Integration research 2.0

On using new data sources to research the behavior and attitudes of migrants and natives

For decades, social science research on the integration of refugees and migrants has mainly used information from respondents in surveys for its investigations. The same applies to studies on the attitudes of the native population towards immigration regulations and migrants themselves. In this research project, funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, we want to investigate three new data sources and forms of data collection that promise faster, more frequently available and more accurate information for the study of migration and integration issues. These are (1) automatically collected data from smartphone sensors and apps, (2) aggregated internet search queries and (3) the answers of participants in voting aids such as the “Wahlomat”.

For decades, social science research on the integration of refugees and migrants has mainly used information from respondents in surveys for its investigations. The same applies to studies on the attitudes of the native population towards immigration regulations and migrants themselves. Decision-makers in politics and administration also use this information together with administrative data from asylum registration centers, social welfare offices and employment agencies to overcome specific challenges in the integration process and to develop integration approaches and strategies. However, the collection and provision of this information is usually time-consuming and expensive, e.g. in the case of large-scale population surveys or until access to administrative data is granted. In addition, surveys often result in socially desirable answers to questions about sensitive attitudes or behavior. The findings are therefore often late and may be distorted.

In this research project, funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, we want to investigate three new data sources and forms of data collection that promise faster, more frequently available and more accurate information for the study of migration and integration issues. These are (1) automatically collected data from smartphone sensors and apps, (2) aggregated internet search queries and (3) the responses of participants in voting aids such as the “Wahlomat”. Although each of these approaches has its own limitations, they could be an excellent complement to traditional data sources and thus make a major contribution to better insights and more targeted policy formulation.

The results of this project should provide illustrative examples and application guidelines for the complementary use of the new data sources to the existing ones. In this way, we aim to contribute to methodological progress in the field of migration and integration research and the social sciences as a whole, thus enabling more precise answers to existing research questions and possibly the investigation of completely new topics.

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