Abstract:

The creation of a unified internal market in Europe after 1992 will entail an increased demand for international social research by public clients. Cross-nationally comparable studies shall provide information which is necessary to prepare and evaluate political action at Community level. In the first part of the paper the authors shortly describe the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions and its work programme as an example of the demand for international social research by public clients. In the second part the authors demonstrate that international social research is much more than the simple addition of national studies. Cross-nationally comparable research has its own rules. Based on recent experience of survey research in eight member states of the European Community the authors give some examples of special problems related to this type of research and show how these problems were solved. The examples cover different stages and aspects of survey research: sampling, definition of respondents, contents of questionnaires, translation, and analysis.