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Good data on the size and composition of the independent contractor workforce are elusive. The authors carried out a series of focus groups to learn how independent contractors speak about their work. Based on those findings, they designed and fielded a telephone survey to elicit more accurate and complete information on independent contractors. Roughly 1 in 10 workers who initially reported working for an employer on one or more jobs (and thus were coded as employees) were independent contractors on at least one of those jobs. Incorporating these miscoded workers into estimates of main job work arrangements nearly doubles the share who are independent contractors to approximately 15% of all workers. Taking these workers into account substantively changes the demographic profile of the independent contractor workforce. Probing in household surveys to clarify a worker's employment arrangement and identify all low-hours work is critical for accurately measuring independent contractor work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) have gained recognition as essential responses to the needs of aging populations. Despite their growing significance, there is a notable lack of effective measurement tools to assess the planning, implementation, and sustainability of AFCIs. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a survey tool for evaluating AFCIs. Research Design and Methods A sequential exploratory mixed-method design was used in 2 phases. First, we identified key themes from interviews with AFCI leads to generate AFCI survey items and regional workshops. Then, we conducted a pilot of the survey and assessed its measurement properties. Results Thematic analysis of interviews with 68 key informants from 58 AFCIs revealed 4 main themes: AFCI priorities, enablers, challenges, and benefits. These themes, combined with feedback from AFCI stakeholders at the regional workshops and an AFCI conference, informed the development and refinement of a reliable and valid AFCI survey in 2019, supported by a high Cronbach's alpha value (α = 0.881). Steps were identified to maintain and sustain the AFCI survey over time. Discussion and Implications The survey accommodates AFCIs' diverse demographics, governance structures, and priorities with a standardized and flexible approach for effective measurement. This research contributes to the academic understanding of AFCIs and aids community leaders and policy-makers in planning, implementing, and evaluating AFCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The design of 3D seismic surveys continues to develop, but there have been few innovations in the design of 2D seismic surveys, despite their continued widespread use. In particular, the development of an approach to handling obstacles that may occur along the line, either requiring the line direction to be reoriented or small deviations applied. In this paper, I develop both an approach for determining the bend radius required when 2D lines require curves and compare strategies for dealing with small deviations. For the latter, the best approach is to move the source and receiver positions as close to the edge of the obstacle as possible with them placed on the same side. Irrespective of the approach employed, given the variation in the results shown here, the interpretation of 2D lines should always incorporate the acquisition geometry to ensure that misinterpretations are avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: POCD is a common complication among patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), it is linked to loss of independence and reduced quality of life. Aim: To examine the association between postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD), postoperative delirium (POD) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). Design: A prospective cohort study. Methods: Patients who underwent elective isolated CABG were enrolled. POCD was assessed by a set of cognitive function tools. Delirium was assessed using the CAM‐ICU. The logistic regression analyses were used to identify the predictive value of POD or IL‐6 on POCD. The path analysis was used to analyse the relationship among POD, IL‐6 and POCD. Results: A total of 212 patients were enrolled, with 25.0% of patients developing POD and 32.5% developing POCD. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with POD had a four‐fold increased hazard of POCD (OR = 3.655), and patients with IL‐6 ≥ 830.50 pg/mL at the 6th hours after surgery had a 5‐fold increased risk of experiencing POCD (OR = 5.042). However, the mediation effect of POD between IL‐6 and POCD was not statistically significant (β = 0.059, p =.392). Conclusions: POD and IL‐6 at the 6th hour after surgery (≥830.50 pg/mL) are two potent predictors for POCD, while POD did not play a mediation effect between IL‐6 and POCD. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Early identification of risk factors (e.g., delirium assessment and testing for serum IL‐6 levels) by clinical nurses for POCD may contribute to the clinical practice for the targeted prevention nursing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing focus on collecting more diverse demographic data from research participants but standard methodological approaches still hinder such efforts. This paper addresses the need for methodological improvements by advocating for the inclusion of self-written diversity statements in demographic surveys as a form of epistemic justice. Using examples from a large qualitative research study, I demonstrate the depth and richness of data that can be obtained through self-written diversity statements. In particular, I highlight the benefits of combining open-ended demographic questions and self-written diversity statements into holistic introductory stories to help capture the complexity of participants' intersectional identities. Therefore, I argue that using such an approach gives participants the agency to choose how they are represented in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Traditional ecological monitoring employs fixed designs, which do not vary over the survey duration. Adaptive sampling, whereby the data already collected informs a sampling design which changes over the course of the study, can provide a more optimal and flexible survey design but is little used in ecology. We aim to provide an introduction to adaptive sampling for ecologists. We review previous literature and highlight examples of both empirical adaptive approaches, such as adaptive cluster sampling, and more novel model‐based adaptive methods. To conceptualise the process of adaptive sampling we identify four key stages: choice of data, definition of a criterion, selection of new sampling occasions and sampling activity. We discuss each stage in turn and focus on the decisions ecologists need to consider in order to successfully implement an adaptive sampling strategy. We include a full walkthrough of an adaptive sampling example with code provided to demonstrate each step. Adaptive sampling has potential advantages to ecologists but so far has had limited uptake. We review key challenges and barriers to uptake and suggest potential ways forward. We hope our paper will both increase awareness of adaptive sampling methods and provide a useful resource for ecologists considering an adaptive survey design.

