Integrating Reflexivities into Survey Research

Online workshop to be held on 30 January 2023

The IMISCOE Standing Committees: Reflexivities in Migration Studies and Methodological Approaches and Tools in Migration Research (Meth@Mig) are inviting submissions for a workshop highlighting reflexivities in survey research. This workshop will bring together scholars from all stages of their career from early career to more experienced researchers. The workshop will aim to facilitate discussions across the qualitative/quantitative divide.

Keynote speakers:

Jessica Hagen-Zanker, ODI

Laura Morales, Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics, Sciences Po

As migration scholars, we often rely on survey research, be it as researchers collecting primary data or working with existing surveys conducting secondary analysis. When conducting original surveys there is an opportunity to think reflexively about the consequences of the categories (including official categories) we are using. When engaging in secondary analysis migration scholars must rely on the existing categories of survey-based work. However, there are often opportunities to be creative and transformative within the secondary analysis.

Survey research, as any other type of research, is an art of itself. It requires pragmatism, expertise and consideration of a series of issues that arise at the various stages of survey design, implementation and data analysis. This workshop creates a space for reflexive discussion about survey research. It aims to identify and understand the challenges and opportunities of creating reflexive approaches to survey research in migration studies. 

The workshop organisers invite contributions that reflect on the following issues:

• Survey design in migration research;
• Sampling strategies and related challenges;
• Working with and against official categories in survey research
• Questionnaire construction, response alternatives and measurement;
• Questionnaire translation issues;
• Cross-national survey research and embedding surveys in the specific contexts in which they are carried out;
• Critical reflection on survey data collection infrastructure;
• Questioning and problematizing survey research conception, construction and implementation;
• Reflections on language used;
• Interviewer effect;
• Overcoming specific survey challenges via reflexivities;
• Other issues arising in survey research;

We invite contributions from scholars of all disciplines, representing various methodological approaches, and career stages. Submission should consist of an extended abstract of approx. 500 words and a short personal bio of the presenting author(s) (including name, affiliation, and contact information) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (putting “ Integrating Reflexivities into Survey Research workshop” in the submission email’s subject line) by the 10th of December 2022. The organizers will notify authors about the results of the review process by the 20th of December 2022.

Download: Pdf version of the call