Quantitative surveys on migration
Résumé
The chapter focuses on quantitative surveys of international migration, designed specifically to study the causes and consequences of this form of mobility. General household or labor force surveys do not usually include specific questions about experiences specific to migrants and do not generally sample enough of the rare population of migrants. Quantitative surveys of migration must address several facts: international migration involves several countries, the migration process occur over multiple points in time, and relevant data on causes and consequences of international migration exist at multiple levels. These facts lead to implications for quantitative survey design, including sampling methodology and questionnaire content. This chapter reviews the main questions sociologists should ask when conceptualizing or using such surveys, with a critical view intended to identify trade-offs in survey design and possible biases in data analysis.