Background: Delivery of consistent patient-centred care at end-of-life care continues to challenge healthcare providers and research continues to suggest that peoples' needs are not being reliably met. Consequently, healthcare services are looking to innovate how support is provided, such as commissioning doulas to support dying people and those close to them. Objective: Within the United Kingdom, there is little existing research about peoples' experience of receiving end-of-life doula support. This paper outlines the design of a survey for the family or friends of a person who received end-of-life doula support. Design: To evaluate the role of an end-of-life doula in supporting the dying person and those who care for them, we designed a post-bereavement survey as part of a wider evaluation strategy of doula services. Following multiple literature reviews and an iterative process of consulting with the professional organisation and previous service users, a questionnaire was developed to collect this data. This survey is hosted online, with paper copies available to widen accessibility. Conclusion: End-of-life doula support is a relatively new area of provision for dying people and those important to them, such as family and friends. It is even more innovative to have doula support commissioned as part of a locality's healthcare service. There is a dire need for empirical research to understand the impact of this further. The process of researching the area and designing the evaluation survey for this service revealed the complexity of the role and the difficulty of capturing what was found to be helpful for the dying person and those around them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women form a large part of the voting public in India. In the 2009 Indian National Election post-election survey, 82% of all adult women surveyed reported voting, but only 32% said that they were interested in politics. The paradox between high female turnout but low levels of interest has been noted in multiple developing country contexts, but the phenomenon is under-theorized. We suggest the reason is that women's ideas (interest in politics) are discouraged and suppressed by societal patriarchal norms enforced in the household, but women's bodies (their votes) are valued in competitive elections. We illustrate our argument using matched samples from two rounds (2009 and 2014) of the Indian National Election Survey and an original post-election survey in 2019. We find that women are consistently less likely to report either an interest in politics, or an opinion on political issues, if their spouse or an adult family member observes the interview. Our findings suggest that women's political agency is systematically under-estimated by researchers, and that women are more likely to assert themselves politically in survey contexts, if given the privacy to do so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the dental hygiene discipline, evidence-based practice serves as a cornerstone for delivering high quality patient care and moving professional standards forward. As practitioners delve deeper into research to inform clinical decision making, the integration of robust survey methodologies becomes imperative. However, the complexities of survey design, implementation, and analysis pose notable challenges, particularly in ensuring the reliability and validity of research outcomes. This short report provides brief practical guidance about the basics of survey research methodologies for dental hygiene professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Measuring attitudes of farmers to safe farming practices using quantitative causal relationship approaches is central to improving understanding of (un)safe practices. This knowledge is important in the development of effective farm safety interventions. However, the accuracy of quantitative attitudinal studies in explaining farmers' decision-making faces a potential measurement challenge, i.e. a high level of optimism bias. In this paper, we present research that develops and tests farm safety attitudinal questions that are framed around "real-life" farming practices with the objective of reducing optimism bias. Methods: We apply construal level theory (CLT) to support the design of vignettes that reflect common risk scenarios faced by farmers. Applying qualitative analysis of 274 fatal farm incidents that occurred in Ireland between 2004 and 2018 we identify the occupational behaviors (what farmers do), social (who are farmers), spatial (where farming takes place), and temporal (when farming happens) dimensions of risks resulting in most deaths. The results informed subsequent co-design activities with farm safety experts and farm advisors to develop "real-life" scenarios, attitudinal questions, and response options. The questionnaire was piloted and subsequently implemented to collect data from a sample of 381 farmers with either tractors or livestock. The results of the survey were compared to previous attitudinal research on farmer's attitudes to safety in Ireland to establish if there was as follows: i) increased variance in the responses, and ii) a statistically significant difference in the attitudes of respondents compared to the results reported in previous studies. Results: The findings established that when farmers were provided with real-life scenarios, their responses were less optimistic and more varied, i.e. there was a greater range of responses, compared to previous studies. Conclusion: Applying CTL to the development of attitudinal survey instruments anchors attitudinal questions within farming specific occupational, social, spatial, and temporal contexts. The use of vignettes that draw on real-life scenarios offers the potential for improved design of surveys that seek to understand farmer/worker practices. The results suggest that this approach can improve the measurement of attitudes to farm safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) was in a unique position to respond to the need for high quality survey data on people's changing living situations. Implemented as two telephone interviews in the summer of 2020 and 2021 in 27 European countries and Israel, the SHARE Corona Surveys present a great advantage by their integration into the longitudinal, multidisciplinary and ex-ante harmonised design of the SHARE study. This allows researchers to trace changes from the pre-pandemic period, through the different stages of the pandemic, and the postpandemic situation. This article lays out the research aims and how the two Corona Surveys fit in the general design of SHARE. It presents the main design features of the SHARE Corona Surveys following the survey life cycle. It starts with information on procurement, contracting, funding, ethics, and data protection and sampling, followed by information on instrument design, translations, questionnaire content and interviewer training. Last, fieldwork, panel care and data processing are described. Focused on topics of health behaviour, health care, economics and social relationships, the balanced panel sample of the two SHARE Corona Surveys comprises