Kristen Olson

@olsonkm.bsky.social

1123 Followers 1394 Following

Survey Methodologist. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Sociology Professor. Proud director of an academic survey research organization (Bureau of Sociological Research). Former Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology Editor (2020-2024). AAPOR Devotee.

Me (Kristen Olson) standing in front of my title slide that says "From Mail Surveys to Chatbots: Changes in Survey Modes, Methods, and Data Sources Over Time" at the keynote address at the European Survey Research Association conference in Utrecht
Screenshot of a Census website that says "showing 486 results" but only one paper is displayed, stating "2021 Initial Mailing Pressure Seal Test." All of the pages are blank.
A PhD qualifying exam in survey methodology from May 2003, with a question about types of validity
Photo of myself Kristen Olson and my former student Rebecca Powell at the MAPOR conference
Josh Lerner’s Beyond Chat: Leveraging GPT’s Potential for Text Classification title slide
A ChatGPT prompt sandwich
A set of quotes from data collectors in an education based survey, all of whom liked more and multiple training than one big training at the start of the study.
An introduction slide for Using AI for Cognitive Health Measures in a Multilingual Survey Context by Sunghee Lee, Stephanie Morales, and Joanne Tian at the MAPOR conference
Jennifer Dykema from University of Wisconsin presenting a short course at MAPOR, the Midwest Association for Public Opinion Research. Her arm is raised as she explains question features.
Remember, You Can Complete This Survey Online! Web Survey Links and QR Codes in a Mixed-Mode Web and Mail General Population Survey Abstract Recruitment materials for concurrent mixed-mode self-administered web and mail surveys must communicate information about multiple modes simultaneously. Providing the link to the web survey on the cover of the paper questionnaire or including a QR code to access the web survey may increase the visibility of the web mode and thus increase the proportion of people who participate via the web, but whether including either piece of information does so has received surprisingly little empirical attention. In this paper, we examine the results of experiments embedded in two general population probability-based concurrent mixed-mode surveys of Nebraska adults. First, in the Labor Availability Survey of the Greater Omaha Area, respondents were randomly assigned to receive the web link and login information on the cover or the paper questionnaire without
Abstract for Display of battery items in web and mail surveys: Grids versus item-by-item and radio versus wide buttons. Main finding: Straightlining is less in item-by-item displays, but radio vs. wide buttons had little effect on these questions.
Questionnaire designers use readability measures to ensure that questions can be understood by the target population. The most common measure is the Flesch-Kincaid Grade level, but other formulas exist. This article compares six different readability measures across 150 questions in a self-administered questionnaire, finding notable variation in calculated readability across measures. Some question formats, including those that are part of a battery, require important decisions that have large effects on the estimated readability of survey items. Other question evaluation tools, such as the Question Understanding Aid (QUAID) and the Survey Quality Predictor (SQP), may identify similar problems in questions, making readability measures less useful. We find little overlap between QUAID, SQP, and the readability measures, and little differentiation in the tools’ prediction of item nonresponse rates. Questionnaire designers are encouraged to use multiple question evaluation tools and devel
Screenshot of questionnaire from National Survey of Children’s Health. Is this child CURRENTLY covered by any of the following types of health insurance or health coverage plans?