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Kristen Olson

@olsonkm.bsky.social

1.1K followers 1.4K following 150 posts

Survey Methodologist. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Sociology Professor. Proud director of an academic survey research organization (Bureau of Sociological Research). Former Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology Editor (2020-2024). AAPOR Devotee. .. more

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Kristen Marie Olson is an American sociologist and statistician specializing in survey methodology. She is the Leland J. and Dorothy H. Olson Professor of Sociology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) and also directs its Bureau of Sociological Research. .. more

Political science 28%

Sociology 25%

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Aug 12

Yes, that's a great example. Thanks! And contemporary.

Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Aug 12

Yes, it's a great example! But I'm also interested in other examples of social science (or health) research ethical problems or issues or questions that don't make the "classic" examples list....

Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Aug 12

I'm teaching a research ethics class for upper division undergraduates this semester. Looking for case study examples of ethical issues that aren't the BIG ones (e.g., Tuskegee, Milgram, Zimbardo) in a digestible form for undergrads (news articles, podcasts, videos, shorter articles).

Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Aug 8

It was an honor to speak in this memorial session for Don Dillman at #JSM25. Don's influences on the science of surveys are extraordinary. But the primary words that people use to describe him at his memorial are kind, generous, honest, humble, and welcoming - I think he did something extra right.

Brady West @bradytwest.bsky.social · Aug 3

A word cloud of the responses!

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Brady West @bradytwest.bsky.social · Aug 3

A word cloud of the responses!

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Brady West @bradytwest.bsky.social · Aug 3

@olsonkm.bsky.social kicks off our session celebrating Don Dillman at #JSM2025 with a discussion of Don’s contributions to survey methodology. Thanks to @statstas.datascience.blue for setting this up! 💯

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Reposted by Claudia Sahm, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Richard S.J. Tol , and 23 more Claudia Sahm, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Richard S.J. Tol, Nicholas A. Christakis, Peter Thorne, Ken Caldeira, Albert Weale, Rosemary A. Joyce, Joseph Schafer, Joshua Goodman, Aaron Sojourner, Andrew L. Whitehead, Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham, Kristen Olson, Erol Akçay, Erica L. Groshen, Maria Abreu, Daniel Kuehn, Gavin Kelly, Cullen S. Hendrix, Goldie Blumenstyk, Bill Emmott, David S. Tanenhaus, Charles T. Mathewes, Kimberly A. Clausing, Antonio Fatás

Erika McEntarfer @erikamcentarfer.bsky.social · Aug 2

It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy. It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Oct 7

I am teaching an Introduction to Survey Methodology class in the spring (undergrad and grad). Somewhat amazingly, I last taught this class 10 years ago.

What are your favorite textbook and other (podcast, videos, etc.) resources for nascent survey methodologists?

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology @jssam.bsky.social · Dec 19

This is the last day of posts from the Univ. of Nebraska-based social media team. We set up the JSSAM social media accounts 4 years ago to spread the word about the great work published in the journal. The account has been managed by editor @olsonkm.bsky.social, Angelica Phillips, & Ryan Doud.

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Kevin Collins @kwcollins.bsky.social · Dec 19

No, you really shouldn't field surveys (in the US) over Christmas and other major US holidays. Our team pulled together some data to show why this isn't good for your surveys (not to mention your survey respondents)

www.survey160.com/methodologic...

How Texting Around the Holidays Impacts Survey Performance — Survey 160

A common question we get at Survey 160 when trying to decide the fielding window for a text message survey is whether texting around major U.S. holidays is likely to impact performance. In short, the ...

www.survey160.com

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Emily Guskin @emgusk.bsky.social · Mar 4

This is very cool!! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Americans Feel About Trump’s Tariffs (Gift Article)

Trump loves tariffs. Do Americans? It depends how pollsters ask the question.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Kristen Olson, Florian Keusch

American Association for Public Opinion Research @aapor.bsky.social · May 10

As you pack your suitcase, wait in security lines, or run into other AAPORites in the Uber line, snap a pic and share your journey to #aapor25!

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · May 12

A perennial tip for writing about surveys: the base population (who comprises the group that the survey question is talking about?) is SO important.

e.g. a poll finding that X% of "Americans who want to have kids" don't feel financially able to do so is totally different from "X% of all Americans"

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Reposted by Brady T. West, Kristen Olson, Florian Keusch

Raphael Nishimura @rnishimura.bsky.social · May 10

🚨 Call for all AAPOR board gamers! 🚨
GAMEPOR is finally officially on the conference schedule, now named "Longitudinal Leisure Study (with board games)".
Bring your favorite (and luggage friendly) board games to the conference and come join us for an epic game night! 🎲
#AAPOR @aapor.bsky.social

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Jul 24

I was honored to be the keynote speaker at the #ESRA25 @esrasurvey.bsky.social conference last week in Utrecht. A fantastic conference all around, with great talks on data collection methods, AI, data donation, questionnaire design, and much more.