more than 48,000 interviews and provides valuable information on how the 50+ population coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of implementing the SHARE Corona Surveys also offers insights into use of agile project management methods for large survey infrastructures and moving towards a multi-mode design in an ongoing panel data collection project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the new linked employee-employer study of the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP-LEE2), which offers new research opportunities for various academic fields. In particular, the study contains two waves of an employer survey for persons in dependent work that is also linkable to the SOEP, a large representative German annual household panel (SOEP-LEE2-Core). Moreover, SOEP-LEE2 includes two waves of self-employed surveys based on self-employed in the SOEP-Core (SOEP-LEE2-Self-employed) and three additional representative employer surveys, independent of the SOEP in terms of sampling employers (SOEP-LEE2-Compare). Survey topics include digitalisation and cybersecurity, human capital formation, COVID-19, and human resource management. Here, we describe the content, survey design, and comparability of the different datasets in the SOEP-LEE2 to potential users in different disciplines of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When planning abundance surveys, the impact of search intensity on the quality of the density estimates is rarely considered. We constructed a time‐budget modeling framework for abundance surveys using principles from optimal foraging theory. We link search intensity to the number of sample units surveyed, searcher detection probability, the number of detections made, and the precision of the estimated population density. This framework allowed us to determine how a searcher should behave to produce optimized density estimates. Using data collected from quadrat and removal surveys of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in central Minnesota, we applied this framework to evaluate potential improvements. We found that by tuning searcher behavior, density estimates from removal surveys of zebra mussels could be improved by up to 60% in some cases, without changing the overall survey time. Our framework also predicts a critical population density where the best survey method switches from removal surveys at low densities to quadrat surveys at high densities, consistent with past empirical work. In addition, we provide simulation tools to apply this form of analysis to a number of other commonly used survey designs. Our results provide insights into how to improve the performance of many survey methods in high‐density environments by either tuning searcher behavior or decoupling the estimation of population density and detection probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard approach for detecting and preventing bots from doing harm online involves CAPTCHAs. However, recent AI research, including our own in this manuscript, suggests that bots can complete many common CAPTCHAs with ease. The most effective methodology for identifying potential bots involves completing image-processing, causal-reasoning based, free-response questions that are hand coded by human analysts. However, this approach is labor intensive, slow, and inefficient. Moreover, with the advent of Generative AI such as GPT and Bard, it may soon be obsolete. Here, we develop and test various automated, bot-screening questions, grounded in psychological research, to serve as a proactive screen against bots. Utilizing hand coded free-response questions in the naturalistic domain of MTurkers recruited for a Qualtrics survey, we identify 18.9% of our sample to be potential bots, whereas Google's reCAPTCHA V3 identified only 1.7% to be potential bots. We then look at the performance of these potential bots on our novel bot-screeners, each of which has different strengths and weaknesses but all of which outperform CAPTCHAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research examining mentoring programs has explained the benefits that student mentees received from having an adult as a mentor. For the mentee, studies indicate that mentoring relationships positively influence academic performance, social attitudes, communication abilities, and career aspirations. However, there has been very little research from the perspective of the mentor regarding their experiences of being in a mentoring relationship. This study builds upon Berning's (2013) research that extracted the thoughts and opinions of retiree and teen mentors who worked with elementary students. The Berning report recommended that further research study adults involved in the workplace who spent their off time serving as mentors. This study addresses this gap by surveying 69 adult business professionals mentoring high school students in San Antonio, Texas. The survey revealed four central themes: 1) both mentors and mentees require high motivation for a successful relationship, with mentors often motivated by personal fulfillment; 2) mentors are driven by a commitment to give back to the community despite most lacking prior mentoring experience; 3) there is significant interest in mentor training to enhance program effectiveness; and 4) mentors generally enjoy the program, showing high willingness to continue, inclination to recommend it, and satisfaction with a monthly meeting schedule. Successful mentors are active listeners who engage their mentees by setting clear, aligned goals, while gaining the added benefits of enhanced communication and leadership skills through their mentoring roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional ecological monitoring employs fixed designs, which do not vary over the survey duration. Adaptive sampling, whereby the data already collected informs a sampling design which changes over the course of the study, can provide a more optimal and flexible survey design but is little used in ecology.We aim to provide an introduction to adaptive sampling for ecologists. We review previous literature and highlight examples of both empirical adaptive approaches, such as adaptive cluster sampling, and more novel model‐based adaptive methods.To conceptualise the process of adaptive sampling we identify four key stages: choice of data, definition of a criterion, selection of new sampling occasions and sampling activity. We discuss each stage in turn and focus on the decisions ecologists need to consider in order to successfully implement an adaptive sampling strategy. We include a full walkthrough of an adaptive sampling example with code provided to demonstrate each step.Adaptive sampling has potential advantages to ecologists but so far has had limited uptake. We review key challenges and barriers to uptake and suggest potential ways forward. We hope our paper will both increase awareness of adaptive sampling methods and provide a useful resource for ecologists considering an adaptive survey design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community reaction to refugees and asylum-seekers is often gauged by attitude surveys that are not designed to overcome built-in bias. Questionnaires that do not account for context and background consequently yield