Pre-testing of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights survey on violence against women 2011

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) commissioned HEUNI to conduct pretesting of a survey on violence against women. The goal of the study was to test the interview survey questionnaire developed by the FRA by using different qualitative methods, cognitive interviews, behavioural coding, focus-group discussions, interviewer feedback, and a pilot interview. The project also produced detailed interviewer instructions and other field work material and tested them. The pilot was implemented in six EU countries (Finland, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain).

HEUNI, together with national inputs from the participating countries, drafted the final report. Several recommendations regarding the interview content (survey questions), routing, interview mode and self-filled questionnaire were given. The recommendations also highlighted the need for extensive training of the interviewers, the sensitivity of the topic, preferring computer assisted interviewing and the need to re-formulate some questions, e.g. those on sexual violence.

Further information:

Natalia Ollus: natalia.ollus(at)om.fi