiões do país. Constitui um levantamento de ampla abrangência com domínio de estimativas regionais que permitem uma perspectiva comparativa interregional., El objetivo es describir el diseño teórico-metodológico de una encuesta nacional sobre la estructura social de la Argentina y la recepción de iniciativas públicas implementadas durante la pandemia de COVID-19 (ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19). La encuesta indaga los efectos de la pandemia en dimensiones centrales de la reproducción social de los hogares, desde las perspectivas teóricas del análisis de clases sociales, el género, la inserción socio-residencial y el impacto de políticas públicas. El diseño e implementación de la ESAyPP/PISAC-COVID-19 tuvo un carácter federal pues articuló equipos de investigación de todas las regiones del país. Se trata de una encuesta de amplia cobertura con dominio de estimación por regiones que permite una perspectiva comparativa interregional.

Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (WFSS) provides a powerful tool for detecting strong line emission in star-forming galaxies (SFGs) without the need for target preselection. As part of the GLASS-JWST Early Release Science (ERS) program, we leverage the near-infrared wavelength capabilities of NIRISS (1-2.2 mu m) to observe rest-optical emission lines out to z similar to 3.4, to a depth and with a spatial resolution higher than ever before (H alpha to z < 2.4; [O iii]+H beta to z < 3.4). In this Letter we constrain the rest-frame [O III]lambda 5007 equivalent width (EW) distribution for a sample of 76 1 < z < 3.4 SFGs in the A2744 Hubble Frontier Field and determine an abundance fraction of extreme emission line galaxies with EW > 750 angstrom in our sample to be 12%. We determine a strong correlation between the measured H beta and [O III]lambda 5007 EWs, supporting that the high [O III]lambda 5007 EW objects require massive stars in young stellar populations to generate the high-energy photons needed to doubly ionize oxygen. We extracted spectra for objects up to 2 mag fainter in the near-infrared than previous WFSS studies with the Hubble Space Telescope. Thus, this work clearly highlights the potential of JWST/NIRISS to provide high-quality WFSS data sets in crowded cluster environments.

We report the first gas-phase metallicity map of a distant galaxy measured with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We use the NIRISS slitless spectroscopy acquired by the GLASS Early Release Science program to spatially resolve the rest-frame optical nebular emission lines in a gravitationally lensed galaxy at z = 3.06 behind the A2744 galaxy cluster. This galaxy (dubbed GLASS-Zgrad1) has stellar mass similar to 10(8.6)M(circle dot), instantaneous star formation rate similar to 8.6 M-circle dot yr(-1) (both corrected for lensing magnification), and global metallicity one-fourth solar. From its emission-line maps ([O III], H beta, H gamma, [Ne III], and [O II]), we derive its spatial distribution of gas-phase metallicity using a well-established forward-modeling Bayesian inference method. The exquisite resolution and sensitivity of JWST/NIRISS, combined with lensing magnification, enable us to resolve this z similar to 3 dwarf galaxy in greater than or similar to 50 resolution elements with sufficient signal, an analysis hitherto not possible. We find that the radial metallicity gradient of GLASS-Zgrad1 is strongly inverted (i.e., positive): Delta log (O/H)/Delta r = 0.165 +/- 0.023 dex kpc(-1). This measurement is robust at greater than or similar to 4 - sigma confidence level against known systematics. This positive gradient may be due to tidal torques induced by a massive nearby (similar to 15 kpc projected) galaxy, which can cause inflows of metal-poor gas into the central regions of GLASS-Zgrad1. These first results showcase the power of JWST wide-field slitless spectroscopic modes to resolve the mass assembly and chemical enrichment of low-mass galaxies in and beyond the peak epoch of cosmic star formation (z greater than or similar to 2). Reaching masses less than or similar to 10(9) M-circle dot at these redshifts is especially valuable to constrain the effects of galactic feedback and environment and is possible only with JWST's new capabilities

We present the reduced images and multiwavelength catalog of the first JWST NIRCam extragalactic observations from the GLASS Early Release Science Program, obtained as coordinated parallels of the NIRISS observations of the Abell 2744 cluster. Images in seven bands (F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, and F444W) have been reduced using an augmented version of the official JWST pipeline; we discuss the procedures adopted to remove or mitigate defects in the raw images. We obtain a multiband catalog by means of forced aperture photometry on point-spread function (PSF)-matched images at the position of F444W-detected sources. The catalog is intended to enable early scientific investigations, and it is optimized for faint galaxies; it contains 6368 sources, with limiting magnitude 29.7 at 5 sigma in F444W. We release both images and catalog in order to allow the community to become familiar with the JWST NIRCam data and evaluate their merit and limitations given the current level of knowledge of the instrument.

