Call for Proposals: New Topics for Inclusion into the WVS-8 (2024-2026) Questionnaire

 The World Values Survey Association has started to plan the 8th wave of the World Values Survey which will be conducted worldwide in 2024-2026. In the course of 2023, the Executive Committee will update the survey questionnaire for this wave. Given the WVS’s time-series nature, about 60% of the current questionnaire (equivalent of approximately 150 items) will be repeated in wave 8. For the remaining 40% of the questionnaire space (equivalent of approximately 100-120 items), the aim is to include measures for several new issues relating to the processes of significant social, economic, and political value change. With this call we invite research projects, organizations, and individual scholars to submit your proposals of new topics and questions for inclusion into the WVS-8 questionnaire.

The Executive Committee of the WVSA has identified several themes where submission of modules and single questions is particularly welcome. This includes:

• climate change and environmental protection;
• authoritarianism (authoritarian principles and values, norms and practices);
• responses to disasters (pandemic or other);
• misinformation and the role of social media;
• polarization of values;
• political participation through social media (non-electoral participation), populism (and technocracy);
• methodological innovations incorporating survey experiments.

Submissions on other topics will be considered as well.

Proposed new measures (single questions and modules) must be clear and precise, validated and tested in previous survey / pilot efforts. WVSA’s intention would be to divide the 100-120 items of space between 4-5 new topics. For this reason, WVSA strongly advises to limit the proposed modules and batteries to 8, 15 or 18 questions at maximum (per concept). In case of batteries (set of statements featuring same scale applicable to all), every statement is counted as separate question. Single question is there equivalent to a variable. Proposed longer modules will be considered as well but should be accompanied by a clarification (for example, study of a complex multi-dimensional concept requires a greater set of indicators). As a rule, WVS questionnaire does not include open-ended questions.

Most items in proposed batteries or modules should be relevant to all WVS respondents (adults, residents of their counties in the age of 18+), with routing that targets sub-groups kept to a minimum. Items in the module must be applicable globally. If a module targets respondents in a particular part of the world (region, groups of countries speaking one language or identified on another basis), this should be clearly highlighted at the beginning of the proposal.  

The WVS-8 survey round is likely to include a mix of data collection approaches, with some national teams carrying out face-to-face fieldwork and others using self-completion or mixed-mode approaches. Applicants therefore need to consider how their module can be implemented across modes.

Format and requirements

Proposals should include 5-7 single-spaced pages in Word or PDF format and structured to use the following sub-headings. To submit your proposal, please send the document by email by the deadline to the WVSA Secretariat (Бұл электронды пошта мекен-жайы спам-боттардан қорғалған. Көру үшін сіздің браузеріңізде JavaScript қосулы тұруы тиіс.), including:

(1) Contact details:Note about the proposer(s) listing institutional affiliations, mailing address and full contact details,

(2) Title: Proposed title of the new theme

(3) Abstract: A brief opening paragraph summarizing the topic proposed for inclusion in the questionnaire (200 words)

(4) The theorybehind the proposed new topic. In particular, how is the topic theoretically interesting for social science and what literatures does it draw upon?  Is it policy-relevant for the international community? And is it methodologically rigorous and suitable for cross-national research?  

(5) Key puzzles.What important and enduring puzzles flowing from the topic could be tested empirically by cross-national survey evidence? What are the core propositions and testable hypotheses?

(6) How could the topic be operationalized through a short module of survey questions and what existing items have already been asked in previous surveys? What might be the problems of cross-national measurement? How does the topic build upon other items in the World Values Survey? Only previously piloted, valid and robust measures should be included into the proposal.

(7) Does the applicant have funding to support surveying the module? Are there any foundations where the applicant proposes to apply together with the WVSA?

(8) List of sources cited and a select bibliography of publications most relevant for the topic.

(9) Any other comments.

Deadline

All submissions must be received by the deadline of December 1, 2022. All proposals will be carefully reviewed by the Executive Committee of the World Values Survey Association at its meeting in January 2023.

Please, feel free to share this information with your colleagues if you think they might be interested in the current call.

In case of questions, please, contact Бұл электронды пошта мекен-жайы спам-боттардан қорғалған. Көру үшін сіздің браузеріңізде JavaScript қосулы тұруы тиіс..

We are very much looking forward to receiving your proposals!

WVSA Executive Committee, January 28, 2022

Call_for_new_topics_for_WVS-8_2023-2026_questionnaire.pdf