The
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A (Statistics in Society) is seeking contributions for a special issue featuring empirical papers arising from the
Survey Futures project, on
The Future of Survey Data Collection. For this issue, the Editors are looking for papers developed within the Survey Futures research programme that address how innovative or improved survey designs or methods can enhance quantitative survey data collection.
The rapid changes in the survey data collection landscape, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, have impacted various aspects of social surveys both cross-sectional and longitudinal. These areas include coverage issues, sampling frames, recruitment approaches (including access to offline populations or those functionally illiterate to ensure inclusivity), the use of different modes (including video-interviewing), data quality and measurement concerns, challenges associated with collecting complex measurements, and issues related to data linkage consents. Additional considerations include questionnaire design, including the use of AI in developing surveys, and adjustment techniques, particularly those aimed at accounting and adjusting for measurement differences due to mode effects. The post-pandemic role of interviewers is also a key topic, among others.
There is an urgent need for evidence on how to address the challenges of the survey data collection landscape and utilise the opportunities while ensuring that survey data collection remains effective, efficient, and results in high-quality data. This special issue of the
Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A, is dedicated to addressing these challenges by applying robust methods in applications, bringing together survey methodology, survey research, and statistics.
Prospective authors are invited to email any questions about their proposed papers to the guest editors: Prof Peter Lynn (University of Essex,
plynn@essex.ac.uk), Prof Olga Maslovskaya (University of Southampton,
om206@soton.ac.uk), Prof Barry Schouten (CBS Netherlands and Utrecht University,
jg.schouten@cbs.nl), and Prof Sir Ian Diamond (University of Southampton, iandiamond08@gmail.com).
Submissions – which should clearly indicate
JRSS-The Future of Survey Data Collection Special Issue in the cover letter – should be made in the usual way, online at the ScholarOne manuscript submission system for Series A:
ScholarOne Manuscripts.
Guidance about the structure, length and format of manuscripts can be found in ScholarOne and here
General Instructions | Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society | Oxford Academic. All manuscripts will be peer reviewed according to the journal’s standard policy. However, to ensure the special issue is produced in a timely manner, authors will be asked to complete revisions within
eight weeks of receiving referee reports.
Please note that, in line with the remit of Series A, contributions of a principally technical nature will not be acceptable.
The deadline for manuscript submissions is
23:59 on 15 June 2026. Earlier submission is strongly encouraged, and the peer review process will begin as soon as a submission is received.