Refugee Survey Quarterly
Volume 36, Issue 4, 2017, Pages 90-109

A social survey on refugees in and around Vienna in fall 2015: Methodological approach and field observations (Article)

Kohlenberger J. , Buber-Ennser I. , Rengs B. , Al Zalak Z.
  • a Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, IIASA, VID/ OAW, WU, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria
  • b Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU, Vienna Institute of Demography/Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
  • c Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU, Vienna Institute of Demography/Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria
  • d Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital, IIASA, VID/ÖAW, WU, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria

Abstract

In late 2015, a survey called Displaced Persons in Austria Survey was carried out in and around Vienna to study the socio-demographic characteristics, values and attitudes of refugees arriving in Austria in 2015. In that year, the number of persons seeking refuge in Europe was substantially high, with Austria being the fourth largest receiving country of asylum-seekers in Europe. This data collection is the first of its kind in Austria and to our knowledge the first in Europe focusing on the recent arrivals of Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan refugees. First results on human capital and attitudes of respondents have been published recently. This article presents the methodological approach of collecting these data, experiences from survey preparation, and insights from the field phase. Findings address four key challenges faced by surveys of the highly mobile and vulnerable group of asylum-seekers, namely (1) representativity, (2) language barriers, (3) ethical considerations, and (4) cultural diversity. We discuss concrete solutions and recommendations for similar (inter)national, cross-cultural surveys, and provide insights for planning longitudinal studies on displaced persons who recently arrived in Europe. © Author(s) [2017].

Author Keywords

Quantitative survey Field phase Forced migration Methodology Iraq Ethics Afghanistan Syria

Index Keywords

Iraq Afghanistan Vienna refugee Austria quantitative analysis methodology Syrian Arab Republic asylum seeker forced migration ethics
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85043988902&doi=10.1093%2frsq%2fhdx012&partnerID=40&md5=24cd9b5870625b7b6310c36c41fad5e7
DOI: 10.1093/rsq/hdx012
ISSN: 10204067
Original Language: English