Sampling schemes are fundamental tools in statistics, survey design, and algorithm design. A fundamental result in differential privacy is that a differentially private mechanism run on a simple random sample of a population provides stronger privacy guarantees than the same algorithm run on the entire population. However, in practice, sampling designs are often more complex than the simple, data-independent sampling schemes that are addressed in prior work. In this work, we extend the study of privacy amplification results to more complex, data-dependent sampling schemes. We find that not only do these sampling schemes often fail to amplify privacy, they can actually result in privacy degradation. We analyze the privacy implications of the pervasive cluster sampling and stratified sampling paradigms, as well as provide some insight into the study of more general sampling designs.

There is growing attention on reconstructing recreational catch to quantify the impacts of recreational fishing. In the absence of quantitative catch and effort data, time series of reconstructed catch and effort are determined from sporadic data sources. The aim of this study was to reconstruct a time series of recreational catches for key species from a boat-based recreational fishery in the West Coast Bioregion of Western Australia from 1993/94 to 2017/18, based on data collected by various survey approaches. Prior to the reconstruction, there was a need to develop a thorough understanding of the survey methods and the data collected to ensure scientific credibility and stakeholder acceptance of reconstruction results. Thus, preparatory aspects of the reconstruction included a statistical comparison of catch and effort estimates from four Access Point surveys between 1996/97 and 2009/10, which highlighted the need to monitor recreational fisheries at appropriate intervals, particularly when the impacts of management changes on fish populations need to be considered. A further aspect was an assessment of biases in survey design and estimation methods by corroborating independent survey methods involving an off-site Phone-Diary, and on-site Bus-route Access Point and Remote Camera surveys conducted concurrently over a 12- month period in 2011/12. It was found that the relatively low cost and availability of a licensing database as a sampling frame favoured the Phone-Diary survey as a long-term monitoring tool for this boat-based recreational fishery. These two studies provided necessary information for developing the reconstruction method and understanding the limitation of the data and difficulties of the reconstruction. To reconstruct a time series of recreational catches, a method was developed to integrate data gathered from aperiodic Access Point surveys between 1996/97 and 2009/10, and biennial Phone-Diary surveys from 2011/12 to 2017/18. The catch reconstruc

North American mammal populations face many novel and powerful threats that are changing quickly over space and time. To complicate management and conservation decisions further, few established monitoring programs that can reliably detect changes in multiple mammal populations across species exist. Knowledge about the persistent threats and long-term trends of mammal populations are of immense importance to the public, the scientific community, as well as federal and state agencies charged with managing and protecting natural resources. We used an existing camera-based protocol to estimate occupancy of several terrestrial mammal species in seven U.S. National Parks in the Sonoran Desert. We surveyed 241 sites for 365 days to evaluate the detection efficiency (detected vs expected species) in different park units, evaluate a set of environmental variables with the potential to influence occupancy (ψ) and detection (p) probabilities of terrestrial mammals, and to estimate statistical power of the protocol to detect changes in occupancy. On average, we detected 76% (95% CI: 64% – 88%) of medium-to-large sized, native, mammals known to be present in surveyed park units. Mean occupancy across all park units ranged from 0.79 (0.10 – 0.86) for coyote (Canis latrans) to 0.12 (0.04 – 0.28) for black bear (Ursus americanus). Mean detection probability was highest for black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) (0.35, 0.27 – 0.45) and lowest for mountain lion (Puma concolor) (0.06, 0.02 – 0.19). For many species, occupancy decreased as elevation and slope increased, and detection probability increased as precipitation increased during the study period. In addition, statistical power to detect changes in occupancy between two surveys was influenced mostly by occupancy and the number of sites surveyed. Power to detect changes in occupancy only increased to around 35 survey occasions (deployment days) above which it was relatively insensitive to increases in the number of surve

