Swiss Social Science Surveys

About the working group

The Working Group Swiss Social Science Surveys of SSHOC-CH aims to foster the exchange of expertise among social science surveys in Switzerland, to develop best practices, and to search for synergies in our work as survey practitioners. The working group is open to representatives of surveys that are designed as part of the social science research infrastructures in a broad sense, even if they are not (yet) established as such. Such surveys should have long-term research goals, longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional panels collecting data from individuals, and publish their survey data in line with the FAIR principles.

Interested institutions and individuals that support the objectives of this working group are also invited to participate.

Objectives

Foster exchange of expertise and ideas among social science surveys in Switzerland.

Develop best practices across the survey cycle (ethics, design, fieldwork, data preparation, documentation, dissemination).

Search for synergies in our work as survey practitioners (e.g. access to fields and samples, application of legal requirements, sharing codes for data preparation).

Activities

To fulfil these aims, the WG organises events such as workshops and training sessions, and offers a digital environment where members can interact and share any relevant documents. The first workshop organized in 2026 was on the topic of consent procedures to help strengthen ethical practice across the field through collective problem-solving.

Responsible persons

Sandra Hupka-Brunner, Claudia Finger, Michèle Ernst Stähli and Marieke Voorpostel.