NCRM podcast: To probe or not to probe - Nonresponse in surveys

To probe or not to probe respondents' initial answers of "Don't know" is a key question when it comes to tackling the problem of nonresponse in surveys. In an NCRM funded Methodological Innovation Project on Item nonresponse and measurement error in cross-national surveys, Jouni Kuha from LSE has been working with colleagues at LSE and City University to see whether asking interviewers to probe respondents further affects both the quantity and the quality of their answers. He talks to Christine Garrington about findings from the research and what he thinks they mean for those involved in survey design and management.