Data are currently being used, and reused, in ecological research at an unprecedented rate. To ensure appropriate reuse however, we need to ask the question: “Are aggregated databases currently providing the right information to enable effective and unbiased reuse?” We investigate this question, with a focus on designs that purposefully favour the selection of sampling locations (upweighting the probability of selection of some locations). These designs are common and examples are those designs that have uneven inclusion probabilities or are stratified. We perform a simulation experiment by creating datasets with progressively more uneven inclusion probabilities, and examine the resulting estimates of the average number of individuals per unit area (density). The effect of ignoring the survey design can be profound, with biases of up to 250% in density estimates when naive analytical methods are used. This density estimation bias is not reduced by adding more data. Fortunately, the estimation bias can be mitigated by using an appropriate estimator or an appropriate model that incorporates the design information. These are only available however, when essential information about the survey design is available: the sample location selection process (e.g. inclusion probabilities), and/or covariates used in their specification. The results suggest that such information must be stored and served with the data to support meaningful inference and data reuse.

We assess the association between survey layout and response rates (RRs) in the 2017 Medicare Advantage Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems mail survey. Among 438 Medicare Advantage plans surveyed by six vendors, there was latitude in survey layout, and plans could add up to 12 supplemental items. Regression models predicted survey response from survey characteristics (page count, number of supplemental items, and survey attractiveness), and beneficiary sociodemographics. Beneficiary-age-by-survey-characteristic interactions assessed whether survey characteristics were more strongly related to RRs among older beneficiaries. We found that surveys with more supplemental items and less attractive layouts had lower adjusted odds of response. RRs were more sensitive to format among older beneficiaries. The difference in adjusted RRs for the most favorable versus the least favorable survey design was 14.5%. For a 65-year-old, this difference was 13.6%; for an 80-year-old, it was 21.0%. These findings suggest that even within a relatively standardized survey, formatting can substantially influence RRs.

Drones and machine learning-based automated detection methods are being used by ecologists to conduct wildlife surveys with increasing frequency. When traditional survey methods have been evaluated, a range of factors have been found to influence detection probabilities, including individual differences among conspecific animals, which can thus introduce biases into survey counts. There has been no such evaluation of drone-based surveys using automated detection in a natural setting. This is important to establish since any biases in counts made using these methods will need to be accounted for, to provide accurate data and improve decision-making for threatened species. In this study, a rare opportunity to survey a ground-truthed, individually marked population of 48 koalas in their natural habitat allowed for direct comparison of the factors impacting detection probability in both ground observation and drone surveys with manual and automated detection. We found that sex and host tree preferences impacted detection in ground surveys and in manual analysis of drone imagery with female koalas likely to be under-represented, and koalas higher in taller trees detected less frequently when present. Tree species composition of a forest stand also impacted on detections. In contrast, none of these factors impacted on automated detection. This suggests that the combination of drone-captured imagery and machine learning does not suffer from the same biases that affect conventional ground surveys. This provides further evidence that drones and machine learning are promising tools for gathering reliable detection data to better inform the management of threatened populations.

BACKGROUND: Control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and schistosomiasis relies heavily on regular preventive chemotherapy. Monitoring drug efficacy is crucial to provide early warning of treatment failures. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a survey design in which only egg-positive individuals are retested after treatment. Although this practice makes more efficient use of resources, it may lead to biased drug efficacy estimates. METHODS: We performed a simulation study to assess the potential for bias when evaluating drug efficacy using the World Health Organization-recommended survey design, and to identify alternative designs for evaluating drug efficacy that are less affected by bias. These designs were also based on selection of egg-positive individuals, but involve retesting them a second time at baseline and up to 2 times at follow-up. The utility of the different designs was compared fairly by constraining them to the same budget. RESULTS: The standard procedure of selecting egg-positive individuals can introduce a substantial positive bias in drug efficacy due to regression toward the mean, particularly when infection levels or drug efficacy are low. This bias was completely eliminated by using a second baseline sample, conditionally on the first sample being excluded from analysis. Precision of estimates can be improved by increasing the number of thick smears and/or samples per person at follow-up, despite fewer individuals being tested within the same budget. CONCLUSIONS: We present optimized survey designs to monitor drug efficacy in field settings, which are highly relevant for sustained control of soil-transmitted helminths and schistosomiasis, as well as onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis.

