2023 Results
We are pleased to announce that Jonathan Mendelson is the winner of the 2023 DC-AAPOR Student paper Award for his paper, “Optimal Allocation Under Anticipated Nonresponse.” Jonathan recently graduated from the Joint Program in Survey Methodology receiving his Ph.D. In the paper, Jonathan demonstrated a method for allocating single-stage survey samples that take into account anticipated nonresponse and the increase in data collection cost to derive optimal allocations.
2022 Results
Emma Mitchell is the winner of the 2022 DCAAPOR Student Paper Award for her paper, “Critical Race Theory and Anxiety in Media: Examining Sensationalized Language in Media and the Effects on Education.” Emma is working on her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a minor in International Business at the George Washington University. In the paper, Emma conducted an online survey experiment to look at respondent interpretation of the concept of “critical race theory” in college classes and whether the context of questions makes a difference. She will be presenting the paper at the upcoming AAPOR conference.
2021 Results
Alauna Safarpour is the winner of the 2021 Student Paper Award for her paper, “EPR: A Theory of Prejudice Reduction and Political Attitudes.” Alauna recently earned her PhD in Government and Politics from The University of Maryland. She is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a visiting postdoctoral fellow at Northeastern’s Network Science Institute. In the paper, Alauna conducted an experiment using an on line survey to look at a method for reducing prejudice. She will be presenting the paper at the upcoming AAPOR conference.
2020 Results
This year’s winner is Doug Kilburg (with co-author Arthur Rosales). His paper, titled “Public Interest in USDA/NASS’s Statistical Reports via Social Media, ” employs data science techniques to measure the public interest in NASS statistical reports. This award for local students comes with a stipend of $1,000 and a guaranteed spot in the conference program to present their paper at the 2021 Virtual AAPOR Conference. Congratulations to Doug and his co-author!
2019 Results
This year’s winner is Josh Langeland, for his paper “Email Reminders for a Scheduled Interview in an Establishment Panel Survey.”
Congratulations Josh!
Comparability of modern contraceptive use estimates between a face-to-face survey and a cellphone survey among women of reproductive age in Burkina Faso
Abigail R Greenleaf, Saifuddin Ahmed, and Caroline Moreau
Abigail R Greenleaf is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins University.
Abstract
Introduction: The proliferation of cell phone ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) presents the opportunity to collect public health indicators at a lower cost by transitioning from face-to face (FTF) to cell phone surveys. However, this substitution of survey modes raises questions of sample representativeness and data quality. This analysis assesses the equivalence of modern contraceptive prevalence estimates between a nationally representative FTF survey and a cell phone survey using random digit dialing (RDD) among women of reproductive age in Burkina Faso.
Methods: We analyzed data from two surveys conducted in Burkina Faso between December 2017 and May 2018. The FTF survey, a nationally representative sample of 3,556 women of reproductive age (15-49 years), was conducted by PMA2020 (Round 5). The RDD survey was a cross-sectional survey using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI). We used quota restrictions so the RDD sample would mirror the underlying age and residence (urban/rural) distribution of the female population of Burkina Faso. Ultimately, 2,379 women completed the RDD survey. Our outcome measure was current use of modern contraception, limited to the five main methods used in Burkina Faso (IUD, implant, injectable, pill and condom). Our key independent variable of interest was survey mode (FTF versus RDD). We first evaluated differences in the distribution of sociodemographic characteristics between the two samples then generated RDD post-stratification weights to account for these differences. We then compared use of modern contraception by survey mode, using unweighted and weighted RDD estimates and tested for the equivalence of modern contraceptive use rates between the FTF sample and the RDD sample within a margin of +/-4%. Finally, we conducted a multivariable logistic regression to evaluate if the effect of survey mode on contraceptive use remained significant, after adjusting for women’s sociodemographic factors.
Results: Compared to FTF respondents, women in the RDD sample were younger, a higher proportion had a secondary degree and spoke French. Altogether, 40% of RDD respondents reported modern contraceptive use (unweighted) versus 26% of FTF respondents. This difference, which remained unchanged after applying post-stratification weights to the RDD sample (39% weighted) surpassed the equivalence margin of 4%. The RDD sample also produced higher estimates of contraceptive use than the subsample of women who owned a phone in the FTF sample (32%). After adjusting for women’s sociodemographic factors, the odds of contraceptive use were 1.9 times higher (95% CI: 1.6- 2.2) in the weighted RDD survey compared to the full FTF survey and 1.6 times higher (95% CI: 1.3 – 1.8) compared to FTF phone owners.