results that misrepresent community attitudes and offer predictably negative responses to immigrant groups. Such surveys can alter public perception, fuel anti-refugee sentiment, and affect policy simply because of how they are constructed. This model survey among humanitarian aid-workers from nine Greek non-governmental organizations uses specific techniques designed to overcome these challenges by applying sample familiarity, non-inflammatory hypothesis-testing, educational question stems, intentional ordering of questions, and direct questioning rather than surrogate measures like statistical approximation. Respondents working in the refugee crisis in Greece demonstrate how empathy, education, and exposure to refugees serve to overcome the harmful stereotypes of outsiders as contributors to crime, terror, and social burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Methods in Ecology & Evolution is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Kenya has a lower malaria incidence in comparison to other African malaria-endemic nations. Malaria is a significant public health concern in the country. The malaria indicator survey (MIS) data were analyzed using the logistic regression model. Nonetheless, independent data may be the cause of most MIS's hierarchical structure. This approach does not consider any association between data points within a cluster, as it assumes that the individual malaria statuses are independent of their causes. The approach may lead to biased analysis conclusions. The primary goal of this research is to determine the impact of sample enumeration areas (SEAs) and SEA features on individual malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) results. We are interested in identifying key factors influencing household members' malaria RDT findings or Kenya's malaria prevalence and assessing variation. Methods: Our study utilized the robust 2020 Kenya National Malaria Indicator Surveys (KMIS) dataset, which is representative of the entire nation. This dataset, comprising 301 clusters (134 urban and 167 rural areas), was instrumental in applying several multilevel models, including random sample and sample Enumeration Area (SEA) effects. We also considered the weights used in the s survey design, which is used to adjust uneven probabilities of choice within clusters, further enhancing the reliability and relevance of our findings. The methods used in this study involved a rigorous analysis of the KMIS dataset, including applying multilevel models and considering survey design weights to ensure the robustness and strength of our results. Results: This study's findings are significant and crucial in understanding the prevalence of malaria in Kenya. The findings reveal that factors such as region, place of residence, mosquito bed net use, water source location, wealth index, age, household size, and altitude are significantly associated with malaria's prevalence.After accounting for these variables, systematic changes across SEAs accounted for approximately 47.1 % of the remaining variability in malaria occurrence in the study locations. In contrast, the remaining 52.9 % was projected to be unmeasured differences between individuals or family units. These findings provide a detailed explanation of the various processes that influence malaria prevalence in Kenya. Conclusions: The study's multilevel logistic regression model, which includes random effects, identified two SEA-level and eight individual/household risk factors for malaria infection. Thus, increasing the availability of insecticide-treated bed nets is one crucial element that public health policymakers should consider. Furthermore, health planners can organize spatially targeted initiatives to prevent malaria transmission with the help of spatial clustering data.

Biodiversity monitoring programmes should be designed with sufficient statistical power to detect population change. Here we evaluated the statistical power of monitoring to detect declines in the occupancy of forest birds on Christmas Island, Australia. We fitted zero-inflated binomial models to 3 years of repeat detection data (2011, 2013 and 2015) to estimate single-visit detection probabilities for four species of concern: the Christmas Island imperial pigeon Ducula whartoni, Christmas Island white-eye Zosterops natalis, Christmas Island thrush Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus and Christmas Island emerald dove Chalcophaps indica natalis. We combined detection probabilities with maps of occupancy to simulate data collected over the next 10 years for alternative monitoring designs and for different declines in occupancy (10–50%). Specifically, we explored how the number of sites (60, 128, 300, 500), the interval between surveys (1–5 years), the number of repeat visits (2–4 visits) and the location of sites influenced power. Power was high (> 80%) for the imperial pigeon, white-eye and thrush for most scenarios, except for when only 60 sites were surveyed or a 10% decline in occupancy was simulated over 10 years. For the emerald dove, which is the rarest of the four species and has a patchy distribution, power was low in almost all scenarios tested. Prioritizing monitoring towards core habitat for this species only slightly improved power to detect declines. Our study demonstrates how data collected during the early stages of monitoring can be analysed in simulation tools to fine-tune future survey design decisions.

Biodiversity monitoring programmes should be designed with sufficient statistical power to detect population change. Here we evaluated the statistical power of monitoring to detect declines in the occupancy of forest birds on Christmas Island, Australia. We fitted zero-inflated binomial models to 3 years of repeat detection data (2011, 2013 and 2015) to estimate single-visit detection probabilities for four species of concern: the Christmas Island imperial pigeon Ducula whartoni , Christmas Island white-eye Zosterops natalis , Christmas Island thrush Turdus poliocephalus erythropleurus and Christmas Island emerald dove Chalcophaps indica natalis. We combined detection probabilities with maps of occupancy to simulate data collected over the next 10 years for alternative monitoring designs and for different declines in occupancy (10–50%). Specifically, we explored how the number of sites (60, 128, 300, 500), the interval between surveys (1–5 years), the number of repeat visits (2–4 visits) and the location of sites influenced power. Power was high (> 80%) for the imperial pigeon, white-eye and thrush for most scenarios, except for when only 60 sites were surveyed or a 10% decline in occupancy was simulated over 10 years. For the emerald dove, which is the rarest of the four species and has a patchy distribution, power was low in almost all scenarios tested. Prioritizing monitoring towards core habitat for this species only slightly improved power to detect declines. Our study demonstrates how data collected during the early stages of monitoring can be analysed in simulation tools to fine-tune future survey design decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the cost‐effectiveness of alternative sampling methods is crucial for efficient biodiversity monitoring and detection of population trends. In