Context. We present the second public data release of the VISTA EXtension to Auxiliary Surveys (VEXAS), where we classify objects into stars, galaxies, and quasars based on an ensemble of machine learning algorithms.Aims. The aim of VEXAS is to build the widest multi-wavelength catalogue, providing reference magnitudes, colours, and morphological information for a large number of scientific uses.Methods. We applied an ensemble of thirty-two different machine learning models, based on three different algorithms and on different magnitude sets, training samples, and classification problems (two or three classes) on the three VEXAS Data Release 1 (DR1) optical and infrared (IR) tables. The tables were created in DR1 cross-matching VISTA near-infrared data with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer far-infrared data and with optical magnitudes from the Dark Energy Survey (VEXAS-DESW), the Sky Mapper Survey (VEXAS-SMW), and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System Survey (VEXAS-PSW). We assembled a large table of spectroscopically confirmed objects (VEXAS-SPEC-GOOD, 415 628 unique objects), based on the combination of six different spectroscopic surveys that we used for training. We developed feature imputation to also classify objects for which magnitudes in one or more bands are missing.Results. We classify in total approximate to 90x10(6) objects in the Southern Hemisphere. Among these, approximate to 62.9x10(6) (approximate to 52.6x10(6)) are classified as 'high confidence' ('secure') stars, approximate to 920 000 (approximate to 750 000) as 'high confidence' ('secure') quasars, and approximate to 34.8 (approximate to 34.1) million as 'high confidence' ('secure') galaxies, with p(class)>= 0.7 (p(class)>= 0.9). The DR2 tables update the DR1 with the addition of imputed magnitudes and membership probabilities to each of the three classes.Conclusions. The density of high-confidence extragalactic objects varies strongly with the survey depth: at p(

Context. Determining photometric redshifts (photo-zs) of extragalactic sources to a high accuracy is paramount to measure distances in wide-field cosmological experiments. With only photometric information at hand, photo-zs are prone to systematic uncertainties in the intervening extinction and the unknown underlying spectral-energy distribution of different astrophysical sources, leading to degeneracies in the modern machine learning algorithm that impacts the level of accuracy for photo-z estimates.Aims. Here, we aim to resolve these model degeneracies and obtain a clear separation between intrinsic physical properties of astrophysical sources and extrinsic systematics. Furthermore, we aim to have meaningful estimates of the full photo-z probability distribution, and their uncertainties.Methods. We performed a probabilistic photo-z determination using mixture density networks (MDN). The training data set is composed of optical (griz photometric bands) point-spread-function and model magnitudes and extinction measurements from the SDSS-DR15 and WISE mid-infrared (3.4 mu m and 4.6 mu m) model magnitudes. We used infinite Gaussian mixture models to classify the objects in our data set as stars, galaxies, or quasars, and to determine the number of MDN components to achieve optimal performance.Results. The fraction of objects that are correctly split into the main classes of stars, galaxies, and quasars is 94%. Furthermore, our method improves the bias of photometric redshift estimation (i.e., the mean Delta z=(z(p)-z(s))/(1+z(s))) by one order of magnitude compared to the SDSS photo-z, and it decreases the fraction of 3 sigma outliers (i.e., 3xrms(Delta z) < Delta z). The relative, root-mean-square systematic uncertainty in our resulting photo-zs is down to 1.7% for benchmark samples of low-redshift galaxies (z(s)Conclusions. We have demonstrated the feasibility of machine-learning-based methods that produce full probability distribut

Context. We present ASTRODEEP-GS43, a new multi-wavelength photometric catalogue of the GOODS-South field, which builds and improves upon the previously released CANDELS catalogue.Aims. We provide photometric fluxes and corresponding uncertainties in 43 optical and infrared bands (25 wide and 18 medium filters), as well as the photometric redshifts and physical properties of the 34930 CANDELS H-detected objects, plus an additional sample of 178 H-dropout sources, of which 173 are Ks-detected and five are IRAC-detected.Methods. We keep the CANDELS photometry in seven bands (CTIO U, Hubble Space Telescope WFC3, and ISAAC-K) and measure from scratch the fluxes in the other 36 (23 from Subaru SuprimeCAM and Magellan Baade FourStar and the rest from VIMOS, HST ACS, HAWK-I Ks, and Spitzer IRAC) with state-of-the-art template-fitting techniques. We then compute new photometric redshifts with three different software tools and take the median value as a best estimate. We finally evaluate new physical parameters from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, comparing them to previously published ones.Results. Comparing to a sample of 3931 high quality spectroscopic redshifts, for the new photometric redshifts we obtain a normalised median absolute deviation of 0.015, with 3.01% of outliers on the full catalogue (0.011 and 0.22% on the bright end at I814< 22.5). This is similar to the best available published samples of photometric redshifts, such as the COSMOS UltraVISTA catalogue.Conclusions. The ASTRODEEP-GS43 results are in qualitative agreement with previously published catalogues of the GOODS-South field, improving on them particularly in terms of SED sampling and photometric redshift estimates. The catalogue is available for download from the ASTRODEEP website.