Conclusions: Modern contraceptive prevalence in Burkina Faso is over-estimated when using a cell phone RDD survey. Sample distortion associated with area of residence and age may affectively be addressed by applying quotas but doesn’t prevent substantial bias in contraceptive use estimates. Further research should aim to explore causes of differential reporting of modern contraceptive use by survey modes.
Congratulations Abigail!
It is all about the design: the influence of visual aids on respondents’ answers
Esteban Guzmán Saucedo, Joint Program in Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park
Measurement error can arise from the design and the format of the instrument. Traditionally, research has focused on improving survey questions and enhancing the questionnaire format to reduce measurement error. Nonetheless, less attention has been paid to explore the role of visual aids in face-to-face surveys. Pollsters who conduct research in multi-party systems face challenges designing a show card when many candidates compete in an election. This becomes more complicated when one or more candidates are part of a political coalition. Based on a randomized experiment replicated in three different surveys in Mexico, the following paper argues that the format of the show cards has an impact on how respondents report an answer. We find evidence for this hypothesis in the three surveys. However, contrary to expectations, a longer visual aid is a better measure of voter preference than a more succinct version. We hypothesized that this occurs because the longer version more closely resembles the official ballot.
Esteban Guzmán Saucedo is a Project Director and Survey Methodologist at Buendía & Laredo, a leading polling firm in Mexico. He holds a Master’s degree from the Joint Program in Survey Methodology at the University of Maryland. He graduated from JPSM in Spring 2017. Esteban was a survey methodologist intern at the National Center of Health Statistics and a statistical intern at Westat. His areas of interest include data-quality assessment, detecting fraudulent data, survey nonresponse, and measurement error. Esteban is member of AAPOR and DC-AAPOR.
This year’s winner is:
Proven Failure: First-Time Presidential Voting and Political Trust
Authors: Eunji Kim, University of Pennsylvania; Jin Woo Kim, University of Pennsylvania
2015 Results
This year’s winner is:
Theory and Practice in Non-Probability Surveys: Parallels Between Causal Inference and Survey Inference
Authors: Andrew W. Mercer, Frauke Kreuter and Scott Keeter
Andrew Mercer is a research methodologist at the Pew Research Center and currently getting his Ph.D. at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology as the University of Maryland. Andrew received a $1,000 cash prize and space on the 2016 AAPOR program.Thank you to AIR for once again sponsoring this year’s student paper competition.
2014 Results
This year’s winner is: “Do Interviewer Effects Matter: Evidence from European Social Survey “- authors Ashley Amaya, Delancey Gustin, Herschel Lisette Sanders, and Ji Qi from JPSM at University of Maryland and University of Michigan.
The authors of the winning paper were awarded a cash prize of $1,000, sponsored by the American Institutes for Research, and a guaranteed spot on the Conference Program to present their paper at the 2015 Annual AAPOR Conference. This was a great paper so please stop by their session at AAPOR. Congratulations!
HONORABLE MENTION (another great paper): “Temporal Considerations of Nonresponse Error and Nonresponse Bias over a Fixed Data Collection Protocol” – author Taylor Lewis from JPSM at University of Maryland.Our thanks to American Institutes for Research (AIR) for sponsoring the competition this year.
2013 Results
We had many great papers this year and a record number of submissions. This year’s winner is Rebecca Medway for her paper, entitled “Testing for Measurement Equivalence in the Survey Responses of Incentive and Control Group Respondents.” Rebecca will be award a cash prize of $1,000, sponsored by Abt SRBI. Additionally, Rebecca will be awarded a guaranteed spot on the Conference Program to present her paper at the 2014 Annual AAPOR Conference.
- Student Paper Winner 2013: Rebecca Medway: Testing for Measurement Equivalence in the Survey Responses of Incentive and Control Group Respondents
- 2nd Place: Carl Turner: The Use of Theory and Model Averaging for Population Prediction: An Application to the U.S. Overseas Population
- 3rd Place: Christopher Ojeda: Mental Disability and Political Voice: The Effect of Depression on Political Participation
2012 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Abt SRBI.
Jenna Fulton a recent JPSM graduate and survey researcher at Mathematica Policy Research, was selected as the winner of the 2012 Student Paper Competition. Her dissertation chapter was selected based on the quality of its research design, originality, significance, organization, and presentation: “Descriptive Analysis of Influences on Consent to Record Linkage”.
The 2012 Review Committee was composed of 2012 and 2013 DC-AAPOR executive council members.
2011 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2011 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Westat and Arbitron.
Dr. Katy E. Pearce (University of California, Santa Barbara) and Dr. Sarah Kendzior (Washingon University) are recognized for the outstanding quality of their paper:
“Spin the Tale of the Donkey: Networked Authoritarianism and Social Media in Azerbaijan”.The 2011 Review Committee was composed of the full DC-AAPOR executive council.
