Fieldwork

Ongoing and recently completed survey experiments

Survey mode effects

Survey mode effects are differences in responses and measured outcomes that arise due to the mode of survey administration - by phone or in person. They potentially complicate comparing face-to-face and phone survey data and the implementation of mixed-mode surveys. Yet, little is known about their extent in LMICs and what can be done to reduce them. The LSMS team designs and implements survey experiments to investigate survey mode effects across multiple policy-relevant outcomes.

Experiment in Nigeria: Data collected (2023-2024); draft coming soon. AEA RCT R-0012920

Experiment in Bangladesh: Designing phase

Measuring jobs, informality, and household businesses

Household surveys are foundational to labor statistics, but significant gaps remain especially in LMICs. Improved data collection and survey methodologies are needed for accurately estimating the prevalence and productivity of household businesses; characterizing the quality of the jobs, the alignment between job requirements and workers’ skills; and analyzing the relationship between unpaid care and domestic responsibilities and labor market participation.

Experiment in Ghana comparing different survey methods to identify the informal sector: Fieldwork completed (2022), working paper available