this study, we compared the cost‐effectiveness of three novel sampling methods for detecting changes in koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) occupancy: thermal drones, passive acoustic recorders and camera trapping. Specifically, we fitted single‐season occupancy‐detection models to data recorded from 46 sites in eight bioregions of New South Wales, Australia, between 2018 and 2022. We explored the effect of weather variables on daily detection probability for each method and, using these estimates, calculated the statistical power to detect 30%, 50% and 80% declines in koala occupancy. We calculated power for different combinations of sites (1–200) and repeat surveys (2–40) and developed a cost model that found the cheapest survey design that achieved 80% power to detect change. On average, detectability of koalas was highest with one 24‐h period of acoustic surveys (0.32, 95% CI's: 0.26, 0.39) compared to a 25‐ha flight of drone surveys (0.28, 95% 0.15, 0.48) or a 24‐h period of camera trapping consisting of six cameras (0.019, 95% CI's: 0.014, 0.025). We found a negative quadratic relationship between detection probability and air temperature for all three methods. Our power and cost analysis suggested that 148 sites surveyed with acoustic recorders deployed for 14 days would be the cheapest method to sufficiently detect a 30% decline in occupancy with 80% power. We recommend passive acoustic recorders as the most efficient sampling method for monitoring koala occupancy compared to cameras or drones. Further comparative studies are needed to compare the relative effectiveness of these methods and others when the monitoring objective is to detect change in koala abundance over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the propensity of responding "don't know" (DK) to a set of financial literacy questions provided by the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), a nationally representative U.S. data set. When given the opportunity to respond correctly, incorrectly, or DK, the inclusion of a DK response item uniquely encompasses facets of financial literacy, which are often overlooked. While researchers utilizing the NFCS have historically treated these responses as incorrect in financial literacy assessments or excluded/dropped DK responses in empirical analyses, this study's findings suggest that the interpretation of DK responses may be better viewed as an amalgamation of survey participants' uncertainty, response confidence, ambiguity regarding the question, or unwillingness to respond, rather than an outright lack of financial literacy. The empirical results suggest that females and those without financially independent children tend to respond DK more frequently to the financial literacy questions examined and that those who are older, married, highly educated, retired, have higher incomes, and current and former military personnel tend to select DK less frequently. Compared to Whites, Blacks are more likely and Asian/Pacific Islanders are less likely to answer DK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A government's decision to communicate in a native tongue rather than a commonly used and understood but non-native language can prompt perception through an ethnically-tinted lens. While native-language communication is commonplace and typically benign, we argue that conveying a threat posed by an outgroup in a native tongue can trigger dehumanizing attitudes. We conducted a pre-registered survey experiment focusing on attitudes toward Muslim and Chinese people in India to test our expectations. In our two-stage design, we randomly assigned respondents to a survey language (Hindi or English) and, after that, to threat-provoking or control conditions. While Muslims and China are associated with recent violence against India, the government has routinely portrayed only the former as threatening. Likely due to this divergence, Hindi language assignment alone triggers Muslim dehumanization. Indians' more innocuous views of Chinese are responsive to exogenously-induced threat, particularly when conveyed in Hindi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes mental health and psychosocial screening processes, access to care and interventions provided to children with upper limb musculoskeletal conditions. A cross-sectional e-survey study was conducted of 107 healthcare professionals who work with children with congenital hand and upper limb differences and brachial plexus birth injuries. Of them, 41 (38%) reported that they routinely screen for mental health and psychosocial concerns. Few (12%) reported the use of standardized outcome measures. In total, 51 (48%) healthcare professionals reported that there was a waiting list for mental health services at their institution. Collectively, healthcare professionals were unsatisfied with the staffing, access to care and types of interventions available. Reported barriers to care included the growing need for mental health support, lack of resources and poor continuity of care after referrals. Future research should focus on identifying and validating a mental health screening tool and investigating the processes affecting access to mental health care. Level of evidence: IV [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I review the literature on item nonresponse in surveys. Based on this review, I extend the satisficing model with respondents' privacy concerns to incorporate all relevant aspects of the response process for item nonresponse. I review proposed strategies to reduce item nonresponse and test selected strategies. Results suggest that boosting respondents' use of showcards and interviewing in the respondents' primary language might be promising ways to reduce item nonresponse. Other people present during the interview have only a small association with the number of refusals. Matching the age and gender of respondents and interviewers appears not to be a worthwhile strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to test the validity of commonly used measures of exposure to and production of online extremism. Specifically, we investigate if a definition of hate influences survey responses about the production of and exposure to online hate. To explore the effects of a definition, we used a split experimental design on a sample of 18 to 25-year-old Americans where half of the respondents were exposed to the European Union's definition of hate speech and the other half were not. Then, all respondents completed a survey with commonly used items measuring exposure to and perpetration of online hate. The results reveal that providing a definition affects self-reported levels of exposure and perpetration, but the effects are dependent on race. The findings provide evidence that survey responses about online hate may be conditioned by social desirability and framing biases. The findings that group differences exist in how questions about hate are interpreted when definitions of it are not provided mean we must be careful when using measures that try to capture exposure to and the production of hate. While more research is needed, we recommend providing a clear, unambiguous definition when using surveys to measure online hate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high