Non-response from a

qualitative perspective.

An interview study

Lina Fjelkegård, Statistic Sweden,

Unit for cognitive methods

Lina.fjelkegard@scb.se

“Why should I spend time on this?

What´s the bloody point?”

Non-response work at Statistics Sweden – Umbrella with

different projects.

Non-response from a qualitative perspective. An interview

study.

Objective:

To get an in-depth understanding of why a sample member

becomes a non-respondent.

To get knowledge about aspects that are hard to reach with

other methods.

Design

•Eleven in-depth interviews

•Six face to face and five telephone interviews

•The Labor Force Survey, The Living Condition

Survey, or surveys with self-administrated

questionnaires.

•Between 20 and 60 minuets (non-respondent´s

home, café, workplace or at Stat Sweden)

•Interviewed non-respondents vary concerning age,

gender and educational level

Bonus material

Design

Content

Semi-structured/standardized

Concrete survey related issues: Incentives, data

collection mode, survey length, survey conductor and

sponsor, confidentiality issues etc.

Wider societal context: Attitudes towards civic

responsibility and attitudes and experiences of

statistics. Societal connection and involvement.

Results: Wider societal context

Contribution as motivation

But the point with my life is to have a feeling that

what I do is meaningful. I can´t think that it doesn´t

matter. So if someone would tell me and explain why

this is important and why they want to know things

about me. Then I think I would answer it.

(Women 64 years, university degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Contribution as motivation

That is definitely an aspect of it. It is. Because it´s the

state and you believe that it will make a difference.

(Male 28 years, university degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Contribution as motivation

I can not see that it will lead to anything good. You

know. (Interviewer: No, okay… And that it won´t lead to anything good, is that

one of the reasons that you don´t prioritize to attend do you think?)

Yes, probably. It doesn´t feel important to me. It

doesn´t.

(Male 37 years, high school degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Authorities and power

It is a part of my personality – to have no trust in

public authorities and to not trust in public

statements. When they say that they don´t want to

take advantage of me, I always think that is just what

they want to do.

(Male, 31 years, university degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Authorities and power

Everybody is so tardy. Everything. I mean like The

National Employment Office or The National Social

Insurance Office, something like that. I think they are

all idiots. I think. Stuff like that in general. But I don´t

work with those things so I don´t really know how it

works.

(Male 37 years, high school degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Authorities and power

I believe that the government wants to do good.

What they do is good and of high quality. I think it is

about that. I think there are a lot of wise people

working to make things better. I have to think that.

(Woman 64 years, university degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards

statistics

But the research was five years old. The statistics

they build the statement on. It was a professor and I

called him and then he referred to an even older

study.

(Male 64 years old, high school degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards

statistics

But it is so quick. I mean, for example, when there is

a scandal or something and there is suddenly

statistics on what people think about that, and if

someone should resign. It is so quick. I don´t know

who produce that statistics, maybe it is media.

(Male 37 years, high school degree)

Results: Wider societal context

Knowledge, experiences and attitudes towards

statistics

I have a feeling that a lot of statistics are deliberately

produced to show a certain result – ‘if we do it like

this…’. How you write your questions and stuff like

that. To be able to prove your point. That’s why I´m a

bit skeptic against surveys.

(Male 28 years, university degree)

Analytical categories: Three different types of

non-respondents

a)Weak attachment to society. Low knowledge.

b)Good knowledge. Mistrust against public authorities.

c)Strong attachment and trust. Good knowledge.

What is default? To be a respondent or a non-respondent?

a)Weak attachment to society. Low knowledge.

Non-respondents. We need to explain and/or create benefits.

b)Good knowledge. Mistrust against public authorities.

Non-respondents. Can´t do much.

c)Strong attachment and trust. Good knowledge.

Respondents. We have to minimize the restraints/costs.

Can we use results from qualitative

research in the work against non-

response?