Survey methods research centers around these broad areas of expertise:  

• Questionnaire Design and Evaluation. Focuses on developing question wording so that the intent of the question is clear, and respondents are able and willing to provide an accurate answer. Activities include assessing respondents’ comprehension of the question, their strategies and thought processes when formulating and choosing a final answer as well as assessing and reducing barriers in providing an accurate answer. 
  
  
• Multilingual and Cross-Cultural Studies. Specializes in questionnaire design and pretesting of non-English survey instruments, recruitment materials, interviewing procedures, and other data collection materials. Also researches the impact of language on the data quality and addresses cross-cultural issues in the context and framing of questions. 
  
  
• Usability and Human Factors Research. Studies the usability of online survey instruments, on both desktop computers and mobile devices, to improve respondents’ ease of use with the goal of reducing measurement error and increasing participation, reducing non-response error. 
  
  
• Data Analytics Research. Evaluates paradata and other emerging data sources for insights to reduce measurement error, guide survey design decisions, and develop statistical models to improve understanding of the various contributors to total survey error. 
  
  
• Research Platforms and Applications. Incorporates new technology and methods to evaluate data collection, processing, interpretation, and dissemination; applies established methods to evaluate quality of emerging data sources such as administrative records.