cost to corporations of in-person data collection attributable to focus group facility rental costs, recruitment costs, and honoraria, the corporate market researcher working with finite budget must weigh the pros and cons of in-person versus online research for tangible goods. The purpose of the study was to establish a practitioner accessible approach to maximizing information gain per dollar spent collecting sample. In phase one, a repeated-measures sample was obtained from in-person respondents who also completed the research online. Using the phase one covariance of online/in-person ratings, phase two online-only data were collected, transformed, and blended with phase one data to create a weighted purchase intent metric reflecting both online and in-person evaluations. By blending in-person (expensive) and online (cheap) data collection modes, cost-savings were realized without expanding the confidence internal around purchase intent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introductory undergraduate statistics courses widely focus on statistical concepts or software-based data analysis. Despite the fact that the analysis of real data has shown to enhance students' engagement, the step of data collection is often neglected. Once students know the challenges of data collection, they are more aware of potential imperfections, such as a lack of representativeness, during data analysis. In this paper, we present a course that closes the gap allowing Business and Economics students to conduct a full survey under realistic conditions including questionnaire design, sampling, and data analysis. It entangles theory and application by combining course-based research experiences with cooperative learning and a flipped classroom approach. Students do not only obtain competences in the field of statistics, they also gain experiences and self-confidence for future research projects because the lecturer acts as a mentor guiding the students throughout the project. Although statistics is usually an unpopular field for Business and Economics students, their motivation was high throughout the semester as they acted as researchers who analysed a specific research question. This is in agreement with student feedback, which highlights the promotion of research-related competences and self-efficacy within the course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the value of experiential education in social/behavioral science research training, we designed and offered a simulation of a survey research project for doctoral students in education. Through three phases of the project, from instrument design through scale investigation and quantitative analyses, students are developed as researchers in a realistic and authentic way. In this paper, we highlight the advantages, challenges, and outcomes from applying simulation methods within graduate research methods courses, with a specific focus on survey methodology and quantitative skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to show how changes in survey design, supervision, and data collector affect travel survey data. The results can be used by policymakers and travel behaviour researchers when evaluating or choosing survey design. A document study of public documentation of national travel survey (NTS) methodology, and research using NTS data material from six European countries were conducted to compare the survey design of their respective NTSs. The results show that all countries included in this analysis have some sort of quality challenges. However, the countries have handled them differently, at different stages, and the transparency of the data collection process varies. Transparency in the data collection process and processing of data is essential for improving the survey design, evaluating quality, and ensuring that the time series is intact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lives of caregivers can be deeply impacted by having a child with a developmental disability (DD). To offset those impacts, caregivers may engage in accommodations, or strategies to bolster everyday functioning. The nature and extent of these accommodations can provide insight into how the family is doing and what supports are needed from a family-centered perspective. This paper presents the development and preliminary validation of the Accommodations & Impact Scale for Developmental Disabilities (AISDD). The AISDD is a rating scale that measures day-to-day accommodations and impacts of raising a child with a DD. A sample of 407 caregivers of youth with DDs (Mage = 11.7 years; 63% males) completed the AISDD, along with measures of caregiver strain, daily challenges, child adaptive behavior, and behavior and emotional regulation. The AISDD is a unidimensional, 19-item scale with excellent internal consistency (ordinal alpha =.93) and test–retest (ICC =.95) reliability. Scores were normally distributed and sensitive to age (r = −.19), diagnosis (ASD + ID > ASD > ID), adaptive functioning (r = −.35), and challenging behaviors (r =.57). Finally, the AISDD showed excellent convergent validity with similar measures of accommodations and impacts. These findings support the use of the AISDD as a valid and reliable tool for measuring accommodations among caregivers of individuals with DDs. This measure shows promise in its ability to identify which families may need additional support for their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey scores are often the basis for understanding how individuals grow psychologically and socio-emotionally. A known problem with many surveys is that the items are all "easy"—that is, individuals tend to use only the top one or two response categories on the Likert scale. Such an issue could be especially problematic, and lead to ceiling effects, when the same survey is administered repeatedly over time. In this study, we conduct simulation and empirical studies to (a) quantify the impact of these ceiling effects on growth estimates when using typical scoring approaches like sum scores and unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models and (b) examine whether approaches to survey design and scoring, including employing various longitudinal multidimensional IRT (MIRT) models, can mitigate any bias in growth estimates. We show that bias is substantial when using typical scoring approaches and that, while lengthening the survey helps somewhat, using a longitudinal MIRT model with plausible values scoring all but alleviates the issue. Results have implications for scoring surveys in growth studies going forward, as well as understanding how Likert item ceiling effects may be contributing to replication failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camera trap model and setup choice can significantly affect data collection. This study investigated standard-angle Reconyx and wide-angle Swift camera traps in different setups and how the choice of equipment influenced detection and individual identification of the chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii). Camera models were placed side-by-side in four setups: (i) single and (ii) paired camera traps 30 cm above ground; and single cameras (iii) 1 m and (iv) 2 m above ground, with a lure (tuna oil) in the centre of all