We propose a new method of constructing questionnaire forms in the three-form planned missing data design (PMDD). The random item allocation (RIA) procedure that we propose promises to dramatically simplify the process of implementing three-form PMDDs without compromising statistical performance. Our method is a stochastic approximation to the currently recommended approach of deterministically spreading a scale's items across the X-, A-, B-, and C-blocks when allocating the items in a three-form design. Direct empirical support for the performance of our method is only available for scales containing at least 12 items, so we also propose a modified approach for use with scales containing fewer than 12 items. We also discuss the limitations of our procedure and several nuances for researchers to consider when implementing three-form PMDDs using our method.

For more than three decades, declining response rates have been of concern to both survey methodologists and practitioners. Still, international comparative studies have been scarce. In one of the first international trend analyses for the period 1980–1997, De Leeuw and De Heer (2002) describe that response rates declined over the years and that countries differed in response rates and nonresponse trends. In this article, we continued where De Leeuw and De Heer (2002) stopped, and present trend data for the next period 1998–2015 from National Statistical Institutes. When we looked at trends over time in this new data set, we found that response rates are still declining over the years. Furthermore, nonresponse trends do differ over countries, but not over surveys. Some countries show a steeper decline in response than others, but all types of surveys show the same downward trend. The differences in (non)response trends over countries can be partly explained by differences in survey design between the countries. Finally, for some countries cost indicators were available, these showed that costs increased over the years and are negatively correlated with noncontact rates.

Motivated by recent failures of polling to estimate populist party support, we propose and analyze two methods for asking sensitive multiple-choice questions where the respondent retains some privacy and therefore might answer more truthfully. The first method consists of asking for the true choice along with a choice picked at random. The other method presents a list of choices and asks whether the preferred one is on the list or not. Different respondents are shown different lists. The methods are easy to explain, which makes it likely that the respondent understands how her privacy is protected and may thus entice her to participate in the survey and answer truthfully. The methods are also easy to implement and scale up.

This article is a methodological critique of a survey process undertaken with international undergraduate students at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Despite following best practice surveying protocols this research project initially achieved a 5% response rate. The research team had to change its approach part-way through the process to achieve a 45% response rate and attain valuable information needed to improve the overall student experience for the international student cohort in the faculty. This article concludes with lessons learned about surveying this unique student group – these methodological lessons are relevant for other research teams studying the higher education sector globally.

Subjective expectation data on education has been increasingly used by social scientists to better understand current investments in human capital. Despite its recognised value by scholars, there is little evidence about how the elicitation of such data might be sensitive to questionnaire design. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, we analyse how sensitive the elicitation of subjective expectation data on educational outcome is to question order. Our design allows us to explore whether collecting data on parental education before the elicitation of parental beliefs on their children’s educational outcomes anchors the elicitation of the latter; and whether parental expectations on their older offsprings anchors their expectations on their younger children. We find that mothers (main respondents) who have been exposed to the non-anchored treatment results in more optimistic parental expectations. When splitting our sample into households with low and high educated mothers, we observe that low educated mothers are more susceptible to anchoring effects. Using a conservative projection of observed years of schooling of young adults on young cohorts, we find that the double-anchored beliefs better predicts this projection than the rest of the treatments. Our findings inform to what extent the collection of subjectiveexpectationsdataissubjecttoanchoringandwhichtypeofpopulationsmightbe more sensitive to such phenomenon.

