German Academic Exchange Service is Funding Project between ZPID and Slovenian Researchers

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has approved funding for a collaboration of the Leibniz Institute for Psychology Information (ZPID) with Slovenian researchers at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Science.

Both teams will cooperate in several branches of distinguished topics regarding contemporary survey methodology. Collaboration between the two teams will facilitate the sharing of complementary theoretical knowledge, methodological experiences and location-specific research facilities required to fulfill the scientific goals. PhD students and postdoctoral researchers of both institutes will be incorporated into the project.

ZPID director and project manager Prof. Dr. Michael Bosnjak and Prof. Dr. Katja Lozar Manfreda from the University of Ljubljana are well-known experts in the field of meta-analysis in survey methodology and have worked together before, among other things on organizing the section Meta-Analysis in Survey Methodology at the Conference of the European Survey Research Association (ESRA) this year.

»The cooperation will bring together experience and knowledge of both teams in the field of social science methodology and in establishing research infrastructures«, says Michael Bosnjak. The Slovenian team, experts on the integration of mobile devices into survey research, will help establish a usability lab at ZPID that will serve as research infrastructure for a broader research community.

In addition, the Slovenian researchers will be able to implement usability studies on mobile survey questionnaires and mobile apps by using the ZPID lab. Twelve research visits are planned – six from German researchers in Ljubljana and six from Slovenian researchers in Trier. The first one will be in May 2018.

This DAAD program supports short term stays for researchers of two different countries. The aim is to intensify cooperative research activities between a German and a foreign university or non-university research institute. Moreover, it promotes the skill enhancement of young academics on both sides.