setups. Swifts had a higher Detection probability than Reconyx, although the number of detections with identified individuals did not significantly differ between camera models. The 30 cm paired camera setups had the highest Detection and Identification probabilities for both camera models, with both probabilities decreasing as cameras were positioned higher. Camera model and setup choice are important in obtaining detection and identification data, and should be considered when planning studies and interpreting results. Many wildlife studies using camera traps require a high probability of animal detection and, depending on study aim, the ability to identify individuals. For a cryptic species this can be difficult, but testing different setups for camera traps improves both detection and individual identification. In the case of the chuditch, a medium-sized marsupial carnivore, paired cameras at 30 cm height had the best Detection and Identification probability. This setup can be used in a variety of chuditch studies to gather more useable data and would increase the reliability of results such as population density estimates. Photograph by Melissa Taylor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve spatiotemporal data collection and inform future spurdog Squalus acanthias stock assessment, a new dedicated longline survey was initiated in 2021 in coastal waters of southern Norway. The survey comprised a mixture of randomly predefined stations to facilitate unbiased abundance estimates and supplementary stations including informant putative hotspots. During 25 survey days in autumn 2021, 287 stations were sampled, of which 280 were categorized as "satisfactory" in terms of gear quality deployment. Spurdog catches (n = 954) were more abundant in southeast coastal shallower waters (19–150 m). No length, sex, or maturity stratified schooling behavior was found with increasing catches. Females were more abundant and larger than males, but males were older. Growth and reproduction parameters were within ranges reported for the stock. Our results provide valuable input for spurdog survey designs with regards to optimizing boat time, location of stations, and biological sampling protocols. The survey provides important data for monitoring the spurdog stock and other data‐limited species, especially considering the newly re‐opened spurdog fishery but also to study possible future effects of climatic changes on spurdog distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, we provide direct evidence of cheating in online assessments of political knowledge. We combine survey responses with web tracking data of a German and a US online panel to assess whether people turn to external sources for answers. We observe item-level prevalence rates of cheating that range from 0 to 12 percent depending on question type and difficulty, and find that 23 percent of respondents engage in cheating at least once across waves. In the US panel, which employed a commitment pledge, we observe cheating behavior among less than 1 percent of respondents. We find robust respondent- and item-level characteristics associated with cheating. However, item-level instances of cheating are rare events; as such, they are difficult to predict and correct for without tracking data. Even so, our analyses comparing naive and cheating-corrected measures of political knowledge provide evidence that cheating does not substantially distort inferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater gastropods are among the most imperiled organisms on Earth. Yet, they are among the most understudied freshwater taxa. Numerous freshwater gastropod species have gone extinct in the last 100 years, but recent rediscoveries indicate that some species were prematurely declared extinct. Such premature extinction declarations remove legal protections, which could facilitate actual extinction. Thus, research and policy recommendations are needed so surveys provide the best information possible for conservation. Here, we examined the case of Lithasia hubrichti, a freshwater gastropod endemic to the Big Black River in Mississippi that was last seen in 1965. In 2022, a freshwater mollusk survey resulted in finding L. hubrichti alive. An additional survey effort in 2023 that prioritized sampling as many sites as possible in a single day clarified the current range of L. hubrichti. Genomic analyses indicated that the species has persisted with a large population size for thousands of years, rather than ever falling below a survey detection limit. When considering the case of L. hubrichti and other recent freshwater gastropod rediscoveries, we conclude that freshwater gastropod surveys should emphasize sampling as many sites as possible under favorable sampling conditions when targeting rare species, rather than expending high sampling effort at a small number of sites or when stream conditions may impact ability to detect target species. We also advocate for policies that encourage partnerships with landowners, which was required to rediscover L. hubrichti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary assessments provide the snapshots of population-based dietary habits. Questions remain about how generalisable those snapshots are in national survey data, where certain subgroups are sampled disproportionately. We propose a Bayesian overfitted latent class model to derive dietary patterns, accounting for survey design and sampling variability. Compared to standard approaches, our model showed improved identifiability of the true population pattern and prevalence in simulation. We focus application of this model to identify the intake patterns of adults living at or below the 130% poverty income level. Five dietary patterns were identified and characterised by reproducible code/data made available to encourage further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to determine the perceived importance and development of agricultural students' employability skills, and the factors and experiences that influence their development. We used a cross-sectional survey research design and conducted a census of Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students by distributing a researcher-developed instrument to all students following the tailored design method. We collected 991 usable responses. Students believed communication and decision-making skills were most important, but their teamwork skills and self-management skills were most developed. Seven types of professional experiences significantly and positively influenced students' perceived development of employability skills. Students who knew the type of career they wanted to pursue believed their employability skills were statistically significantly better developed than students who did not. Agricultural educators should help students identify career interests early in their academic pursuit and encourage their participation in professional experiences to improve their perceived employability skills development. Increased frequency of participating in teamwork, leadership, project management, community engagement, cross-disciplinary, international, and internship experiences can increase agricultural students' perceived general human capital. Knowledge regarding the type of career they want to pursue can also increase perceived human capital. We identified novel characteristics of agricultural students across academic departments and at varying levels of their degree program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 Cote d ˆ ’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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessments are a key component of the approval process for many onshore seismic surveys. Quantifying the environmental disturbance caused by such surveys is, however, problematic, as although they cover large areas only a small fraction will be impacted. In this paper, I describe how disturbance can be quantified using the tree fractional cover statistic calculated using LiDAR data. I demonstrate its application using both a synthetic dataset and a real dataset from the Bowen Basin, Queensland, Australia. For the latter, the application of a disturbance minimisation survey design technique resulted in environmental disturbance being reduced from 13% to just 3.