Subjective expectation data on education has been increasingly used by social scientists to better understand current investments in human capital. Despite its recognised value by scholars, there is little evidence about how the elicitation of such data might be sensitive to questionnaire design. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, we analyse how sensitive the elicitation of subjective expectation data on educational outcome is to question order. Our design allows us to explore whether collecting data on parental education before the elicitation of parental beliefs on their children’s educational outcomes anchors the elicitation of the latter; and whether parental expectations on their older offsprings anchors their expectations on their younger children. We find that mothers (main respondents) who have been exposed to the non-anchored treatment results in more optimistic parental expectations. When splitting our sample into households with low and high educated mothers, we observe that low educated mothers are more susceptible to anchoring effects. Using a conservative projection of observed years of schooling of young adults on young cohorts, we find that the double-anchored beliefs better predicts this projection than the rest of the treatments. Our findings inform to what extent the collection of subjectiveexpectationsdataissubjecttoanchoringandwhichtypeofpopulationsmightbe more sensitive to such phenomenon.

Subjective expectation data on education has been increasingly used by social scientists to better understand current investments in human capital. Despite its recognised value by scholars, there is little evidence about how the elicitation of such data might be sensitive to questionnaire design. Using a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design, we analyse how sensitive the elicitation of subjective expectation data on educational outcome is to question order. Our design allows us to explore whether collecting data on parental education before the elicitation of parental beliefs on their children’s educational outcomes anchors the elicitation of the latter; and whether parental expectations on their older offsprings anchors their expectations on their younger children. We find that mothers (main respondents) who have been exposed to the non-anchored treatment results in more optimistic parental expectations. When splitting our sample into households with low and high educated mothers, we observe that low educated mothers are more susceptible to anchoring effects. Using a conservative projection of observed years of schooling of young adults on young cohorts, we find that the double-anchored beliefs better predicts this projection than the rest of the treatments. Our findings inform to what extent the collection of subjectiveexpectationsdataissubjecttoanchoringandwhichtypeofpopulationsmightbe more sensitive to such phenomenon.

Effective environmental management hinges on efficient and targeted monitoring, which in turn should adapt to increasing disturbance regimes that now characterize most ecosystems. Habitats and biodiversity of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR), the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem, are in declining condition, prompting a review of the effectiveness of existing coral monitoring programs. Applying a regional model of coral cover (i.e., the most widely used proxy for coral reef condition globally) within major benthic communities, we assess the representation and complementarity of existing long-term coral reef monitoring programs on the GBR. We show that existing monitoring has captured up to 45% of the environmental diversity on the GBR, while some geographic areas (including major hotspots of cyclone activity over the last 30 yr) have remained unmonitored. Further, we identified complementary groups of reefs characterized by similar benthic community composition and similar coral cover trajectories since 1996. The mosaic of their distribution across the GBR reflects spatial variation in the cumulative impact of multiple acute disturbances, as well as spatial gradients in coral recovery potential. Representation and complementarity, in combination with other performance assessment criteria, can inform the cost-effective design and stratification of future surveys. Based on these results, we formulate recommendations to assist with the design of future long-term coral reef monitoring programs.

Since 2009 the Netherlands has conducted extensive online screening surveys to establish the number, trends and demographic profile of recreational anglers, resulting in a large dataset of almost 500.000 data records between 2009 and 2017. Participation in both marine and fresh water recreational angling were analysed using general linear models (GLM). Results showed a steady decline in the participation rate in fresh water angling. The participation rate in marine angling was smaller, and declined from 2009 to 2011, but remained similar afterwards. Analysis of demographics (age, gender, education and region) showed that males were overall much more likely to participate in recreational angling than females. Additionally, the age distribution differed for marine and fresh water. In marine water young adult males (age group (25,45]) had the highest participation rate, whereas in fresh water the youngest age group, (5,15], had the highest participation rate, closely followed by young adult males (age group (25,45]). Additionally, lower educated persons were more likely to participate in recreational angling than higher educated persons. This study provides more insight in the culture of Dutch recreational angling. Furthermore, the participation model can be used to predict future angling participation.

A sizable minority of all web surveys are nowadays completed on smartphones. People who choose a smartphone for Internet-related tasks are different from people who mainly use a PC or tablet. Smartphone use is particularly high among the young and urban. We have to make web surveys attractive for smartphone completion in order not to lose these groups of smartphone users. In this paper we study how to encourage people to complete surveys on smartphones in order to attract hard-to-reach subgroups of the population. We experimentally test new features of a survey-friendly design: we test two versions of an invitation letter to a survey, a new questionnaire lay-out, and autoforwarding. The goal of the experiment is to evaluate whether the new survey design attracts more smartphone users, leads to a better survey experience on smartphones and results in more respondents signing up to become a member of a probability-based online panel. Our results show that the invitation letter that emphasizes the possibility for smartphone completion does not yield a higher response rate than the control condition, nor do we find differences in the socio-demographic background of respondents. We do find that slightly more respondents choose a smartphone for survey completion. The changes in the layout of the questionnaire do lead to a change in survey experience on the smartphone. Smartphone respondents need 20% less time to complete the survey when the questionnaire includes autoforwarding. However, we do not find that respondents evaluate the survey better, nor are they more likely to become a member of the panel when asked at the end of the survey. We conclude with a discussion of autoforwarding in web surveys and methods to attract smartphone users to web surveys.