Me (Kristen Olson) standing in front of my title slide that says "From Mail Surveys to Chatbots: Changes in Survey Modes, Methods, and Data Sources Over Time" at the keynote address at the European Survey Research Association conference in Utrecht

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Reposted by Kristen Olson, Gayle Kaufman

Kim Weeden @weedenkim.bsky.social · May 26

Good news! Release 1 of the 2024 GSS is available for download.

The 2024 GSS, like 2022, uses web, in-person, and phone modes. For some variables this can complicate analyses of trends. See documentation.

Still a prob sample & gold standard survey w/ high resp rates (by contemporary standards).

Get the Data | NORC at the University of Chicago

gss.norc.org

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

Kathleen Weldon @kathleenweldon.bsky.social · May 23

A scale for the ages. How exactly is one “a little neutral”?

Survey question:

1. How would you express your attitude toward gambling la lot Springa:
(PRESENT CARD "A")

1. I am firmly and morally against it.

2. I am against it, but it's always been there.

3. I am a little neutral on this question.

4. If they want to gamble in Hot Springs I don't mind.

5. I think it is perfectly all right. I am in favor of it.

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · May 12

I give comments to my students of “what’s the denominator?” all the time!This level of precision matters not only for understanding the group about whom one is making inference, but also to suggest whether it’s the whole set of respondents or a subset of them (and all the errors therein).

Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · May 12

Reposted by Kristen Olson

Conrad Hackett @conradhackett.bsky.social · May 11

If you encounter what seems like an implausible survey finding, ask:
1. Were survey respondents selected randomly or was this an opt-in poll?
2. Could the results, especially for young adults, be driven by bogus respondents?

Keep this post in mind: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · May 10

Looking forward to the #AAPOR25 conference next week!

I will be giving papers on visible incentives in mixed-mode surveys, mode preferences in today’s survey landscape, and using generative AI for reading level calculations of survey questions.

American Association for Public Opinion Research @aapor.bsky.social · May 10

As you pack your suitcase, wait in security lines, or run into other AAPORites in the Uber line, snap a pic and share your journey to #aapor25!

Reposted by Christopher J. Fariss, Kristen Olson, Jeff Carter

American National Election Studies @electionstudies.bsky.social · May 1

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Reposted by Kristen Olson

European Survey Research Association (ESRA) @esrasurvey.bsky.social · Mar 21

📢 Registration for #ESRA25 conference is now open! We are so excited 🎉 Let's have a big reunion of survey researchers in #Utrecht!

⏰️ The early-bird registration deadline is on May 12 ⏰️

www.europeansurveyresearch.org/conference/u...

Registration and Fees

The European Survey Research Association (ESRA) is the leading professional organisation of survey researchers in Europe, with members from the academic, government, non-profit and commercial sectors

www.europeansurveyresearch.org

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Mar 5

This article is a great example for a questionnaire design class!

Emily Guskin @emgusk.bsky.social · Mar 4

This is very cool!! www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How Americans Feel About Trump’s Tariffs (Gift Article)

Trump loves tariffs. Do Americans? It depends how pollsters ask the question.

www.nytimes.com

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Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Mar 4

*area ….

Kristen Olson @olsonkm.bsky.social · Mar 4

We have a paper in this Special Issue of @surveypractice.bsky.social! Spanish translation of self-administered surveys in a rural are with higher concentrations of Spanish speakers yielded very few Spanish language completes, but they came from addresses w/a Hispanic surname indicator on ABS frame.

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Reposted by Mathieu Lefèbvre, Fatih Guvenen, Kristen Olson , and 2 more Mathieu Lefèbvre, Fatih Guvenen, Kristen Olson, Danila Serra, Christina Weiland

Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · Feb 15

Thread of my own work that has used data from Department of Education and columns that have focused on research funded by them

1/N Inequality in college graduation rates
Uses data from Education Longitudinal Study, conducted by Department of Education
www.nytimes.com/2015/06/02/u...

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Reposted by Kristen Olson, Shelley Boulianne

Deana A. Rohlinger @deanarohlinger.bsky.social · Jan 2

Final total for the number of manuscripts received by @sscratsage.bsky.social in 2024? 1,020. Up from 785 submissions in 2023.

Reposted by Lisa A. Gennetian, Michèle Bélot, Kristen Olson , and 3 more Lisa A. Gennetian, Michèle Bélot, Kristen Olson, Yue Qian, Kecia M. Thomas, Christina Weiland

Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · Feb 14

FANTASTIC

ICPSR at U Mich is coordinating the archiving of at-risk federal data (all of it?)

You can upload data you have & search for data you don’t have

www.datalumos.org/datalumos/

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Reposted by Kristen Olson, Allison Lombardi

Dan Goldhaber @cedr.bsky.social · Feb 14

I do think we should have discussions about how to do education research that is cost effective, but the implicit suggestion that the ED activities are wasteful/fraud is just wrong. Read on if you want concrete examples.

Inexplicable Cuts at the Dept. of Education open.substack.com/pub/goodscie...

Inexplicable Cuts at the Dept. of Education

Recently, DOGE has bragged about terminating 89 contracts worth a collective $881 million at the Institute for Education Sciences at the US Department of Education.

open.substack.com

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