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Web Survey Bibliography

Title An Experience of Internet Data Collection for a National Survey on Graduates
Author Brait, F., Sorvillo, M. P., Venturi, M.
Source European Conference on Quality and Methodology in Official Statistics, 2004
Year 2004
Access date 01.09.2004
Abstract The development of new methods of data collections is one of the main tasks of national statistical offices, in order to improve the quality of collected data and, at the same time, to minimize the statistical burden on respondents. Under this regard, new technologies and the spreading of Internet can help, both from the collector and the supplier side. In the field of analysis of transition from school to work, Istat (Italian national statistical office) carries out a set of 3 surveys. One of these is addressed to those who have completed upper secondary school (diplomati). The sample design includes a first step (sample of clusters of schools) and a second step (extraction of the sample of graduates to interview). The schools identified in the first step are requested to send the complete list of those who graduated three years before, extracting information from their administrative registers. In the previous editions of the survey, each school in the sample received a paper form to fill in. This solution presented some drawbacks: the consistency of information in every paper form had to be checked ex post, and some corrections had to be made calling back the school. Starting from this experience, a different strategy was decided for the new edition of the survey, planned in 2003/2004: to ask each school for the complete list of graduates, and to organize an electronic exchange of data from the schools to Istat via Internet. The new collection system is realized on a web platform. Each school received a user-id and a password to enter an application in a web site at the address http://diplomati.istat.it. Once entered the application, the school had the opportunity to fill in an electronic questionnaire or to upload data from a standard format file. For both choices, data were checked on-line and, if completely consistent and correct, they were entered into a data base at Istat service centre. The application architecture is client/server, which allows lower occupation of the internet connection, speeding up the collection operation and the sending of the form. A three-layer architecture has been created, as follows: 1. The client, which can be a simple PC with an Internet connection and which connects via a Netscape or Explorer browser to the ad hoc site. 2. The web server, which is Apache, where the HTML and JAVA servlets are located. 3. The DBMS ORACLE server, which is used to store data. This innovation in the process of data collection has guaranteed a diminution of statistical burden for respondents; furthermore, an improvement in data quality has been achieved, as shown by a comparison with data sent on paper form, because of on line checking procedures.
Access/Direct link Homepage - conference (abstract)
Year of publication2004
Bibliographic typeConferences, workshops, tutorials, presentations
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Web survey bibliography - Italy (57)

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