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

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  • Jacobsen Jannes

    (German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM), Mauerstraße 76, 10117 Berlin, Germany.)

Abstract

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

Suggested Citation

  • Jacobsen Jannes, 2022. "If They Don’t Understand the Question, They Don’t answer. Language Mismatch in Face-to-Face Interviews," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 38(2), pages 453-484, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:offsta:v:38:y:2022:i:2:p:453-484:n:6
    DOI: 10.2478/jos-2022-0022
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jannes Jacobsen & Lukas Marian Fuchs, 2020. "Can We Compare Conceptions of Democracy in Cross-Linguistic and Cross-National Research? Evidence from a Random Sample of Refugees in Germany," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 669-690, September.
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