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We sought to understand the relative impact of fielding mode on response rate among public health alumni. Methods: As part of the 2021 Career Trends Survey of alumni from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, we designed a fielding mode experiment to ascertain whether a paper survey, a postcard with a custom survey link ("postcard push-to-web"), a mobile telephone call or text (mobile), or an email invitation would garner the highest response rates. Invitations were randomly assigned from available contact information. Results: Of 8531 alumni invited, 1671 alumni (19.6%) completed the survey. Among the initial fielding modes, the paper survey had the highest response rate (28%), followed by mobile (19%), email (10%), and postcard push-to-web (10%). More robust recent engagement with alumni relations, paper survey invitation or mode switch, and recent graduation were all significantly associated with a higher likelihood of response. Conclusions: Paper and mobile invitations had the highest response rates to our survey among public health alumni. Findings from this fielding mode experiment are relevant to schools and programs of public health seeking to capture similar information among their alumni, especially given current trends in investment in the public health workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To use co‐design principles to design a nationwide maternity experiences survey and to distribute the survey through social media. Design: A co‐designed, cross sectional, and national online survey. Methods: Using co‐design principles from study design and throughout the research process a cross‐sectional, online, national survey of Australian women's experiences of maternity care was designed. Four validated survey instruments were included in the survey design. Results: An extensive social media strategy was utilized, which included paid advertising, resulting in 8804 surveys for analysis and 54,896 comments responding to open text questions. Discussion: The inclusion of co‐design principles contributed to a well‐designed survey and consumer involvement in distribution and support of the online survey. The social media distribution strategy contributed to high participation rates with overall low marketing costs. Clinical Relevance: Maternity services should be designed to provide woman‐centered, individualized care. This survey was co‐designed with maternity users and maternity organizations to explore women's recent experiences of maternity care in Australia. The outcomes of this study will highlight the factors that contribute to positive and negative experiences in maternity services. Patient or Public Contribution: As a co‐designed study, there was consumer engagement from the design of the study, throughout the research process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little effort has focused on encouraging less costly, online responses within mixed-mode surveys. From an Ontario angler survey, this gap is addressed by applying a nudge (i.e., mail push to web) or control (i.e., providing a print questionnaire and return envelope) for the final mail contact. The nudge increased the share of online responses from the final contact by over 40% while only slightly decreasing (1.3%) the response rate. The nudge most heavily affected senior anglers (65–70 years old) who experienced a 58% increase in online responses but an 11% decrease to the response rate from the final contact. The increased response rate for the control came at a cost of about $25 and $4 (CAD 2021) per additional response for overall and senior anglers, respectively. Thus, the cost-effectiveness of the nudge depends on the population being targeted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development of an instrument designed to measure language learners' attitudes toward native and non-native speakers, and localized Englishes, which may have been shaped by the continued prevalence of the native speaker model of English (NSM) in their learning context. After reviewing the literature regarding the NSM in relation to both teachers and learners, the article describes the development process, including two large administrations, to first-year tertiary students in Japan. Principal component analysis was used with data from a large pilot study (N = 610) to reduce the number of items, providing a shorter instrument that was administered to a separate group of 568 learners. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the resulting data to create an instrument containing three factors describing different aspects of learners' attitudes. Finally, these factors were analyzed for reliability with Cronbach's alpha and inter-item correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business interruption after disasters is an important metric for community resilience planning because has both economic and social consequences. Each additional day that a business is nonoperational further compounds lost revenue, wages, and lack of access to goods and services needed for recovery. Therefore, the use of surveys has grown in the literature as a way to capture the diverse information needed for modeling business disaster outcomes. However, variable inclusion and measurement can vary widely across studies, and there is a lack of guidance on how to structure surveys most effectively to facilitate this effort. This study fills these gaps through an analysis of variable choice, variable measurement, and measurement timing using data from an interdisciplinary field study in Lumberton, North Carolina after 2016 Hurricane Matthew. We found that empirical business interruption models can be improved significantly by using a comprehensive set of utility and damage variables; integrating damage information based on damage states for building, contents, and machinery; and capturing recovery-time dynamics by using business downtime and utility outage durations, rather than binary measurements. The results suggest that making these relatively small changes to survey design in future studies can yield large returns in empirical business models for community resilience research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]