The use of electric vehicles (EVs) has large environmental benefits regarding energy efficiency and reduced air pollution in urban areas. However, to avoid the potential rebound effects of increased car travels, due to the low marginal costs and increasing battery ranges of EVs, knowledge is needed on how policy incentives will steer EV users towards more sustainable travel behaviors. To explore the relation between policy incentives and individuals’ behavioral adoption process, this paper describes the design of relevant stated adaptation experiments and the design of a stated adaptation web survey tool that allows to collect information about 1) what specific travel changes EV users will make to their travels in order to meet the constraints of scenarios and 2) what extent these travel changes are influenced by the incentives that are provided in the scenarios. The paper motivates and details the data model and mechanisms used by the proposed tool., Part of ISBN 9789881581488QC 20200615

Objectives: The present study analyzed whether estimates of health inequalities in old age are sensitive to the exclusion of people living in institutions and nonuse of proxy interviews. Method: Pooled data from the 2004 wave (n = 1,180, aged 69-100, primarily interviewed over the phone) and the 2011 wave (n = 931, aged 76-101, primarily interviewed face-to-face) of the Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old were used to compare absolute and relative differences in disability and mortality between people with compulsory education and people with more than compulsory education. Results: Both absolute and relative health inequalities would have been underestimated in a survey that excluded institutionalized people and proxy-interviewed community dwellers. The same patterns were found in men and women and regardless of the mode of data collection (telephone or face-to-face interview). The degree of underestimation was lower in those 85 years and older than in those 69 to 84 years. Discussion: A survey that only includes people who live in the community and can participate without the help of a proxy might give the impression that those with low levels of education have less extensive health disadvantages than they actually have.

We introduce a blended-acquisition method: temporally signatured and/or modulated and spatially dispersed source array, namely S-/M-DSA. The former S-DSA has much less constraints in the encoding with operational flexibility, allowing non-uniform sampling and non-patterned shooting both in the space and time dimension. The latter M-DSA allows indeed straightforward deblending by filtering and physically separating frequency channels in the frequency domain. We evaluated the deblending performance for several scenarios of blended acquisition. The results showed that: S-DSA attains the best acquisition productivity; M-DSA attains the best deblending performance, compared to other methods. Our S-/M-DSA method makes the blended-acquisition encoding and operations significantly simple and robust; the same is true for the deblending processing., Accepted Author Manuscript, Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics

Acquisition geometry design aims at finding the most affordable acquisition geometry that satisfies the objectives of the seismic survey. The parameters of an acquisition geometry can be specified in terms of the number of sources and detectors, their location, the blending parameters and the DSA (dispersed source array) parameters. In our acquisition geometry design, we include the effects of the (expected) subsurface, i.e., we assume the subsurface to be known. Consequently, the ideal data set – carpet shooting and carpet detection – can be modeled. A practical data set can be considered to be a subset of this ideal one. Acquisition design comes down to determining the optimum subset. Following compressive sensing, this subset is sparse and irregular. As a quality measure, we apply decompression (deblending and interpolation) to the subset, which leads to an estimate of the ideal data set, and then compare this estimate with the known ideal data set. The difference is the residue that should satisfy a predefined quality criterion. This procedure is the inner loop of a genetic algorithm. A CNN (convolutional neural network) is trained to improve the efficiency of the genetic algorithm by enhancing the effectiveness of each next generation. Furthermore, the solution space is limited to reduce the amount of computations needed. Finally, in this application it is acceptable to end up in a local minimum. The latter corresponds to an acquisition geometry that fully satisfies the quality and economic criteria (although some acquisition geometry may exist that provides even better results). Our design method leads to results that are better than those obtained with randomized acquisition geometries., Accepted Author Manuscript, Applied Geophysics and Petrophysics