2010 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2010 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Abt SRBI.
Cleo Redline (JPSM) is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper:
“Providing Clarifying Instructions in a Web Survey”.The 2010 Review Committee was composed of the full DC-AAPOR executive council.
2009 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2009 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Abt SRBI.
Stephanie Eckman (JPSM) is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper which was authored with Frauke Kreuter (JPSM):
“Confirmation Bias in Housing Unit Listing”
The 2009 Review Committee was composed of the full DC-AAPOR executive council.
2008 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2008 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by SRBI.
Magdalena Wojcieszak (University of Pennsylvania) is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper:
“When Deliberation Divides: Processes Underlying Mobilization to Collective Action”
Two papers were recognized as honorable mentions:
- Ward Kay (George Mason University), “The Role of Salience on the Relationship between Public Policy and Public Opinion“
- Jocelyn Landau (University of Pennsylvania), “Framing the Debate about Genetics, Race, and Health: Effects of Racial Priming on Public Opinion about Personalized Medicine“
2008 Review Committee
Dr. Eugene Burns, Energy Information Administration
Dr. Michael P. Cohen, Statistics Consultant
Eileen O’Brien, Energy Information Administration (Chair)
Carl Ramirez, Government Accountability Office
Adam Safir, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
2007 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2007 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by SRBI.
Carl Gershenson (University of Chicago) is recognized for the outstanding quality of his paper:
“The Scientific American: A Casualty of the Culture Wars?”
2007 Review Committee
Paul Beatty, National Center for Health Statistics
Carl Ramirez, Government Accountability Office
Adam Safir, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Michael P. Cohen, consultant, retired Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Jennifer L Beck, U.S. Census Bureau
Eileen O’Brien, Energy Information Administration
Danna Basson, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc (Chair)
2006 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2006 Student Paper Competition, sponsored by SRBI.
Amy Corning (Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan) is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper:
“When the Past is Another Country: The Impact of Emigration on Memories”
Two papers were recognized as honorable mentions:
- Danna Basson (University of Wisconsin-Madison), “The Impact of Accessible Political Knowledge on Voters’ Candidate Evaluations, Issue Positions, and Issue Consistency“
- Magdalena Wojcieszak (University of Pennsylvania), “Where the differences lie: Assessing Exposure to Dissimilar Political View from Discussants, News Media and Online Groups“
2006 Review Committee
Paul Beatty, National Center for Health Statistics
Carl Ramirez, Government Accountability Office
Barbara O’Hare, Arbitron
Adam Safir, RTI International
Eugene Burns, Bureau of Transportation Statistics/Energy Information Administration
Michael P. Cohen, consultant, retired Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Eileen O’Brien (Chair), Energy Information Administration
2005 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2005 Student Paper Competition.
Hyunjoo Park, a recent graduate of the Survey Methodology Program at the University of Michigan, is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper:
“The influence of question wording on the reporting of contraceptive method use”
Two papers were recognized as honorable mentions:
- Tarek al-Baghal (JSPM), “Bias in Telephone Samples“
- Magdalena Wojcieszak (University of Pennsylvania), “Computer-Mediated Public Opinion: Impact of Ideologically Homogeneous Groups on Pluralistic Ignorance“
2005 Review Committee
Paul Beatty, National Center for Health Statistics
John Boyle, Schulman, Ronca, Bucuvalas, Inc.
Mike Cohen, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Sarah Dipko, Westat
Laura Flicker, RTI International
Jennifer Hunter, Bureau of the Census
Dawn Nelson, Bureau of the Census
Carl Ramirez, Government Accountability Office
Adam Safir (Chair), RTI International
Rob Santos, NuStats
2004 Results
The Washington-Baltimore Chapter of AAPOR is pleased to announce the winner of the 2004 Student Paper Competition.
Rachel Dinkes, a recent graduate of The London School of Economics and Political Science, is recognized for the outstanding quality of her paper:
“Neighbourhoods Matter: Fixed and Random Effects in Police Satisfaction Surveys in the UK”
Two papers were recognized as honorable mentions:
- Tarek al-Baghal (JSPM), “Can You Hear Me Now?: Differences in Vote Report Between Cellular and Landline Telephone Respondents“
- Carl Setzer (JPSM), “Replicate Measures: A latent class analysis of measurement error“
2004 Review Committee
Paul Beatty, National Center for Health Statistics
Mike Cohen, Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Mike Donatello, Consultant
Dawn Nelson, Bureau of the Census
Carl Ramirez, Government Accountability Office
Adam Safir (Chair), RTI International